New Truck Company

[asteward1667]

My FD is in the mist of purchasing our townships 1st Aerial Truck. With that a lot is incorporated, training, setting up SOG's, maintaining the unit, etc. With that, any help with your departments SOG's that are good ideas for any Truck Company or training that should be taking, basically I'm looking for anything related that will help my FD start up a Truck Company and run with success.

Thanks!

[firefiftyfive]

how about you come up with a list of what you have and we can add to it if necessary because I'm sure there are guys that could sit down and type all night long! Its just such a large question.

[Bones42]

I'm hoping that before deciding to purchase this truck, maybe some guys have been sent to local fire academies for Truck schools?

[asteward1667]

With the time in between signing the contract to purchase the truck and the truck arriving has said to be about 18 months, this upcoming year is devoted to training Truck Operators and/or Truckies themselves.

[doughesson]

We don't have an aeriel rig ourselves yet,but isn't truck work is the same if you ride a tiller rig or your volunteer department's engine to the fireground and pile off carrying irons and take the ladders off the side?
Our plan until we get one in the next five years is to have the first in unit to be the engine company and the second arrival unit does the truck work.
For now,if we need a ladder truck,we either call the city of Paducah and wait an hour for them to recall a crew(they're laying people off and making crews do double duty)or call another volunteer department and wait 20-30 for their response from 7 miles off.
It's been a miracle to my inexperienced eyes that we haven't had to do either yet.

I'm hoping that before deciding to purchase this truck, maybe some guys have been sent to local fire academies for Truck schools?

[Bones42]

18 months? Wow, that's a long build time. We're looking at 6 months for ours.

doughesson, part of the training that you won't have when using Engines (which I do use also) is the proper positioning. You can always stretch hose, you can't stretch a ladder too much. Having a dedicated truck also takes some training as to guys having assignments/responsibilities per the actual apparatus now. It can happen and work the other way, but it'd be very preferrable for the engine to concentrate on "engine" work and the truck on "truck" work once you have them.

[Ladder215]

Truck ops are truck ops. If you don't have a ladder you do still need to know truck operations. But, it takes training to put the stick up, get to the scene, scene placement, etc. Driving the truck is different than the engine.