US Senate Committee investigating Fire Apparatus Manufacturers
- Thread starter Capttomo
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 3,577
There is a post on YouTube about 8-9 minutes long that illustrates the delays that are now commonplace in the fire service. And also how the equity partners are involved.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2017
- Messages
- 1,301
Forget all this. I wanna know what happened to Mack Fire Trucks and when are they coming back.
I don't know if this is absolutely true but I heard it from a very reliable source some years ago who was connected to the Fleet Service Division.
One of the main reasons Mack stopped manufacturing fire engines had to do with the contract they had with New York City. The apparatus warranties placed a huge demand on Mack for repairs. The FDNY policy that ran new rigs into the ground at the busy companies and then transfered them out do the hinterlands almost guaranteed that rigs, new or old, we're constantly in the shops, with Mack footing the bill. It was a big money loser and Mack just didn't need the aggravation so they discontinued manufacturing fire engines. Don't expect to see them back anytime soon.
Again, I'm not so sure about this story, and could remember it wrong, so any comments will be taken with value.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2007
- Messages
- 3,577
I have heard the same thing from other sources. A bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2020
- Messages
- 2,255
I can tell you a very factual story. I know the Saulsbury family and had the opportunity to spend several occasions with Alan Saulsbury. As many of you know during the 80’s and 90’s the Saulsbury Corp built many of FDNY’s specialized unit apparatus including the Rescues. Saulsbury has a solid reputation for building high quality robust rigs. The Chief that oversaw fleet and the shops at the time approached Saulsbury to try to talk them into bidding on the next round of pumpers. Alan told me he told them no thanks. His rationale was that he would have to retool the factory, hire a significant greater number of employees, and expand the factory footprint to take on an order for 60-80 engines over 4 years. Moreover, the engines ran more, and had the additional, pumps, tanks, valves, etc and would result in a drastic increase in warranty work, necessitating the need to find a shop in the metro nyc area and pay employees to work out of there. All of this expansion and investment of capital only to potentially lose the contract in four years during the next bid cycle to someone bidding a slightly lower price. Then he would have to layoff a significant amount of employees and left holding a large amount of capital investment (tools, machines, real estate) that was not returning on the original investment. When you look at the history of the bid awards for FDNY apparatus, he was correct in his thinking. Instead of going out of business like American LaFrance and Ward 79 he sold Saulsbury in the late 90’s to Federal Sign and Signal for a handsome sum and has enjoyed retirement.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2017
- Messages
- 1,301
That all makes perfect sense.
But that was then.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that, 250 years ago, our Founding Fathers risked their lives so that every red-blooded, patriotic American firefighter would have the right to go to a job clinging to the side of a Mack Fire Truck with a Bulldog mounted on the hood. Where did that aspiration go?
But that was then.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that, 250 years ago, our Founding Fathers risked their lives so that every red-blooded, patriotic American firefighter would have the right to go to a job clinging to the side of a Mack Fire Truck with a Bulldog mounted on the hood. Where did that aspiration go?