[quote name='DCpsychwardFD' date='04 June 2010 - 05:31 PM' timestamp='1275685898' post='385418']
Nice new Ladder in Winchester. I am sure they will see the difference in Pierce Apparatus compared to E One Junk. Firefighter/Paramedic Candice Mangan enjoying the new truck. Hopefully this truck will get to run some fire.
When I moved out of Mass less then a year ago all the talk in the fire world was how budget cuts were basically shutting down every department in the whole state. I have been seeing a lot of new apparatus being delivered recently, or about to be delivered, and I'm wondering to myself if anything has changed up there finacially?
[/quote]
No one is shutting down, there is just a lot less staffing and a lot of what levels have been maintained are with one time stimulus money. Wait until that runs out. Believe me my department would not have hired except for two things, the Feds told them they have to maintain certain levels or pay back the grant money and we had a lot of retirements, so the new hires are relatively cheaper than the guys that went out the door. Here's my take on why there is new apparatus.
1. I think most apparatus are bought with municipal bond money, financing spread out over long periods, instead of one lump sum (or with stimulus/grant funding). At least that's how my department and a few others have done it. There is a set amount of how much is available for capital expeditures and debt service in the budgets every year. Since the government can't just go ahead and refuse to pay its bills to the investors, it cuts personnel.
2. Politicians still think apparatus put out fires, not firefighters. They don't have as much of an issue buying apparatus because they can show the public no expense is spared buying new equipment. We all know it's usully the low bid, but everyone else just sees shiny and new. So we have new apparatus.... but no one to man them. Plus with no maintenance budget they go to hell pretty fast. The exhaust pipe on my engine is currently held up with a coat hanger wire because we can't pay for the new parts until July 1st. Last year the dept. fuel tanks ran dry a week before the fiscal year ended and we couldn't pay for more. We only fueled up if absolutely necessary at the water dept. pumps. I love hearing people ask why so many trucks were called to put out the fire when they all seemed to just be parked there. Yeah its because there aren't many guys working on them. Some places on a fire response its one guy, one truck. We're "fortunate" that we won't run with less than 3, but its a trade off with brownouts.
We have two new Pierce engines on the way this week and a similar ladder to Winchester's that is less than 6 months old, but when we close three companies a tour because there aren't enough bodies and almost no money for OT what good are they? The funny thing is we are starting to see an increase in fires because of the bad economy. I don't know how Lawrence is going to survive with what they have next year. We just got lucky with a save being made in a house fire where the first due engine was closed two blocks away. Not a mention in the paper and the person wasn't doing well last I heard.
And I will now get off my soapbox and show you sneak peeks at two of our new engines.
First of two Pierce Engines being delivered to Lowell as I type, one for Engine 11 and one for Engine 6. They will replace 1994 E-Ones, currently our oldest frontline engines. Rumor is one will be on display at the Chief's show at the Big E next week. I do not have apparatus specifics yet. Photos courtesy of LFD, credit to the Pierce rep who is the original photographer.
No need to get off your soap box Jay. Your absolutely right.
Nice looking engine. Small, compact and looks user friendly. Nice layout on the pump panel too. Nice low crosslays. I saw L4 a couple weeks ago and thats a nice piece too. To bad it gets closed during the rolling brownouts.
[quote name='JStrunk866' date='19 June 2010 - 11:17 AM' timestamp='1276959469' post='388028']
First of two Pierce Engines being delivered to Lowell as I type, one for Engine 11 and one for Engine 6. They will replace 1994 E-Ones, currently our oldest frontline engines. Rumor is one will be on display at the Chief's show at the Big E next week. I do not have apparatus specifics yet. Photos courtesy of LFD, credit to the Pierce rep who is the original photographer.
Did you sit in the drivers seat of Ladder 4 yet??? Don't like how the engine cover has the part that bumps up for all the light switches and stuff up towards the windshield... I did like the way the back of the cab was set up though...
[quote name='JStrunk866' date='19 June 2010 - 11:10 AM' timestamp='1276959043' post='388019']
No one is shutting down, there is just a lot less staffing and a lot of what levels have been maintained are with one time stimulus money. Wait until that runs out. Believe me my department would not have hired except for two things, the Feds told them they have to maintain certain levels or pay back the grant money and we had a lot of retirements, so the new hires are relatively cheaper than the guys that went out the door. Here's my take on why there is new apparatus.
