Dumpers, Crawler Dump Truck, Crawler Transporter SUZHOU WENPENG MACHINE TECHNICAL CO.,LTD. , https://www.wpblocs.comThoughts from Bill Post on Recent Comments Regarding CFD Spare Apparatus for Tower Ladder 10 and Squad 1:
One of the advantages of Tower Ladder 10’s location is that it's just a mile and a half away from Fleet Management, which means they can easily get maintenance or repairs done whenever needed. However, when it comes to the oldest front-line tower ladders in the department, three units—Tower Ladders 21, 37, and 39—are all 16 years old, having been built in 1996. These are the original HME/LTI models, and the CFD has traditionally aimed to replace rigs within 10 to 15 years of frontline service. That said, Tower Ladder 21 still looks in decent shape and has been getting more callouts lately.
Tower ladders are included in the City of Chicago’s official 2012 buying plan, as issued by the Department of Procurement Services. This means the city plans to issue bids for new equipment eventually. But there's an ongoing concern about the spare Snorkel that's currently operating as Squad 1. It's the only remaining 55-foot Snorkel left in the fleet. I understand that its twin was retired over the past few years, and this has raised some eyebrows among those following the CFD’s fleet updates.
As many readers here know, the CFD has been pushing for replacements of its three Snorkel squads for quite some time. In fact, the need for new units has even appeared on the city’s official procurement list. The problem, however, lies with American LaFrance (ALF), who acquired the manufacturing rights to the Snorkel brand after the original company went out of business over a decade ago. Despite this, ALF has refused to build any new Snorkels, leaving departments like Chicago in a tough spot.
The alternative is to rehab and remount an older Snorkel onto a new chassis and body. Some fire departments have already done this, but as the number of available Snorkels decreases, finding units to rebuild becomes increasingly difficult. There are also rumors that other manufacturers might be willing to design similar aerial devices, but such projects would come at a high cost.
It would make more sense if ALF simply sold the rights to the Snorkel brand or agreed to produce them again. Although they're not as common as they once were, Snorkels are still used by several major and smaller fire departments across the country. For example, Memphis Fire Department operates two single-piece Snorkel squads using remounted units, and Philadelphia uses two full-size remounted Snorkels. Both cities rely heavily on these types of apparatus, so it's not unreasonable to think that a class-action lawsuit could be a viable option.
The irony is that the Chicago Fire Department and its repair shops were actually where the original Snorkel concept began. In fact, our local shops helped outfit the first Snorkel for fire service use. Today, American LaFrance owns the original Snorkel—Snorkel 1 and Squad 3—as part of their historic collection, even though they never actually built or modified the rig. The boom and platform were originally made by Pitman Corporation. It feels like ALF is holding the entire fire service, especially the Chicago Fire Department, hostage by refusing to produce or license the Snorkel design.
This situation is frustrating, especially considering the historical significance and the continued need for these specialized units. It's time for a change.