Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro
The Elmont (NY) Fire Department is one of the busiest and largest fire departments in Nassau County, Long Island. It operates with four engines, two trucks, a heavy rescue, a special operations rescue, and EMS and several utility vehicles.
Its response district covers 3.4 square miles with a population of 35,000. While its response area is relatively small, the fire district borders the Borough of Queens in New York City and has numerous shopping centers, schools, and two target hazards: the Belmont Park race track, which hosts the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown; and UBS Arena, home to the New York Islanders NHL hockey team. It also has two major parkways in its district.
When it comes to apparatus purchases, it is proactive in replacing existing apparatus when needed as far as age, maintenance issues, and the cost involved, according to Captain Vincent Balletta, chairman of the truck replacement committee.
“Our company operated a tiller for a great many years and, back in 2017, we had the existing truck refurbed,” Balletta says, noting the department was having trouble with staffing like so many other volunteer fire departments across the country and could no longer find younger members and people to operate the tiller. “They were not really familiar with its operation and were a little intimidated because of the size.”
So, a decision was made to retire the tiller, and it was sold to the Albany (NY) Fire Department in 2019. A committee was formed to find its replacement to meet Elmont’s true needs.
“Our fire district usually replaces our vehicles on a 15-year basis, so it was time to replace this truck,” Balletta says. “We decided to look into something smaller and more maneuverable around our response district.”
The department came to the conclusion that a rear-mount straight stick ladder would work best, the captain says, noting the other ladder company across town had just purchased a mid-mount platform, so there was no need to duplicate that type of aerial device.
“The straight stick, we felt, would be more maneuverable, easier to set up, and take up less space on the fireground,” he says, adding that the department specified the ladder to have more compartment space with room for the future and to be lower to the ground to make it easier for personnel to work around the apparatus.
“After looking at several manufacturers, we decided to go with Ferrara because it met all of our specs,” he says, noting the decision was easy because Elmont’s entire fire fleet over the past 10 years has been manufactured by Ferrara.
“Our members and committee were familiar with Ferrara’s quality and ease of operation,” Balletta says. “It would also save time in training and familiarity in parts and maintenance for our members and fire district.”
The captain adds that Elmont was fortunate to have a local Ferrara dealer only a few miles from its station and the department worked out an arrangement to have the dealer do all the warranty work for the aerial.
One of the unique features about the apparatus is forcible entry tools, hooks, and water extinguishers in recessed, open cabinets on the exterior of both sides of the cab, Balletta says. “This way, no matter how the truck is parked, our firefighters have easy and quick access to the tools for a smoother operation,” he says.
Elmont was also attracted to the Ferrara rear-mount aerial and its fast and easy setup, he says.
“The whole setup time takes anywhere from 30 to 45 seconds from the time we set the outriggers down to raising the aerial from its bed,” Balletta says. “It’s a great improvement for our operations.”
Balletta says the truck committee traveled to the Ferrara plant in Louisiana twice, once for a mid-build review and once again for a final inspection. The committee was informed about progress along the way with weekly photos and Zoom meetings.
1 Elmont’s 102-foot, rear-mount Ferrara. (Photos by author.)
2 A recessed pike pole holder and tilt-out water extinguisher holders on both sides of the body.
Elmont’s Rear-Mount Ferarra Aerial
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3 Battery-powered extrication tools and RIT equipment.
4 A saw and miscellaneous battery-powered tool compartment.
“The entire process worked out well for us,” Balletta says. “Any concerns and questions we had were answered, and any minor changes were corrected to our satisfaction.”
Elmont firefighters loaded up the new aerial with a complete set of Genesis extrication tools, a RIT kit, battery-powered fans, forcible entry tools, as well as an array of battery-powered hand tools.
“So far, training and operation of the new truck have been going really well for our department,” Balletta says.
The Elmont Fire Department took a great deal of initiative in designing a functional rear-mount straight stick aerial for its fire district. It took into consideration its response district with its target hazards, ease of operation for its members, familiarity of operation, and standardization with a familiar manufacturer.
The design of the body with exterior recessed compartments on both sides of the truck aids in a smooth operation no matter what side of the street the truck is parked on. A great deal of thought went into the specs. The extra compartment space will also aid in the future should additional equipment and tools be purchased.
Take the time to design a functional vehicle for your department. If it means downsizing to make it easier for your firefighters to operate on the fireground, so be it. It can only help you in this time of reduced staffing in the volunteer fire service around the country.
BOB VACCARO has more than 40 years of fire service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (NY) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, the New York Fire Patrol, and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. He is a life member of the IAFC.
