Top mount or side mountpumpers???

[CVFD26]

Does your dept have side mount pumpers, top mount pumpers, or both? My dept has top mount and that is all that we will have because our enginer said he does not want anymore side mounts because he can see what is going on better, and he can see all the personal better with a top mount.

George Hagerty
firefighter(former explorer)
CVFD and HCFR

[East Haddam#1firefighter]

Hey hows it going? In the East Haddam Volunteer Department we have all Side mount pump panels, but right now we are in the process of speccing a new truck and we want a top-mount pump. We decided to go with a top-mount pump because just as CVFD26 said with a top-mount pump the pump operator can see the fire scene and most of the personnel a lot better. So I think top-mount pumps are much better. They are more expensive but they are well worth the money. Right now we are trying to decide which of these 3 companies to pick from to design and build our truck; either 4-GUYS, WWW.4guysfire.com, Central States(GENERAL)or Custom Fire apparatus, WWW.Customfire.com, but what ever truck we get it will have a top-mount pump and a Waterous Eclipse CAFS(Compressed Air Foam System) with 2000GPM pump. Everyone be safe and stay low! Peace

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Shawn Daigle
East Haddam F.D.
East Haddam Connecticut

[This message has been edited by East Haddam#1firefighter (edited October 25, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by East Haddam#1firefighter (edited October 25, 2000).]

[JrAssistChief]

Our campany has both, but we prefer the top-mount pump. It is more efficient for the operator, safer, and allows for better vision of the situation.

[lt fireguy]

We here in Coram,NY....have top mount...side mount..and one of our engines even has a panel for pumping on the inside of the cab

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"live life taste death i fight what you fear"

THESE VIEWS ARE MY OWN NOT MY DEPARTMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE

[greendrum872]

These are not the opinions of my department.~

[This message has been edited by greendrum872 (edited 02-02-2001).]

[MetalMedic]

Originally posted by JrAssistChief:
Our campany has both, but we prefer the top-mount pump. It is more efficient for the operator, safer, and allows for better vision of the situation.

Interesting observations. But I think efficiency, safety and observation are rather subjective terms.

Efficiency - If you have alot of help, this may be true. However, of the Engineer has to do his/her own connections, getting up and down from the pump platform can be rather time consuming and tiring. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to do a booster tank to port-a-tank transfere by yourself on a top mount pump.

Safety - While it is true that if you are on a top mount pump platform, you are out of the street and therefore avoid traffic. But when is the last time you operated your engine at a fire scene while not protecting the street where the engine is operating? It is ideal to at least take the city block as "ours" during a fire... and in rural settings, simply positing your engine at an angle will afford the Engineer protection. Now, in the winter time, is it safer to stay on the ground, or to climb up and down onto the pump panel platform where ice and snow can accumulate on the tread plate?

Observation - I guess it is nice to see the pretty lights and all the smoke and flames. But as far as the Engineer is concerned, is this really important. Many times, the deployed hose lines are inside structures which means you need x-ray vision to afford any good observation. The Engineer needs to concentrate on the gauges and other variables on his/her apparatus. All of the other hooplah could be more of a distraction and thus make the Engineer's job harder. I can think of very few situations where the Engineer needs to observe the operations of the fire ground. This is the task of the command officers.

Top mount pumps are a pain on an aeriel device too....



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Richard Nester
Orrville (OH) Fire Dept.

[fireb192]

top mount so you can see the fire ground better :

[cfr3504]

We have one Top mount on our 1st out, and the rest is side mount. I can use either one, I like the top mount for being able to see the fire ground, but having learned on a side, it take a little getting used to.

[1200vfr]

Go with a rear mount. it allows you to move the booster tank forward, thus better utilizing your front axle capacity and better weight distribution for drivability. If you do go rear mount, don't accept the typical style rear mount pump which is an end suction (like a waterous CX style pump). because the plumbing will not be incorporated into the pump body. Many manufacturers are pushing this style of rear mount pump. Because it's cheaper.

Require a full-bodies pump (like a Waterous CS or CM model). This is also a horizontally split pump housing with allows easier maintenance and repair because the bottom of the pump can be dropped out for shaft, seal, and impeller replacement down the road.

Rear mounts also move the "water" activity to the opposite end from the "personnel" activity. it will also provide quiter operation at the pump panel.

have fun.

[fdmhbozz]

We have top mount on Engine 3, enclosed on Engines 2 and 4. Engine 5 is a side mount, but what do you expect from a '56 B-Model Mack?

The pumper/rescue we are getting in a year will probably be a rear mount.

[Moose2028]

we have one side mount pumper, on the other three engins and the one tanker they are all top mount.

[FF41230]

this post was dug out of the cobbwebs. I prefer top mount for one you can see the scene better and second for the engineers safety. If a line bursts at the panel then the engineer will be out of the way unlike with a side mount the engineer is right there where the line is connected to the engine.

[Engine101]

All MFD Engine's are side mount pumps, I am not a big fan of top mount pumps mainly because it makes the rig unesicarily long

[GFDSlappyRob]

Side mount, and will always be like that. I personally like side mount

[firefighterox]

we have a rear mount pumper (2003 international), and two front mounts which are old, we love the rear mount, and hate the front mounts. its so much quieter. we had a side mount for a while because our truck was a demo at a convention and i heard that no body liked it.

[rfcmitch]

I disagree that the top mount pumps are unsafe, and unefficient.
Oberservation-its nice to be able to see the scene and whats going on. Not always are most lines inside. Around here they are not always that way. Barn fires, etc. for example. So it has happened before to where a fireman goes down from heat exhaustion and such and since the pump operator could see him go down, the line was cut immediately. Where with traditional side mount pumps, that order might have had to wait to come from a chief.

Plus, the side mount pump makes it easier for the pump operator to get to either side from the pump panel. Generally you just lean a little bit and you can see whats going on with your truck, where with the side mount pumps, you are completely oblivious to the opposite side of the rig.

But its all up to department preference. Here, the top mount is "grand" and we will continue to buy.

And for whoever is specing out their truck now. We own 2 4 Guys trucks. The tanker which is almost 15 years old now, it still in tip top shape from the stainless steel body with no rust. Our engine is holding up excellent also. Our next truck will also be a 4Guys.

[concord727]

Both pumps in service at my department are top mounted pumps. It has always seemed to make operations run smoother.

[BVFD1983]

As an engineer I could care less about seeing the scene. It is the same way with incident command.

[FyredUp]

Safety? Subjective, climb up and down a dozen times in a Wosconsin winter on ice covered steps and tell me how safe it is.

Effficiency? Perhaps if someone else makes your water supply hook uo and all your lines are always preconnects. If not the driver is up and down paking connections.

Observation? Honestly, what is the pump operator's job? RUN THE PUMP!! Maintain adequate pressure for hose lines. Their job is not assistant safety officer and it is not a time to stand there and watch the fire. Their job is to watch the guahes and maintain water supply and adequate pressure for fire streams.

I prefer a sidemount because it almost forces the operator to pay attention to their job.

FyredUp

[BVFD1983]

Nice post!

Sometimes it does suck not to be able to see what is going on.

I always hear departments getting top mounts so they can see better. I might buy easier access to a manually controlled deck gun, but not so the operator can see what is going on.