
The city of San Antonio is famous for being the home to the Alamo, an 18th century Spanish mission that now operates as a museum in the heart of downtown. The city also draws thousands of visitors a year for its famous Riverwalk, a miles-long canal and pedestrian promenade that features hotels, shops, cafes, and restaurants along its banks.
Fire and emergency medical service is provided to the residents and visitors by the San Antonio Fire Department. The over 1,800-member force also provides the following services: hazardous material responses, urban search and rescue (TX-TF1), aircraft fire and rescue, wildland firefighting, bike and SWAT medics, and an incident management team. The department covers 465-square-miles out of 54 stations strategically located around the city. The department can trace its roots back to 1854 when it was a volunteer outfit consisting of a bucket brigade. In 1856, the department took possession of a hand-pumper and in 1859 a horse-drawn steam engine. In 1891, its career department was sanctioned as the city began to grow. Today the department is an ISO Class 1 department full of pride and dedication in serving its community and visitors.
Heavy Rescue 51 is one of two heavy rescue apparatus that provides firefighting and technical rescue services to the city. The company currently operates with a 2023 Pierce Velocity chassis with a nonwalk-in heavy rescue body. The tilt cab has seating for six firefighters, two in the forward cab area and four in the crew cab. The cab is painted white over red, with the upper section of the rear body in the same paint scheme. Three white reflective stripes run along the bottom portion of the crew cab, then they transition upward to run across the mid-section of the apparatus body.
Beneath the tilt cab sits the rig’s power plant, a PACCAR MX-13, 510-horsepower engine. The front suspension is TAK-4 independent suspension with the rear being an air system. The electric system is Pierce’s Command Zone. The cab also has Ramco remote control and heated mirrors with bolt on convex mirrors. For added safety for the driver, a crossview mirror is mounted above the right-side windshield for watching the front bumper’s clearance and viewing people who walk in front of the cab.
A Fire Research LED visor light is mounted on the cab’s roof at the center point, providing scene lighting during emergency operations. There are also two Fire Research LED scene lights mounted on each side and rear of the rescue body. The cab’s extended front bumper has two tool compartments mounted at each end. The bumper also has a Warn 15,000-pound winch mounted in the center and a Federal Q2B siren and two air horns recessed in it. The rig’s front grill is painted with the number 51 on it and mounted in the center of it is a chrome bell with an eagle top. The rig’s height is 11 feet 5 inches and just over 40 feet long.
The rescue body features roll-up doors by Amdor and Gortite with Pierce folding doors/steps on many of the compartments. The compartments all have LED strip lighting for better visibility of equipment stored in them. Above the rig’s side compartments sits a Girard electric awning which is recessed and mounted on each side. At each end (front and rear) of the upper portion of the rescue body are rope rescue eyes, rated at 9,000 pounds.
To also assist in rescue operations, the rig carries a portable Warn 10,000-pound winch. There are receivers and power for this tool at the center of the wheel wells, under the rear step and on the underside of the body at each end of the apparatus. At the rear of the body on the lower edge are Britax LED arm marker lights, which help the driver judge the rear swing of the apparatus. There is also a back-up camera mounted under a protective covering on the rear of the apparatus. At each wheel well, there is storage for extra self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) bottles with hinged compartment doors. The storage compartment at the rear of the apparatus holds the portable winch, shoring tools, and equipment on the shelving units. Above these shelves sitting in a ladder trough are the following Duo Safety Ladders: a 16-inch roof ladder, 14-inch Fresno and 10-inch Folding ladder. In addition to the ladders, New York Roof hooks of various lengths are stored in the compartment.
The apparatus carries many rescue tools, including grip hoists, air shores and struts, extrication tools, airbags, power tools, jacks, chains, shackles, cables, and cribbing. To assist with cribbing storage and to prevent the blocks from moving and pressing into the roll-up door, the shelf was created to be on a slant going towards the center of the body. Doing so reduces the cribbing from moving and pressing into the door, making it more difficult to raise during a period when time is critical. Another unique feature of wood storage is the three-quarter plywood transverse storage trough. The access from either side of the apparatus allows 4×8 sheets to be stored and removed quickly when needed. The unit also carries longer pieces of wood, 4x4s for bracing, in the rear upper portion of the apparatus. Access to the upper area and coffin compartments is by using the Zico access ladder mounted to the rear body of the rig. Also mounted on top of the apparatus is the units Atlas Copco tool air compressor and holding tank, a Command Light Tower and Harrison 30-kW hydraulic generator.
The Pierce Velocity cab and chassis was chosen to help the fleet maintenance division stock fewer parts and for the mechanics to be more familiar with identical apparatus. The rig, with its multi-functional layout and equipment inventory, will enable firefighters to act swiftly and professionally when providing services and care to the visitors and citizens of San Antonio for many years to come.
Michael N. Ciampo is a 39-year veteran of the fire service and a retired Lieutenant from the Fire Department of New York. Previously he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is an instructor for FDIC International HOT program. He wrote the Ladders and Ventilation chapters for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter 1 & 2 and the Bread-and-Butter Portable Ladders DVD. He writes the back page column On Fire in Fire Engineering and is featured in Training Minutes truck company videos on FireEngineering.com. Recently he wrote the textbook Tower Ladders, Tactics, Tips & Tales available at mikeciampo.com