Need advice on replacing 1975 pumper 2008

[jriffle324]

My department just recently took our 1975 ALF pumper out of service due to mechanical issues. We are lookng to replace the pumper with the 2008 Fire Act Grant. Our fleet, other than the ALF, consists of a 2001 E ONE pumper, and a 1975 mini pumper. We run about 30 calls a year and serve a population of arund 2000. Is it realistic to think we may be funded for this truck? Does anybody have any narrative that they can email me from similar projects that were funded? If so, email them to jriffle324@hotmail.com

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Depends on your definition of out of service. If that means it won't run until it's fixed, that's one thing. If it is dead, not going to be fixed, so either scrap yard or leave it behind the barn that's another. With the first definition, your fleet age is over 24 years. 2nd option, it's 20. Decent chance either way, but 30 calls total doesn't scream as much need for 2 pumpers as those running a lot more calls with the same fleet. Not impossible, but definitely will take a lot of bulletproofing. Of course all truck apps do, only 1 out of 10 gets funded.

[jriffle324]

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean by "bulletproofing"?

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Answering all the questions that the application asks plus all of the ones that the reviewers will be asking themselves in their heads as they read your application. Answering the unasked questions is what makes this process an art.

[atrea1]

BC79er, I do not think you are jumping on me at all. I appreciate you taking time out to advise me on my prior posting. As u can see I deleted it and changed it because I too do not want apps being kicked out due to identical text. You taught me some things I did not know. Have a great day.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Part of the issue is that there is limited space in the forums to expand upon a thought.

So just so people don't go running off and dropping things that sound good, remember they have to apply to the applicant. Like the D/O training. It's nice to drop that one participates annually in D/O, but of course that only means something if the applicant does that.

Also if the truck has already been removed then there's no merit to the claim that it will be removed since it has already been done according to the first post.

Also, mutual aid calls are reported in a different portion of statistics, and should also be done that way in the narrative for that very reason. Apps have to be about the 1st due area, mutual aid is for cost-benefit. Munge the two and suspicions are aroused during review, and scores go down after looking back at the stats. Reviewers know when one is trying to pull the proverbial wool. That's also why the mechanical issues would have to be expanded upon. Failing pump has nothing to do with safety during a response, it just won't move water when it gets there. Doesn't mean it is safe to operate on the road, and by all means sell that ticket if it's true.

atrea, don't think I'm jumping on you at all. Everything you said is very true and good to have in an application, IF it applies to the applicant. I've read numerous denied apps over the past two years for new clients and their narratives read like posting on these forums, some I've written myself and plenty from other posters as well. Moral of the story being apps have to be about the applicants first, and unfortunately that's the first thing people forget when putting apps together. They want to run out and see what everyone else is writing. Too many copy and pastes gets the apps kicked out, the computer scans narratives for large blocks of identical text. Too much in common with apps from other states gets them all flagged, and possibly tossed. Originality wins.

[atrea1]

original message deleted

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Didn't mean delete it, on the same token I've seen people that all of that applied to and they didn't talk about it at all. Unlike a lot of the other forums this one is a place of learning for everyone, including me. Folks can't learn if you delete stuff. Plus that's why I mentioned what I did, so people just didn't copy and paste, but the ideas you mentioned are something that might have gotten the gears moving so someone thinks of something that they need to include.