1. I think most apparatus are bought with municipal bond money, financing spread out over long periods, instead of one lump sum (or with stimulus/grant funding). At least that's how my department and a few others have done it. There is a set amount of how much is available for capital expeditures and debt service in the budgets every year. Since the government can't just go ahead and refuse to pay its bills to the investors, it cuts personnel.
2. Politicians still think apparatus put out fires, not firefighters. They don't have as much of an issue buying apparatus because they can show the public no expense is spared buying new equipment. We all know it's usully the low bid, but everyone else just sees shiny and new. So we have new apparatus.... but no one to man them. Plus with no maintenance budget they go to hell pretty fast. The exhaust pipe on my engine is currently held up with a coat hanger wire because we can't pay for the new parts until July 1st. Last year the dept. fuel tanks ran dry a week before the fiscal year ended and we couldn't pay for more. We only fueled up if absolutely necessary at the water dept. pumps. I love hearing people ask why so many trucks were called to put out the fire when they all seemed to just be parked there. Yeah its because there aren't many guys working on them. Some places on a fire response its one guy, one truck. We're "fortunate" that we won't run with less than 3, but its a trade off with brownouts.
We have two new Pierce engines on the way this week and a similar ladder to Winchester's that is less than 6 months old, but when we close three companies a tour because there aren't enough bodies and almost no money for OT what good are they? The funny thing is we are starting to see an increase in fires because of the bad economy. I don't know how Lawrence is going to survive with what they have next year. We just got lucky with a save being made in a house fire where the first due engine was closed two blocks away. Not a mention in the paper and the person wasn't doing well last I heard.
And I will now get off my soapbox and show you sneak peeks at two of our new engines.
[/quote]
Thanks Lt. Hopefully by the time the funding runs out there will have been some miracle in Mass. I had no idea Lowell was doing rolling brown outs. A city that actually see's some fire rolling the dice. Lowell is mirroring Baltimore, who just burnt one of thier guys up a month or so ago (luckily last I heard he was out of critical condition but needs extensive rehab). Stay safe up there.
[quote name='yelrowekim' date='19 June 2010 - 08:40 PM' timestamp='1276993248' post='388105']
Jay,
Did you sit in the drivers seat of Ladder 4 yet??? Don't like how the engine cover has the part that bumps up for all the light switches and stuff up towards the windshield... I did like the way the back of the cab was set up though...
[/quote]
I did notice that, but didn't really think much about it. It's suppossed to feel more like a cockpit with everything within an easy arm's reach (or so I'm told). Kinda crazy, but since I haven't driven in a while I don't tend to notice the little design things as much. Plus I never drove a ladder co. so I just don't pay as much attention to them anyway.
The engine stuff I notice. FYI these are identical engines with low hose beds for both attack and supply hose along with short wheel bases. A lot of new stuff (for us) went into them. We had actual specification committees with design plans for the first time I'm aware of.
In Quincy we don't call them "Brown Outs"...... we call it Rescue 1 out... and after July 1st.....Ladder 2 out & Engine 8 out... depending on man power..
[quote name='DCpsychwardFD' date='19 June 2010 - 10:00 PM' timestamp='1276998053' post='388115']
Thanks Lt. Hopefully by the time the funding runs out there will have been some miracle in Mass. I had no idea Lowell was doing rolling brown outs. A city that actually see's some fire rolling the dice. Lowell is mirroring Baltimore, who just burnt one of thier guys up a month or so ago (luckily last I heard he was out of critical condition but needs extensive rehab). Stay safe up there.
[/quote]
Company closings (aka brownouts) have been city of Lowell policy continuously since 1992. In good times there are fewer, in bad times many more. In the early 90's the city ran a night tour with 3 engines, 1 ladder and the rescue. Nothing happened. When I got on in 97 it was routine to see 4-5 companies out at a time. It got better for a while and now we're going the other way. People have actually died doors away from closed stations without any impact on policy. Right now we close up to 3 companies, an engine, a ladder and the rescue co. plus one of the deputy chiefs before they will pay OT.
[quote name='yelrowekim' date='19 June 2010 - 10:59 PM' timestamp='1277001552' post='388139']
In Quincy we don't call them "Brown Outs"...... we call it Rescue 1 out... and after July 1st.....Ladder 2 out & Engine 8 out... depending on man power..
[/quote]
Mike,
is that Rescue Ladder 2 and Engine 8 out or just L2 E8 after July 1?
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