A number of fire departments purchase quints but fail to staff them with the required extra personnel. If less than 5 are assigned to a quint the taxpayer has purchased a piece of equipment far above the price they would have spent on an engine.
If the quint is purchased and then designated an engine to avoid staffing requirements the taxpayer has been fleeced. Probes into the purchase should be initiated by the governing body or at the urging of the taxpayer.
Line of duty death reports cite the use of quints with less than the NFPA 1710 standard requirements as something to be fixed.
Civil and criminal courts use the NFPA 1710 standard calling for more than 4 personnel for quints.
In high target areas the number of personnel can go up to six as a minimum requirement. Many fire departments don't have a listing of high target areas within their communities. This also applies to engines and ladders in certain areas. Often a minimum of five are required on both a ladder and engine.
Philly is now contemplating buying as many as 10 Quints. They are not urban apparatus and should not be used in an urban setting. They may be fine for rural or smaller communities but our experience is they are unsuitable for our system. They are simply a tool to cut staffing.
Posted by: CaptainAmerica | July 06, 2009 at 12:43 AM