Apparatus Placement

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Permalink Reply by Douglas Crowell, Jr. on August 5, 2009 at 6:32pm

That is kind of a hard question to answer. At my department, the situation will dictate where each peice is placed. Usually the first engine just before or after the building, second engine out of the way (unless needed for relay), tanker and rescue positioned where needed (officer's descretion).

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Permalink Reply by Travis Bowers on August 23, 2009 at 4:33pm

well on working structure fires, i know we usually pull the first due engine just past the structure that is burning, this gives the cammanding first in unit a visual, and that engine is able to size up and assess the situation at hand. Of course this is standard procedure, but when it's a working fire anything can happen. By the first due engine pulling past the structure it gives you a three side view of the structure itself, and that gives room for other units as they arrive.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Michael Ziegelhofer on September 9, 2009 at 12:46pm

After completing drivers training with a former chief of a ladder company, it was instilled in me to leave room for the ladder companies, as we can add feet to the hose the ladder companies can not add feet to the extended ladder. I live in a small town with streets similar to a city street as far as tightness and not so easy accessibility. On my second working structure fire as the operator, our engine was ordered to supplement the hydrant and pumper connection through a Hu-Mat valve system. As I was second due as we had crews available for both pieces of apparatus to leave within a second or two of the other, I knew where the ladder companies were coming from. The hydrant was located on the corner farthest from the intersection, a captain was riding in the officers seat and assured I heard the orders given. I have lived in town for my entire life, so I knew the entire layout of the town, so after hearing the orders I figured if I made my turn extremely wide and parked on the sidewalk to use my front intake/discharge valve as the intake and also a section of five inch ldh hose to complete the circuit. At first my captain did not understand my thinking, but two ladder companies were able to make their turns to be placed to the rear of the first in engine which drove past the structure for a three sided view as well as to make hose stretching easier for the engine crew as there was approximately 25' to the front door, their placement past the building made it an easier deployment. After the incident was placed the captain came to the pump panel and asked why I placed my apparatus in the way I did, which I informed him my reasoning and pointed to the two ladder trucks on the alpha side. My driver training past chief happened to be operating the first in ladder company and came to me and said I made one helluva decision on my placement and he was very suprised a newer driver made that decision to do so. Again that's my most deciding factor in my placement, if I am first due, I will either place my apparatus before or after the structure to allow the ladder companies their access, as for being second due depending on whether I receive an order or not, I know many structures in town have alleys that run along the charlie side which is where I'm heading unless otherwise told. Placement on a highway incident I place the pump operators side toward the incident for protection for myself and that of my crew!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Michael Ziegelhofer on September 9, 2009 at 12:53pm

After completing drivers training with a former chief of a ladder company, it was instilled in me to leave room for the ladder companies, as we can add feet to the hose the ladder companies can not add feet to the extended ladder. I live in a small town with streets similar to a city street as far as tightness and not so easy accessibility. On my second working structure fire as the operator, our engine was ordered to supplement the hydrant and pumper connection through a Hu-Mat valve system. As I was second due as we had crews available for both pieces of apparatus to leave within a second or two of the other, I knew where the ladder companies were coming from. The hydrant was located on the corner farthest from the intersection, a captain was riding in the officers seat and assured I heard the orders given. I have lived in town for my entire life, so I knew the entire layout of the town, so after hearing the orders I figured if I made my turn extremely wide and parked on the sidewalk to use my front intake/discharge valve as the intake and also a section of five inch ldh hose to complete the circuit. At first my captain did not understand my thinking, but two ladder companies were able to make their turns to be placed to the rear of the first in engine which drove past the structure for a three sided view as well as to make hose stretching easier for the engine crew as there was approximately 25' to the front door, their placement past the building made it an easier deployment. After the incident was placed the captain came to the pump panel and asked why I placed my apparatus in the way I did, which I informed him my reasoning and pointed to the two ladder trucks on the alpha side. My driver training past chief happened to be operating the first in ladder company and came to me and said I made one helluva decision on my placement and he was very suprised a newer driver made that decision to do so. Again that's my most deciding factor in my placement, if I am first due, I will either place my apparatus before or after the structure to allow the ladder companies their access, as for being second due depending on whether I receive an order or not, I know many structures in town have alleys that run along the charlie side which is where I'm heading unless otherwise told. Placement on a highway incident I place the pump operators side toward the incident for protection for myself and that of my crew!

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Permalink Reply by paul michael komandt on November 5, 2009 at 5:55pm

As our jurisdiction is rural, our first engine is always in the drive as to get off the narrow roads and lay in if needed. If we lay in we make a good attempt to get the water supply engine off the road in the end of the driveway( for this reason i love a rear suction). (We shuttle water for every fire). We dont get the pleasure of having a ladder at the fire building unless its down town or at one our 5 commercial buildings.

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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on November 19, 2009 at 9:51am

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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on November 19, 2009 at 10:11am

OK the address is Dewey st. the pic is taken on Poplar street... facing North behind or to your right in the picture is Maplewood I responded using Maplewood... :) confused? anyway , if YOU were driving in 1st due with the rear porches going good and exposure issues where would YOU park.... I'll repost in a couple days and tell ya where or how we did it, engine and truck both without damaging any apparatus paint sooo... give an opinion... where would ya park , oh and dont mess around the truck is RIGHT there.... so crap of get off the pot..!!!! lol

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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on November 20, 2009 at 2:19pm

When I approached Maplewood and Poplar , I slowed down, and looked up the street, seeing heavy fire, MY boss, began telling me to take the right go right right go NOw its up there... I choose to butt heads with My Lieutennat Career.... and continued straight down MAplewood. to the block down with dewey st. just as I reach the stop sign , The Ladder Blows by the intersection, and goes up the street intersection with Poplar street , turning in but then nosing in towards the garage and 2 1/2 from exposure, leaving enough space for me to nose into the hydrant make it using my front suction and use my preconected deck gun to give it a qquick shot to help protect the truck, while they set up an ladder pipe and protect the 3 exposures as we stretched in the front with hand lines knocking down the fire in nick time... on the other hand, had I turned up Poplar the truck would have been useless on the scene, blocked out from the C/D area, unable to protect exposures C1 and C2 as well as B1... all in all it worked out great, even though the truck and engine were only about 4 1/2 feet apart side by side..lol.. it worked out as If I actually KNEW what the truck was gonna do... IN 30+ years in the fireservice 1/2 of the time I've been on trucks I know tactics, as long as the guys are trying sometihing tactically.. lol

The best part was the LT.'s reaction to my ignoring his TURN HERE NOW!! plea's afterwards he came to me and said SORRY dude But I thought you was Lost or something...HAhaha yeah as if....

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