This from Danny Nelns:
Went and snapped a few pics out at Trans Chicago (Elmhurst Freightliner). 2 boxes and a wannabe snorkel. being stored temporarily awaiting the rest of the rigs for the dealer to take possession.
danny nelns photo
danny nelns photo
danny nelns photo
danny nelns photo
danny nelns photo
#1 by DANNY on November 13, 2016 - 3:56 PM
JUST REALIZED MY LAST NAME IS MISSPELLED ON THE POST.. PROBABLY CAUSE I MISSPELLED IT IN MY EMAIL SUBMISSION LOL
#2 by Admin on November 13, 2016 - 4:44 PM
why is your caps light on? – Are you shouting at me?
#3 by Rich S. on October 20, 2016 - 5:59 AM
Bill, I am a purist and a traditional guy I guess. I don’t like roll up doors and blue lights and I miss the 888 light. Tradition is an important part of the job to me. As far as the snorkel we were really in a pickle, are HME rigs are in horrible shape just really not safe anymore. So take what you can get right. 2FM is on a different wavelength from the FD they spec rigs from the viewpoint of the mechanics not how we operate as a FD. As a fireman I would like to see E-one trucks back in our fleet. The underslung Jacks and aluminum aerial ladder are what we need. The smaller 100′ Metro would be best. As far as the rest of the fleet there’s no best manufacturer anymore.
#4 by Bill Post on October 19, 2016 - 4:33 PM
Those are good points that you make Rich S. I was wondering if there is any particular apparatus manufacturer that you would prefer? They all seem to have issues. I would agree with you that it would have been better if the real Snorkel brand was purchased, however as was previously mentioned, American LaFrance still owned the rights at the time of the bidding. It wasn’t until after the contract was signed that Smeal acquired the Snorkel brand. As far as apparatus goes there are plenty of manufacturers out there. Chicago hasn’t purchased from a few of them as of yet. Ferrara seems to be a growing company that some cities are purchasing from including sizable orders from New York City for rear mounted aerial ladders and other apparatus. Maybe they might be worth a try in the future?
#5 by Rich S. on October 19, 2016 - 9:03 AM
Just a side note 2FM (fleet mngmt) has control of all CFD apparatus. Specs and such are now handled by 2FM the cfd gives a general idea of needs. But fleet not the FD does specs. Again as the actual end user of these I’m very skeptical of them. New crimson trucks tons of issues, Pierce trucks issues with main aerials rusting out, crimson (spartan) engines radiator issues. The list goes on that’s why you all see everyone in spares all the time. I have no doubt these Squad rigs will look awesome in a calendar pic. But this company has never built a snorkel boom, I don’t get why we keep buying these rigs that are untested.
#6 by Marty Coyne on October 19, 2016 - 4:09 PM
I don’t think they had any other options. ALF had the snorkel rights when they bid it out and they wouldn’t build them.
Also while Rosenbauer hadn’t built faux snorkel, they do own Metz which builds articulating T-Rex platform which is quite similar.
#7 by Brian on October 18, 2016 - 9:22 PM
David,
The contract was tied up at Fleet for an extended period of time. I heard rumors on the reason but not known if factual or not. That played a big part in the long delay from initial word of these to actually seeing the light at the end.
#8 by Rich S. on October 18, 2016 - 8:51 PM
Was on the squad, never had the paint peel off our roll up doors. Our shops are not the FDNY shops (the city of Chicago isn’t New York, have you seen our rigs?) Again Squad 1’s Box fell off the chassis again…. All the welds that hold the box to the frame broke and the box twisted and fell off.
#9 by justafirefighter on October 18, 2016 - 8:31 PM
These are not built on medium duty chassis; IF memory serves they are on the commander chassis, and they are the Minnesota Body-which is stainless steel so they should hold up. As a side note, the Mfg’s of apparatus don’t just randomly built custom rigs and call big cities and say “Here try this”. They build to the specifications of the customer/bidder, so questions as to “why” the rigs are built with a large front bumper, different chevrons on the back, non-painted roll up doors etc. ALL come back to the folks who built the spec.
#10 by 9 man squad on October 18, 2016 - 5:51 PM
I think the no reflective chevrons are so the lights on the second piece don’t reflect off the box and make it hard for the second driver to see but the reflective ones on the second rig are vehicals lights reflect off the back of the second rig.
I believe the no painted doors are because with all the heavy use the squad doors get the paint starts to fleck after about a year, this saves the paint looking shabby and also saves cost.
As a side note what happened to squad ones box saw them using the spare g510 lettered up as squad 1
#11 by David on October 18, 2016 - 5:25 PM
I’m also quite surprised that both the Snkls and the boxes look exactly the same as on the first proposition drawing from late 2012. Looks like they didn’t change a thing on the rigs since then – is this common practice or the contract with Rosenbauer just got to the point that the city wasn’t able to order any changes for nearly four years?
#12 by Dustin Schoenfeld on October 18, 2016 - 4:26 PM
Why the difference in Chevrons? Just curious. Also what company are the light bars from? Are they customized by Federal Signal?
#13 by Chris on October 18, 2016 - 4:23 PM
I would at all be surprised they hold up well. I remember when Kme got the FDNY contract and everyone said how they would be falling apart and won’t last at all, not going to last like Seagrave. They seem to be hold up very well and the members like them. Also wasn’t Rosenbauer the only bidder on these too ? I would knock them until they are in service and see how they work out.
#14 by Rich S. on October 18, 2016 - 1:42 PM
Also it drives me nuts that they didn’t paint the roll up doors. They look unfinished to me.
#15 by Rich S. on October 18, 2016 - 1:39 PM
John, I agree I think we are going to have nothing but problems with these rigs. For as much as they cost and as long as we’ve waited they don’t look right to me either. Both box and snorkel look very top heavy. which is not good when you load these full of tools and equipment. Also these are on medium duty chassis and the Chicago streets are destructive to these rigs. That’s why the current HME rigs are falling off their frames for the second time. These rigs are 6 ft. longer put together than the HME rigs so already going to issues in the firehouses and front bumpers look like they stick out 3 ft. (accidents are coming) Not a good start.
#16 by David on October 18, 2016 - 12:24 PM
The Snorkel units look really strange, compared to the late 1980s Spartans with the large crew cabs or even the recent HMEs these look almost like some kinda different purpose rigs. Hope that after nearly full 4 years of waiting they’ll be exactly what the Squads wanted. Also thanks for sharing the photos!
#17 by Turk_WLF on October 18, 2016 - 9:32 AM
Danny Nelns, Thank you so much for the pictures, they’re the best pictures I have seen of the “Snorkel” so far.
John, I don’t see where the boom is croked/offset. I’m not saying you’re wrong, just saying I don’t see it.
#18 by John on October 18, 2016 - 8:26 AM
I think the city shops are going to have problems with these rigs. Maybe I’m looking at the picture wrong but I’m seeing that the snorkel boom is not even bedding right. It looks croked and off to one side. Once the crews start pounding the city streets it will get worse. I have to say that the different chevrons look stupid but the squad guys are in dire need of new equipment. For their sake I hope the it works out okay. John