As a firefighter, I was always taught to ask questions. I was told that is how you can learn. Ultimately in my career, I asked a lot of questions and not only learned a lot but was able to make a difference.
So, I urge you to ask questions, and you too can learn a lot. The question I pose to you is: What do 250 gallons of water cost on a fire engine? To answer this, we look at a typical apparatus committee specifying a new engine. Fire department apparatus purchasing committees often provide interesting group dynamics, as most fire apparatus purchased in this manner are purchased by consensus. Each item on the new apparatus is brought before the apparatus committee. If there is a particular component that is called into question, that component will be voted on with a simple majority of the group having to agree whether to include that component or not.
COST SCENARIO
During an apparatus committee meeting, the size of the booster tank on a new engine was called into question. The original design offered by the apparatus salesperson had a 750-gallon booster tank with a low hosebed. This is built on a top-of-the-line custom fire truck chassis with a 175-inch wheelbase. So, the question was asked: What would a 1,000-gallon water tank cost? The salesperson’s reply was that the additional 250 gallons of water would cost an additional $3,000. This was brought to a vote, and the apparatus committee voted to increase the booster tank size to 1,000 gallons of water. It cost only $3,000, so it was an easy choice. This is where you want to ask the question: Is it only $3,000?
The design of the new engine was finalized and ready to be sent to engineering. Once this design is sent to engineering, everything changes. The additional 250 gallons of water at 2,085 pounds represent a tipping point. This tipping point of more than a ton of additional weight means the original chassis components become inadequate, and the apparatus is overweight. At the preconstruction conference, the list of required changes was revealed. Engineering determined that the rig, as proposed, needed upgrades to the axles and frame at a minimum, and if the response district has hilly terrain, a larger horsepower (hp) engine would be recommended.
The price in the contract was for a 750-gallon booster tank, and all the options listed in that contract supported a 750-gallon booster tank. If components need to change after contract signing, all those additional costs are now passed along to the fire department.
The first component to change is the engine: The 450-hp engine is no longer big enough for the load, and the apparatus now requires a 500-hp engine at an additional cost of $38,000. Also, this 500-hp engine will add an additional 1,450 pounds. A higher hp engine requires a heavier-duty transmission. The original chassis transmission needs to be upgraded at an additional cost of $16,000. The transmission will add an additional 300 pounds. These two changes are adding more weight and cost more money. A longer wheelbase would be needed to accommodate the 1,000-gallon tank with a longer body, and this requires a double frame rail. The increased cost for a double frame would be $3,100.
With the additional weight of the engine, transmission, frame rails, and 250 gallons of water, the original 18,000-pound front axle and the 24,000-pound rear axle are not sufficient for the added weight. This apparatus would now require a 23,000-pound front axle at a price difference of $6,200 and a 31,000-pound rear axle at a price difference of $10,200, for a total additional cost of $16,400 for both axles. Now you may be reading this and wondering if this can all happen. The simple answer is yes.
| LIQUIDS | Tank (Original Cost) | $3,000 |
| New Engine | $38,000 | |
| New Transmission | $16,000 | |
| Double Frame Rails | $3,100 | |
| Upgraded Axles | $16,400 | |
| Total Cost of 250 Gallons of Water | $76,500 |
Chart 1 illustrates the cost to go from a 750-gallon booster tank to a 1,000-gallon booster tank—$76,500.
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
We discussed the money aspect of the decision, but what will happen to the fire truck and its design when you add 250 gallons of water? It is important as we review the photos that we understand that every fire department has a mission for the vehicle and specifies the apparatus that best suits it. These pictures illustrate the changes that can happen when specifying different components on apparatus. As we ask more questions and dig deeper, we find out that price is not the only domino that falls.
