Robert Tutterow’s Keeping It Safe column this month got me thinking. Well, first it got me reminiscing a little bit, of course, about the trucks I came up on and the difference in their size compared with today’s rigs.
A few years ago when we had two pumpers on order, I parked our old ‘81 LaFrance nose to nose with the (at that time) rig that was our first-out (photo 1). The longer story has to do with how the LaFrance was known as 302. When I joined, we weren’t using plain speak.
Our trucks were 302 and 303 for our pumpers and 305 for our rescue. Then we switched Engine 300, Squad 300, and Rescue 300. And then, we decided to go with Engine 302. So, the nose-to-nose shot was of two 302s—then and now. Robert mentioned rigs of the past with less compartmentation. I look at the two 302s and I think of how both trucks have seen some fire, but the difference in size really is striking.
Apparatus design has evolved over time to carry the myriad equipment we need to carry these days because, as Robert mentions, we’ve become all-hazards departments. The technology we use has evolved as well. Take a look at the 302s. The LaFrance has an automatic transmission—that’s probably all it has in common with the Quantum to the right. Just about everything else was manual on that truck.
There were no thermal imaging cameras (TICs) on that LaFrance. We were still mastering time-tested search and rescue techniques that would be greatly enhanced with the introduction of TICs. The usefulness of this piece of technology to enhance—not replace—our tactics was without question.
Today, there are so many advances to review and some are so technical that some of us who haven’t grown up with it find it difficult to keep up. But, there’s nothing saying every new advance is readily adaptable to the fire service. If we all sat down and put our heads together, I know without a doubt that we could come up with a few flops over the past 30 years. But, Kevin Sofen says it best in his cover story this month, “This isn’t rocket science— it’s just doing the homework.” He adds later, “It’s about being honest about what works, fixing what doesn’t, and using the right tools.” It goes along the same lines as I discussed last month about being honest about the realities of your fire company’s turnout for calls when designing your rigs. Do the homework. Read the data, and make decisions based on them.
One technology that we’ve been looking at for many years and is getting closer to widespread adoption with each new iteration is technology that will track firefighters inside buildings. Al Petrillo covers where we are with that technology this month.
With all these various products available and new technologies emerging every day, I hope there is a desire to get the message out about how your fire department has implemented a technology and how maybe your department needed to rethink its policies and procedures to adopt it. We’ve made it easier than ever to share your stories with us, and they don’t only need to be articles. By visiting https://bit.ly/40enQO5, you can easily submit photos, articles, videos, even just suggestions for topics we might not have considered. You can also find the link in the “More” menu on our Web site at www.fireapparatus.com. I’ve often said that fire departments have no problems stealing from each other. The best way for all of us to learn about new designs, new technology implementations, etc. is to share with each other, which in turn provides all of us with the information we need to make more informed purchasing decisions. No designs and no technologies are right for every fire department.
Of course, keep all this in mind as you descend on Indianapolis, Indiana, in a couple of months for FDIC International 2025. Have you registered yet? H.O.T. Evolution, Workshop, H.O.T. Workshop, and Classroom Session lists are all up at www.fdic.com. If you haven’t yet, register to secure your spot in the H.O.T. evolution, H.O.T. workshop, or workshop of your choice.
