Replace FDNY Brush Fire Units That Are Damaged - Article

The article certainly does highlight the point that the delivery of the new BFUs is certainly taking a long time.  The high water units as well as several other new design units have already been deployed for quite a while yet the BFUs which are needed all the time are not yet in service.  The same goes for several other pieces of frontline equipment that was destroyed and has not been replaced yet such as the ATR.
 
I can't believe there isn't a demo unit or two that they could rent or demo to make everyone happy until the units come in. 300 days is no surprise, that sounds pretty standard when a department orders a fire suppression vehicle, after all you can't expect the company supplying the units to just push there other customers orders aside. I do feel for the brothers they will unfortunately be humpin it for awhile. I see there going to have a small unit ready soon. I imagine it is a pick up/ flat bed style with a skid unit. They should run down to gmc or ford and buy a pair of 4x4 one ton trucks and skid units in the mean time. They also can't utilize the BFU from governors island which is not considered one of the 5 units,  it was taken from the island, it was a f-550 - small BFU style. The skid unit was removed and a hose bed added and was placed in service as the atrv until the new unit arrives, this was the only one of the small BFU's that has super singles in place of the dual tires and I think it may have a deflate / inflate system like the dx'd atrv. Maybe they are going to utilize that skid unit or maybe the atrv is coming in and it can be converted back. One other thing, over 500 grand for a BFU !! That is a steep price it better be coming with some hell of a gear compliment
 
Something is wrong in River City if they are paying 536K for each BFU! I understand the fact that the FDNY is a one of a kind department and I know the equipment is stretched to the limits, but Jeez! I added up my department purchases before I retired  and I didn't have 536,000 in two engines, a truck and two ambulances! LOL!!! Yes the truck was used (ex. FDNY L-16) and the 2nd out engine was used, but 1st out engine and the ambulances were new. JMHO!!!!!
 
Sounds like once again something is being overdone....it is certainly nice to have the best equipment but @ times overkill occurs @ the expense of delivery time or $ for other equipment....especially in the area of brush units i would rather see a speedier delivery of more less fancy functional units than a lesser number of delayed manufacture/delivery of all the festooned bells & whistles model....as was said above by BCR just go & pick out some suitable stock models of HD 4 wheel drive trucks & put a skid on the flat bed.....bottom line though many brush fires go out w/out the use of a bfu....concentrate resources on 1st line equipment first....JMO.
 
Here's a link to the thread regarding these units: http://nycfire.Net/forums/index.php/topic,25047.30.html.  The order went to KME in April of this year, so it took well over a year to even order the new BFUs after the old ones were destroyed by Sandy.  They obviously are going to be much bigger because the specification calls for them to be 29,000lb GVW.  Especially considering that most of the areas where brushfires occur you would think that they would be going For Lightweight Units That Wouldn't Back down Instead of Huge Ones.  These Are about the Size of What the Forestry Service and CAL Fire use for their forest fire rigs but they are costing much more!
 
It's possible they might not be bigger, the international 4700 chassis that was used for the old BFU gvw I think is around 26-27,000. The higher weight rating can be something like heavier duty axles. Once you get up to trucks of that class the cabs are the same size the difference is in the specs, axles, suspension, rear end size, frame height, double frame / single frame. It may be as simple as them specing a few beefier components due to past experience with the old ones or they are planning on putting more weight on these trucks which probably is not a good idea. Spending that much on a truck that is going to go through the mud bang off stumps and trees is nuts.
 
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