For the Prince George’s County (MD) Fire/EMS Department (PGFD) to maintain a hosebed height of 62 inches off the ground when increasing the tank size from 700 gallons to 1,000 gallons, the overall apparatus length increased by 2 feet, the wheelbase increased by 7 inches, and the body length increased by 23 inches. Comparing the PGFD 1,000-gallon tank rig with the Winchester 1,000-gallon tank apparatus, although the overall length of each vehicle is within an inch, Winchester’s engine wheelbase increased by 5.50 inches, and the body increased by 9 inches. By far, the most notable change is the hosebed, which is an additional 16 inches higher than either of the PGFD rigs.
1 The Prince George’s County (MD) Fire and EMS Department’s Engine 841 has a 700-gallon tank, an overall length of 29 feet 4 inches, a 177.50-inch wheelbase, a 129-inch body, and a hosebed height of 62 inches from the ground. (Photos by Tom Shand.)
2 The Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department’ Engine 840 has a 1,000-gallon tank, an overall length of 31 feet 4 inches, a 184.50-inch wheelbase, a 152- inch body, and a hosebed height of 62 inches from the ground.
3 Winchester (VA) Fire & Rescue’s Engine 1 has an overall length of 31 feet 5 inches, a 191-inch wheelbase, a 161-inch body, and a hosebed height of 78 inches from the ground.
The important takeaway from this information is not their decisions but rather your decisions on your next purchase. You need to decide for your department if the choice is worth the fall of the dominoes.
Look back to the original quote. When the apparatus salesperson quoted $3,000 for the additional 250 gallons of water, was the salesperson trying to mislead the fire department? The answer is no. The salesperson was giving the best information that he had at the time the question was asked. He also answered the only question asked. This represents a cautionary tale to anyone specifying a new fire truck. We ask the question of how much an additional 250 gallons of water can really cost almost flippantly. As you see, the answer to that question is not that easy. Many, if not most, components of a fire apparatus influence some, if not all, of the other components. Hence the fall of the dominoes. Generally, you cannot just change one component. If you want to change the size of the booster tank, it could affect the engine, transmission, frame rails, cab length, and axles. It also affects the overall length of the apparatus, the overall height, the wheelbase, and the weight. As you can see, everything affects everything else. If you are on an apparatus committee, learn to ask questions. What other components might change if we change this component, or how will the apparatus change dimensionally?
Now, one would have to wonder if 250 gallons of water at a cost of $76,500 is worth it. I have never experienced a modern building fire full of plastics and synthetics being fully extinguished with an additional 250 gallons of water. More importantly, from a safety perspective, when the hosebed has to be raised, the apparatus becomes dangerous to work off of. You should not have to climb on the fire truck to stretch a hoseline. Driving also becomes a concern with a higher center of gravity and a shorter wheelbase, making the vehicle potentially top heavy. This, in turn, could discourage younger firefighters from trying to learn how to drive, reducing already thin qualified drivers lists.
Knowledge is power: The more you know and understand about the process, the greater the likelihood of the project being successful. If you don’t know what you are doing, or if you think you might know what you are doing, get help! Several fire apparatus consulting firms can provide this invaluable service and work with you. If you try to go it alone, you do not know what you are doing, and the apparatus does not turn out well, you may have made a multimillion-dollar mistake. With a car lease, if you don’t like it, it’s easy—you can trade it in three or four years later and get another car. With fire apparatus, however, the mistake you make today could have a negative effect on the fire department and fire department operations for the next 20 to 30 years. No firefighter or fire officer wants to be associated with the apparatus committee that is responsible for the disaster in the apparatus bay.
Note: All the dimensions and pricing in this article are approximate and not as important as learning how much one component on a fire truck could affect many other components during the project’s design phase and knowing that such a change will impact the size and cost of the apparatus.
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MIKE WILBUR is a lieutenant (ret.) and a 32-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and has been a volunteer firefighter for more than 40 years. He was assigned to FDNY Ladder Company 56 for 15 years, eight as an apparatus operator, and in 1995 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to Ladder Company 27 in the Bronx until his retirement in 2013.
