This from Danny Nelms:
found the old bellwood il tower in its new home in munfordville, kyhttp://www.kentuckyfiretrucks.com/Photos/Hart-County/Munfordville/20254941_GZR9zg#!i=3201251784&k=wvLh2x9&lb=1&s=Adanny nelms
Bellwood’s former tower ladder. Kent Parrish photo, Kentuckyfiretrucks.com
#1 by Crabby Milton on May 23, 2014 - 7:58 PM
I need to correct a mistake. The Wauwatosa rig was a 1996 3D quint on an HME chassis not a DUPLEX. This thing was the epitome of crap since it was responsible in part for the cause of a firefighter head injury. He survived but had to leave the dept. They were laying hose (5 inch) when the hose got snagged in the compartment. The hose stretched as the rig was moving and it(coupling) broke lose striking the man in the head. It was determined that the builder had designed the turntable gear teeth next to the hose compartment hence, the hose got caught on the gear. Then later on, the wheel well fell off while parked in quarters. It’s sister rig(ladder) broke down while trying to raise the flag during a 9-11 ceremony. The rigs were repaired but were replaced back in 2012. Wauwatosa has since learned it’s lesson and only buy rigs from a single source for overall quality and it was not worth the cost savings to nearly kill a man because of lousy design.
#2 by Drew Smith on May 23, 2014 - 4:48 PM
Per the Assistance to FF Grant program, if awarded a replacement apparatus because the original apparatus is no longer NFPA 1901 compliant it may not be used by any United States F.D. as a response vehicle. This is how we were able to acquire Hillside’s tower for NIPSTA, because it does not transport passengers or respond to emergencies. While there may be a variety of non-NFPA issues, the main issue is the open jump seats. This alone with age of the apparatus usually gives the grant application a higher priority.
#3 by Brian on May 23, 2014 - 4:01 PM
It was a condition in the grant for the new tower. It may be perfectly fine but wording in the grant to get the new tower may have tied their hands in how they got rid of the truck. It was not condemned, sorry for any confusion/concerns I may have caused.
#4 by Brian on May 23, 2014 - 3:57 PM
If i remember correctly it was ladder certification.
#5 by Crabby Milton on May 23, 2014 - 3:02 PM
What was so wrong with this thing that it had to be condemned? I don’t know the back story of this but here in Milwaukee County, Wauwatosa had a rig similar to this one and roughly same vintage built on a DUPLEX that was troublesome. Please enlighten me perhaps there was a pattern.
#6 by Brian on May 23, 2014 - 2:51 PM
Wasn’t this rig condemned?