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6 Comments

• #1 by Johnny Roy on April 22, 2016 - 10:19 PM

  

  I can see where everyone’s instant negativity comes in, thinking it was some aesthetic-only reason that this was built, but the fact of the matter is, is that this is a lightweight, small wheelbase elevated matter stream that they can drive right up the dirt driveways that lead up to their very long set back houses and set up and go to work. Not to mention lead out lines from as well. In my humble opinion, this is WAY more responsible of a build then that of a 100′ tower ladder. And if I recall correctly, they did sell a TL and a rescue style engine that this SS is replacing. This will probably have much less maintenance involved. Good call by them. We’ve already seen Peotone’s be used several times in the short amount of time they’ve had theirs, can’t blame Frankfort wanting to have a safe, nice, new shiney one! Only complaint I have, is I think I saw blue lights! Wtf!? Lol

• #2 by Mike Mc on April 22, 2016 - 4:16 PM

  

  They will be lucky if this rig is used ten times in a twenty year career as an elevating platform. Even then, they will be surround and drowns where any tower ladder, pinned aerial pipe, or 30 year old reserve snorkel could serve the same purpose.

  The next chief will probably sell it to some industrial fire brigade such as an oil refinery that may actually see some value in it. Calling it a “squad” is a big tip off as to what the real motive was.

  Yes, I am just a lowly fan, but this one isn’t hard to figure out.

• #3 by Brian on April 20, 2016 - 9:01 AM

  

  Frankfort had a snorkel (believe 85′) years ago so they concept isnt new to the dept. Really need to look at this rig for Frankfort as an engine that has the ability to put a basket in the air if the call needs it.

• #4 by Chuck on April 20, 2016 - 8:53 AM

  

  This looks like a case of “That guy over there has a cool truck with lots of lights and whistles, so I’m gonna get a bigger truck with MORE lights and whistles. That way, all the lights and whistles will distract the taxpayers from the fact that this rig shows up with two guys on it.”
  And the politicians will decry that’s it’s A) Overmanned and B) The two guys on the rig are overpaid and not entitled to the pensions they have had stolen from them by the very same politicians. We used to have $25,00 fire trucks and million dollar firemen. Now we have million dollar fire trucks and……

• #5 by Bill Post on April 19, 2016 - 7:11 PM

  

  This is exactly what needs to be done to market the Snorkel now that we finally have a manufacturer that is building them again. There are other fire departments that use Snorkels besides Chicago and Frankfort Il. The best example that I can give is the Philadelphia Fire Department that is still running with two 85-foot Snorkels. They run their Snorkels as truck companies and they also are currently running two mid-mounted tower ladders plus four engines that are equipped with a Squrt or similar boom. Memphis, Tennessee runs with two, single-piece 55-foot Snorkel squads. Even though the Bronto Skylift is not a Snorkel, it is in reality a more advanced version of the Snorkel. It has an articulated boom with a basket on it similar to a Snorkel. The City of Baltimore also uses an 85-foot Snorkel built an a Seagrave chassis that is special called to fires when needed much like Chicago’s reserve Snorkel.

  I would speculate that if Chicago’s full-size Snorkels had been equipped with ground ladders and run as truck companies like in Philadelphia and some other cities, then the Snorkels might not have been taken out of service because they would have been regular truck companies instead of special-duty Snorkel companies.

• #6 by Mike Mc on April 19, 2016 - 5:00 PM

  

  Does Smeal really think they can bring back the snorkel to the fire service? Why not talk about the virtues of fog pressures, high pressure wagons, engines without water tanks, spring raised wooden aerials and other antiquated CFD apparatus?

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