The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) has always strived to provide progressive fire and life safety to its residents. One of its prime missions: Keep up with the tremendous residential and commercial growth in the 2,236 acres it protects.

LACoFD must also contend with one of the most diverse response areas in the country, featuring the Pacific Ocean on one side and flatlands, valleys, deserts and mountains on the other.

Throughout its 82-year history, the LACoFD has used many different types of apparatus. A look at its rigs over the years provides a virtual who’s who of the apparatus industry. In 1920, when the department first organized under the Forestry Fish and Game Department, it used various types of trailers operated by volunteers. But the department soon felt the need for bigger apparatus with more hose and water carrying capability; thus, from 1929-1936, the Moreland Company of Burbank, Calif., supplied the department with rigs that fit these needs.

The department’s apparatus continued to vary as its response area grew. Today, through annexation, the department provides protection to 88 cities in the county. As a result, the LACoFD boasts a very proactive fleet services division. Recently, the department took delivery of the first vehicles from one of the largest apparatus purchases in U.S. fire service history, including more than 90 engines built on KME’s Severe Service chassis.

Fleet Support

“The fleet services division, created in 1986, is responsible for providing administrative support, apparatus repair and maintenance for [our] fleet of emergency apparatus,” says Division Chief Gary Tepper, who heads the fleet services division. “We have a large and diverse fleet of vehicles, from small paramedic squads to heavy equipment; we have to be on top of our game.”

Tepper also chairs the apparatus committee, which is composed of firefighters from all of the department’s battalions. “We like their input when we make an apparatus purchase, since they will be the people out in the field actually using the equipment,” Tepper says.

Just like most fire departments around the country, the LACoFD puts out competitive bids to purchase apparatus. In 1988, KME won the bid to provide six engines to the county. It was the beginning of a successful relationship: In 1989, the LACoFD purchased another six engines from KME; in 1990, 14; in 1993, nine; and in 1995, 15.

Then came the big order: In 1998, KME delivered 57 engines and 14 tiller quints. Through it all, the department remained very pleased with KME’s service.

The Severe Service Apparatus

In 2004 and 2005, Chief Tepper and his apparatus committee began work on a new apparatus design to meet their future needs. They met with several manufacturers, but again KME seemed the most attractive. Its new Predator Severe Service chassis was already a big hit in the industry, and the LACoFD believed this chassis would be a good fit for the department’s response area.

KME’s engineers proved very flexible in shaping the chassis and cab to make them work for the LACoFD. “We wanted a so-called bullet-proof rig [that would hold up under all conditions and] that would be simple to operate in all types of terrain that we have here in the county,” Tepper says. “Our vehicles on average have 15 years of front-line service and 5 years of reserve. We wanted to make sure that whoever manufactured our vehicles, they could withstand the rigors of our unique response area.”

In 2006, in what was one of the largest apparatus purchases in U.S. fire service history, the LACoFD ordered 60 engines and eight tractor-drawn tiller quints from KME. With add-ons, the order eventually totaled 96 engines and eight tiller quints. Four of the engines will feature CAFS capabilities and will be placed strategically around the county.

KME also established a consortium for other departments in California and throughout the country. Through this program, departments can purchase vehicles with the LACoFD specs under the terms of the LACoFD agreement. So far departments in California, New York, Georgia and Oregon have taken advantage of this purchase program.

Forty engines are currently in service, with the tiller quints to follow. “The vehicles are powerful, quiet, comfortable, maneuverable and have great visibility,” Tepper says. “This delivery so far has been the smoothest we have ever experienced.”

Unique to L.A. County

The new rigs sport some features unique to L.A. County, both in what they have and don’t have. To enhance braking power, the department incorporated Jake brakes and Allison retarders. “Both give us an edge over brake wear,” Tepper says. “We can get 56,000 miles on rear brakes and 28,000 miles on front brakes.”

Interestingly, the LACoFD avoided multiplex wiring systems and flow meters. “We try to keep it simple in operation and for maintenance,” Tepper explains. “Some might call us crazy for not keeping up with technology, but the present system works for us, so why change it?”

The department uses wood ladders on all its vehicles, manufactured locally by Alco. The lightweight ladders don’t conduct electricity and provide good service life.

The rigs also feature customized air-conditioning and cooling systems. “We sometimes work in extreme temperatures, and had a concern about overheating,” Tepper says. The cooling system was designed with a high-performance cooling fan that can drop the engine temperature 20 degrees F in 26 seconds; the cab air conditioner can drop the temperature from 100 degrees F to 70 degrees F in 23 minutes. In addition, the interiors were beefed up with rugged upholstery, to withstand the rigors of the fire service.

The tiller quints feature 350-gallon water tanks and 100′ aerials with lower stowage height, providing improved aerial use over the front of the vehicles, shorter overall length than the department’s current aerials, better ventilation and better visibility for the tiller position. “The tiller quints give our battalion chiefs a lot of flexibility by having the units stand alone for firefighting or by moving them around the county for better response,” Tepper says.

Plan for the Future

Determining what was best for its response area was a big concern for the LACoFD. This large apparatus purchase must last the department for the next 20 years, so it had to be planned right, with a manufacturer that would meet its needs. The LACoFD and KME developed a great team for designing and delivering cost-effective and easy-to-maintain fire apparatus for the foreseeable future.

When you’re planning your next large apparatus purchase, develop specs that will serve not only your current needs, but will also carry you well into the future.

Severe Service Engine Specs

3 Predator Severe Service chassis
410-hp Caterpillar C-13 engine with Jacobs engine brake
Allison 4000 EVS five-speed automatic transmission
1,500-gpm Hale Qmax single-stage pump
500-gallon stainless-steel tank
25-gallon integrated foam cell
Hale auxiliary booster pump
500-gpm Hale Logix 3.3 foam system
Stainless-steel plumbing and foam
manifold
Rugged upholstered interior
Pneumax Silver Series CAFS system (on four CAFS engines)
Traditional electrical system
12-gauge galvanneal body
Overall length: 28 feet, 7 inches
Overall height: 115 inches
175″ wheelbase
Code 3 warning-light package
Air-ride suspension
Fire Pro deck gun
Auto-traction control
Foam refill system

Tiller Quint

100′, four-section AerialCat tractor-drawn aerial
Predator MFD Severe Service cab
485-hp CAT C-13 engine
Allison 4500 EVSR automatic transmission
1,500-gpm Hale Qmax single-stage pump
350-gallon stainless-steel pump
Code 3 warning-light package
Unobstructed, no-post tiller cab vision
212 feet of wooden ground ladders
Aluminum body
164″ tractor wheelbase
312″ trailer wheelbase
50-mph wind rating
500-lb. unrestricted tip load
14′ 6″ outrigger stance
Can carry 800 feet of 4″ supply line

L.A. County Fire Department

170 fire stations
1,500 firefighters
239 engines
20 quints
91 paramedic squads
8 helicopters
13 US&R vehicles
52 fire patrol vehicles
1,052 other vehicles (repair vehicles, lifeguard vehicles, dozers, crew carriers, etc.)

Severe Service