St. Louis Engine-8 -- 2nd Generation Quint
Emphasis on Rolling Stock -- Not Tactics
by: Lou Angeli
(St. Louis, MO ) - Ever since Neil Svetanics, former Chief of the St. Louis Fire
Department, popularized the "Quint Concept" some 20 years ago, the nation's fire
departments have gone crazy for quints. The concept that some said was a only a
passing fad is still claiming new ground.
Admittedly, I'm a big buff, the perennial kid when it comes to firetrucks. But
ever since March's FDIC Exhibit, with its hundreds of apparatus and machines on
display, many fire officers are beginning to question where we're going -- and
why.
At issue here is not the motive of fire apparatus manufacturers, the machines
they build, nor their cost. After all, firefighting machines are no longer
bought off the lot. We design them ourselves -- every nook and cranny -- from
the ground up. But the concern for many is that in the year 2012, too much
emphasis is placed on rolling stock and not enough on solid tactics.
In Neil Svetanics case, history shows that his original reason for developing
the Quint was more an issue of STAFFING rather than MACHINE. When he assumed
command of STLFD, members were operating what could best be described as ancient
apparatus with bare bones staffing. It was a department in distress, where
three-man engines and two-man ladders were the norm. So, the Quint concept was
originally born out of a manning deficiency, and for Svetanics the long term
plan was to enhance staffing, not limit it.
It was the late 1980's, and the fire service was begging for new ideas to
increase efficiency and use existing manpower more effectively. Needless to say,
Svetanics and his idea were at the right place at the right time. But some
administrators abused Neil's original game plan, and Svetanics had unwittingly
provided them with a way to reduce manning, in the guise of some new nationally
recognized procedure.
Flexible Response
Unfortunately, the "kid" in many of us didn't look beyond the red and chrome of
those original LTI 75 footers. In fact, very few of us knew the real reason why
St. Louis had initiated the Quint Concept in the first place. Many of us were
blinded by the originality of this new fangled machine and the importance of the
Truck or Support Company was lost in the smoke.
St. Louis dubbed their new SOP "Flexible Response", a procedure that did away
with the traditional notion of Engine and Truck Companies. In essence, Neil
Svetanics bucked tradition in a big way, and that's not necessarily all that
bad. But in the rush to emulate St. Louis' success, many departments ordered up
quintuple rigs without a solid plan as to how they were to be used on the field
of streams. And that's my hand you see raised, because I sat on the apparatus
committee of my own department, when we recommended the purchase a Quint.
Even after we signed the contract, and the rig was online in Wisconsin, our
committee still wasn't sure how they quints would be used. As an Engine with an
aerial device? Or a Ladder with a pump? Would it be the first responding machine, or the second-out piece? And most
importantly, what would be the crew assignments in a volunteer organization
where manning on the rig might fluctuate from three (during the day) to eight
(at night).
Wilmington (DE) Fire Department -- Ladder Company-1
A Return To Basics:
In a recent article by John Mittendorf, the former LA City Battalion Chief took
his exacto knife to flexible response, and cut the Quint concept to shreads. A
bold response by a seasoned fire officer to a procedure that he felt was making
the fire attack less efficient and more dangerous.
Mittendorf suggests that the introduction of Quint operations has caused us to
neglect a very important fireground function - Truck or Support Company
operations. Many believe he's right. The Engine Company cannot mount a fire
attack, without the coordinated efforts of the Truck or Support Company. And
that's where Quint operations fall short. Because as a first responding rig, the
emphasis is exclusively on engine work.
So, before we begin making plans to build another Quint, let's step back and
examine why Truck Companies were developed in the first place.
Although aerial ladders and towers exist in the fire service worldwide,
the
Ladder "Company" itself is a concept that is specific to North America. The
origin of the Hook and Ladder Co. goes back to the early volunteer brigades of
the 1700's. Back then, H&L members were responsible for separating the fuel
from the blaze, and were often closest to the fire. Because they carried ground
ladders, they were undeniably an integral part of the rescue operation.
While members of the pumper crews worked with the bucket brigades to fill pumps
and extinguish the blaze, the Ladder Company performed all other necessary
duties. Today, the Ladder Co. still serves much the same purpose, although
dozens of generations have refined this multi-mission job. But no where else in
the World is the distinction between Engine and Truck members so clear-cut as it
is in the USA and Canada.
The $1 Million Quint -- Garden City, PA
As new tools and equipment are introduced, chances are they end up on the Aerial
Apparatus. But how many more compartments can we fill? And at what point does
the Ladder Apparatus become a burden, rather than an asset?
Examine the American LaFrance Tractor-Drawn aerial of just 25 years ago. Most
equipment was carried in open bins and a few lockable compartments. The rig was
lightweight, perhaps a GVW of 40,000 lbs, and could be maneuvered easily through
streets and roadways. Its cost in 1974, $150,000.
But at $750,000 to $999,000, today's aerial apparatus have become Land Yachts.
Most are built with six and eight man cabs, that rarely see more than four
firefighters. Add a 1500 gpm pumps and 500
gallons
of H2O, plus hoseline, and the NFPA allows us to call them Quints. They are the
Carnival Cruise Ships of the fire service, which are used for every type of
emergency -- from EMS to nuisance fires.
Many agree with former Battalion Chief John Mittendorf. The focus they say
should be on the traditional function of the aerial apparatus and its crew.
Remember -- Even if your department doesn't operate a Ladder apparatus, the
Truck Company function still must be addressed. In part two of this series,
we'll examine the importance of the Support Company, and how some departments
have enhanced their programs with the addition of Squads, Ladder Tenders, and
even an old stand-by, the Quad.
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