EQUIPMENT

In March of 2008 a Command-Utility Vehicle was acquired. This truck is a gasoline fueled Ford Lariat F 250, 4X4 Crew Cab, Super Duty pick up with a 6.8L V10 engine.

This vehicle provides the ability during a fire incident for the Incident Commander to be mobile so as to assess the event in order to prepare a plan of attack in rough terrain. The C- 406 also provides a much needed vehicle for personnel responding both to and from an incident and as a means of transportation for relief crews. A total of six passengers can be accommodated including the driver. The truck is also utilized to transport materials, supplies and equipment.

After the vehicle was acquired it had to be equipped and prepared for service. The vehicle has a light bar, siren, wig wag lights and switch control system all installed in a front console. It was already painted red but had to have identification lettering and a reflective white strip installed the length of the vehicle on each side. A tool box and 120v charging system supplies power to the hand held radios and flash light while parked at the fire station. Also, a portable pump is secured and installed in the truck bed and will be carried to all fires. The tool box contains two standby hand held radios fully charged and ready for use.

In the latter part of 1994 a brand new 1995 GMC 3500 chassis was purchased with a grant from the Texas Forest Service and a local fund drive. This truck was equipped with 4-wheel drive and automatic transmission. The firefighting rear portion of the vehicle was initially built by department personnel, although the steel tank was outsourced to a local welding shop. Although it served the department well for many years, it became obvious that there was considerable room for improvement. A decision was made to have it refurbished by the Deep South Facility in Seminary, Mississippi; it was delivered to their facility in early November 2002 and completed in late February 2003.

Now Brush 420 was a much improved and more capable vehicle. The entire rear portion was replaced completely except for the 300 gpm Hale Pump and pump engine. The new bed was designed with a walk-thru behind the cab where a firefighter can safely ride and utilize the one inch swivel whip line from either side. The water carrying capacity was increased to 300 gallons and a new Robwen Hydro-Flo Class-A Foam System was added. There is an electrically operated hose reel containing 150 feet of one inch hose, two 1.5 inch outlets were added, one pre-connected with 150 ft of one inch hose, and an auxiliary outlet. Other improvements included an electrical prime (as opposed to the old exhaust prime), still utilizing a 2.5 inch hard suction for drafting. The bumper nozzles too were updated and now are operated via toggle switches on the dash. Moreover, a roof rack along with aluminum storage compartments were added for storage, which were sorely lacking previously.

The vehicle was also painted red with a white top to match our remaining vehicles, whereas it had previously been yellow. After the addition of a new radio with 19 channels similar to those of the other vehicles, Brush 420 is indeed a first class brush truck. The Captain for 420 is George Turner.

In March of 2001, TLVFD purchased a brand new first-class brush truck, designated as Brush 421. This brush truck is a 2001 Ford F-450, V-10 gas engine with 4-wheel drive and automatic transmission. The bed layout has a walk-thru space behind the cab, one-way gates for safety purposes and a one-inch whip line that swivels to either side. It has a 400 gallon capacity poly water tank and an auxiliary pump engine coupled to a Darley 375 gpm discharge pump. There is an electrically operated hose reel containing 150 feet of one inch hose, a pre-connected 1.5 inch discharge with 150 feet of hose, and an auxiliary 1.5 inch discharge outlet. It has an electric prime and utilizes a 2.5 inch hard suction for drafting to fill the tank. The brush truck is also fitted with a Robwen Hydro-Flo Class-A foam system and has a 6 gallon capacity foam tank. The truck is also fitted with front bumper nozzles that can be activated by toggle switches on the dash. There are aluminum storage boxes mounted on the sides and a roof rack for storing additional equipment. The 19-channel radio installed is similar to those in the other vehicles as well as having a portable handheld radio for use outside the vehicle.

Brush Truck #421 is our "first response unit", which means it is first out the door when responding to an emergency situation. In addition to responding to fire calls, this unit responds to all EMS calls. Brush Truck # 421 is equipped with first aid supplies, oxygen tanks, and an automated external defibrillator. Captain for this truck is Alan Dorsman.

In October of 2000, Tanker/Pumper #430 was delivered to our station. This is a refurbished 1990 GMC TopKick chassis. The truck is equipped with a Caterpillar 3116T Diesel engine coupled to an Allison Automatic Transmission and power take-off to operate the Darley pump. The tanker carries 2,000 gallons of water and is equipped with a 750 gpm Darley pump and has a 4.5 inch draft intake and three 2.5 inch pump discharge outlets. The tanker also has two 1.5 inch cross lays with 150 feet of pre-connected hose and can be unloaded for use on either side of the truck, since the connections swivel in either direction. It also has a 2.5 inch, 250 foot pre-connected hose with two 150 foot rolls of 1.5 inch hose. Captain for this truck is Ron Drumheller.

In October of 2007, a Texas Forest Grant was approved for a new Engine. The grant covered about 50% of the total cost. On November 6, 2007 a contract was established with Siddons Fire Apparatus to purchase a new Pierce 4D IHC N4400 Engine. The truck was delivered to the TLVFD station June 19, 2008.

Engine 440 is equipped with a diesel fueled MaxxForce 9 turbocharged engine rated at 330 HP at 2000 rpm. The transmission is an Allison, model 3000 EVS - a 5-speed push-button automatic. The truck carries a 1000 gallon tank that is connected to a Waterous CS, 1000 gpm centrifugal pump and has a 4.5 inch draft intake and four 2.5 inch pump discharge outlets. There are two 1.5 inch cross lays with 150 feet of pre-connected hose for offloading on either side of the truck. There is also 150 foot pre-connected 2.5 inch hose at the back of the truck and two 500 foot sections of 2.5 inch hose in trays.

There is a Honda, model EM5000 SXKI gas powered portable generator rated at 4500 watts located on a pull out tray in the side compartment and is primarily for powering the two telescoping floodlights for use in night operations. In addition, it provides 120V power to receptacles for additional plug-in lighting or use of electrical tools. The cab seats five firefighters with four of the seats equipped with SCBA mounts. This allows four firefighters to have on the SCBA’s prior to arriving at an incident. There will also be four SCBA’s located in a side compartment along with eight spare tanks. All of the tools, fittings and ancillary equipment will be mounted and secured within compartments utilizing folding doors located at each side and back of the truck.
Captains for this truck are Charlie Orr and Ken McConnell

We have two portable pumps that were ordered in December 2003 with thanks to a grant from the Texas Forest Service. These pumps were received in January 2004 and are powered by a Honda 4-stroke engine. They are fitted with a 2.5 inch discharge outlet and are very manageable due to their size and weight. These pumps enable us to get water from streams and lakes that would not me accessible to the trucks.