Inquiry on a Rescue Truck

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Permalink Reply by Karl Campbell on October 12, 2008 at 2:08pm

Hey Greg, why not try your local municipal government for vehicles for tender or coming up for tender they are well maintained and can also be given to your department for free ( we can dream can't we) any way just an idea we picked up a 1998 E-350 Hand-Trans bus it had new rear end new transmission new tires brakes maintained every 3000 km diesel eng with 444000 km on engine all for 600 final dollar figure after conversion over 10000 cdn. I thinks it's a good deal.

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Permalink Reply by T.J. on October 12, 2008 at 2:15pm

I remember back in the day, we used to get the old ambulances from our local service for a $1. They worked well for a couple of years and then it would be time to get another one. They can carry a lot and for years we used them for our rescue equipment.

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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on October 12, 2008 at 3:03pm

Up until we got our new minipumper we had an old 84 ford ambo. We had everything for a rescue we needed. Scothes, cribbing, jaws with power unit, ropes and severeal other items. It wasnt ideal but it was free and ran good. We had to do some mods on it but for the price it was worth it. In all honesty I wish we had kept it.

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Permalink Reply by Ralph L. Carr IV on September 14, 2009 at 3:43pm

Our rescue used to do that. Then the wonderful state came in and told us we couldn`t do it. It was "against the law"......WTF??? We had to get an old Durango to use as the "rescue response" vehicle. We are strictly volunteer, very poorly funded. Run "medical" only. The fire dept "doesn`t do rescue".....their own words, we cannot firgue this out. It`s just how it always has been in this area.....sigh....

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Permalink Reply by Brian Richards on October 12, 2008 at 8:15pm

You might want to try this site, I don't know what the funding situation is for new apparatus in you area, but the Texas forestry service has a grant program that applies to vehicles, equipment, and training for smaller rural departments. I don't know if Vermont has the same thing. I looked at a couple things and it looks like they might, just don't have time to research it further. The website above is from FEMA and is for apparatus, training, equipment (might be what the forestry service is going through here). Anyway, good luck on acquiring your truck. http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/

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Permalink Reply by Chris on December 11, 2008 at 4:03am

You could search eBay for a nice pre-owned Ford truck with a camper shell, or a Chevrolet Express van or even a beverage truck. The latter has been used quite often from the pictures i've seen. Just depends if you want to put any work into it or not. If you search the Emergency Vehicles category you can find some older model vehicles that would be perfect for a rescue/utility truck.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Mason on February 4, 2009 at 10:12pm

Hey there if you are still looking for a light rescue I may have one to suit your needs it is a 1991 Dodge 350 1 ton with a walk in-rescue box there are several storage compartments on the outside as well as the inside. we have out grown it. it will come with all emergency lights and sirens and a 12,000lb winch perminately mounted in the front bumper and some other misc. equipment the truck has a 5.9liter cummins turbo diesel with only 21,xxx miles here is the only pic I have on my computer of it. one is a front view on a scene and one is of it in the station from the rear.

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Permalink Reply by D.C. Sterbenz on February 4, 2009 at 10:24pm

I ran on a similar deparment when I first started out. My advice to you on looking for a light duty truck is don't take anything over five years old. The reason is that we jump in these trucks and cold start them and run the heck out of them, in ten years these trucks are running like they were 20 years old. We have rescue trucks on our department that are like what you are talking about, they are 1996 ford F-350 4X4 trucks with power stroke motors and I will be honest my family is farmers and we have ran the same type and year truck for 200,000 miles and had minimal problems. these trucks had feedlot use and heavy hauling use. Our rescue trucks have 40,000 miles but are started every day, but they are wore out top to bottom. This is why I say buy a newer truck if not a brand new truck, just food for thought.

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Permalink Reply by Trainer on February 5, 2009 at 8:21am

To quote TJ, “back in the day” we had a 3/4ton chevy van, man that brings back memories, or is it nightmares, we would all pile in, and away we go. Then we had an old bread truck, ever heard a rear end explode? After that was the old Snap-on truck, and if you’re on a budget this I would consider, beefed up, air and heat, good all around truck. Our current we bought used, Louisville 9000 18ft walk-through, were in heaven but, it still cost us a 100grand.

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Permalink Reply by chris chapman on August 29, 2009 at 10:48pm

i have a truck let me know if you still need one

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Permalink Reply by Gary B on August 30, 2009 at 4:57am

I realise we probably have different requirements and equipment, but until recently our rescue gear was stowed in a 8x4 tradesman type box trailer. That included all of our cutting/spreading equipment and pump, lighting, tools, the lot. We towed it behind our Toyota Landcruiser Light Tanker when needed. I reckon it worked well enough and was well set up, although it was filled to bursting with gear.

Economical, practical and flexible for our needs

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Permalink Reply by Loyd Dittfurth on September 14, 2009 at 2:13pm

build one figure out what you want and build it there not that expensive if you just go plane jane but you will want water some wreck that you go to you WILL WANT WATER

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