Recent content by NorthPhillyCowboy

I couldn't agree more! They've become a nuisance here in Center City and South Philadelphia. I cringe and I'm not even driving anymore; thankfully, my aide doesn't flinch and has genius level skills behind the wheel.

Phila FD is all tillers except for our tower ladders. In the past we've had both ALF & Seagrave rearmounts. Tillers work better on smaller streets, plus there's the standardization factor when making sure that each ladder company has enough qualified tillermen on their roster.

Phila FD now has the chevron pattern wherever possible on the rear of our rigs. Started out with our medic units then gradually progressed t include all others. Surprised that we haven't embraced the reality of blue lights being adopted as more visible. Don't forget that the NFPA Standard is...

Drafting is a skill we teach all of our Engine Companies and expect them to be able to perform at all times, especially in my battalion (Battalion 1); we're effectively surrounded on 3 sides by riverfront.

PA TF-1 & NJ TF-1 are in service at the incident scene as FEMA Type 1 US&R assets.

Kevin Massett was a USNA '94 Classmate of mine and I believe we were in the same company at The Basic School. I believe he was a Naval Aviator and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. I got out of the USMC in '99 and started my career with the Philadelphia Fire Department in '02.

We climbed them when I went through the Philadelphia Fire Academy in 2002. Some years later when I was in Technical Rescue School, we learned to use oxy-acetylene cutting equipment by cutting up the frame of the installed safety net system.

We are an all TDA fleet here n Philadelphia with the exception of 2 KMEs with remounted 85' Snorkels and 2 KME ladder towers. 4 Seagrave 75' Aerialscopes are in production; the Snorkels will be retired. It remains to be seen who will receive the 4 new Seagraves.