New Engine/Tanker Ordered!
 
By Captain Christopher Harris
December 15, 2014
 

On December 15, 2015, Chief Chad Green and President Tom Garber signed a contract for the construction of a new Engine/Tanker with "4 Guys Fire Trucks". This will be the replacement for the nearly 25 year old Spartan/Grumman engine/tanker (E/T 82) that is currently in service.

How We Got To This Point:

A new apparatus replacement committee was established in the beginning of 2014, to research and develop a replacement for E/T 82. The committee spent many hours deciding on what type of unit would best serve our community for the next 20 or more years. Other fire companies were gracious enough to bring their units to the station on several occasions and many trips were made around the region to view different engine/tanker style units. It was at this point, that the committee decided that we would increase our water capacity; especially after we found that it would be nearly the same size (length wise) as the current E/T 82.

Four (4) different apparatus manufacturers were contacted and invited to "bid" on the unit. Those manufacturers included: Pierce, E-One, 4 Guys, and Seagrave. A generic "bid specification" was written by the committee and all of the manufacturers met with the committee so that each of them would bid on exactly the same thing. The bids were opened on November 1st and the committee went to work on deciding which manufacturer best suited our needs. The process and decision was extremely difficult since each manufacturer provide well built equipment.

On November 25th, a special meeting was held with the membership of the fire company which included a discussion concerning the committees findings and their recommendation. After the discussion was completed, the membership voted.

It was then that the committee went into "high gear" by going over and deciding on every specific detail of the units construction as it is written in an "Apparatus Specification". Many meetings were held, as well as many emails, phone calls and text messages to finally create a well suited new engine/tanker for our company and the community. Six members of the committee traveled to Meyersdale, Pennsylvania on December 10/11 to complete the final draft of the "Apparatus Specification". During the trip, we met with the salesman and an engineer to make sure that the "Spec" was written to our approval. The final draft was written and submitted to us on the morning of December 15, and by the end of the day, the "Spec" was approved and the contract was signed.

A few of the specifics include: 2015 Spartan Gladiator 6-person cab, 550 HP Cummins motor, Allison 4000 EVS 6-speed transmission, 3000 gallon water tank, 1500 GPM Waterous Pump and a 3000 gallon portable tank. The unit will measure: 35' 4" long, 10' 9" tall (without water/equipment) and 8' 7" wide. The emergency and scene lighting are manufactured by Whelen and the tank water level gauges are manufactured by Fire Research Corp (MaxVision).

The unit will meet the required specifications for NFPA and Carroll County, to be used as both an "Engine" and a "High Capacity Tanker". The expected delivery time will be 10-12 months (end of 2015). We will be providing up-to-date information concerning the building process during the next year, so keep visiting the site for the latest information.

Click on the PDF attachment below to view the preliminary drawing of the new unit. A we receive newer drawings, we will post them on this story.

 
Attachments:
Attachment Painted Tanker 8 (2).pdf  (458k)
Attachment Union Bridge 3000 v5.pdf  (1,362k)