Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire

[FireMedic049]

OK, so it looks like someone is trying to do their best to upgrade the fleet here but why? 

 

In that I mean did some rigs just deteriorate prematurely, or is this a case of purchases being needed but not fulfilled in the past?

 

I mean 10 year old rigs going the way of the Dodo, and being replaced by 7 year old units that I'm sure have just as many miles/ hours on

them is telling I think, but don't know for sure.  It seems they have taken deliver of quite a bit of apparatus in the past 4-5 years so I don't

think it's putting off orders, but that could an illusion as many more were needed than ordered.  Seems like there could be many things at

play here, and being from Detroit I've seen it all and would be curious to hear what's really happening here.

 

Kris

As I understand it, the San Diego rigs were purchased primarily to improve the quality of units in the reserve pool.  They've done the same thing in the past purchasing 2 rearmount ladders from Fairfax County and if I'm not mistaken, a couple of local used VFD engines too.

 

PBF has made significant strides in updating their frontline fleet over the past 5-10 years.  With the most recent assignments, I'm pretty sure all of the companies are now in frontline units that are 10 years old or less, many are 5 or less. The need for buying some units for the reserve pool can be traced back to inadequate replacement in the past.  That was certainly the case with the aerials as many were disposed of instead of moving to reserve duty with the arrival of new aerials.  The City went through some pretty rocky financial times a decade or two ago and apparatus replacement appeared to be one of the many areas that was neglected as a result.

 

Although the age/mileage may be similar, the environments in which these units operated are very different.  The winters in this area can be partiuclarly harsh on the longevity of vehicle bodies as compared to the relatively mild conditions that exist in southern California.  If the Toynes didn't hold up well, it may be more cost effective to get rid of them and use the San Diego rigs instead until additional new units can be purchased.