LAFD To Purchase First Electric Fire Engine In North America

While I'm all for controlling pollution etc. at least in my opinion this is a terrible idea! Imagine getting to a scene of a major fire and not being able to use your truck because the batteries are discharged!! Maybe it would work for a rescue or something like that but it certainly doesn't seem appropriate for anything that would be in constant use while fighting a fire.
 
Menlo Park CA considered this rig last year, and decided to pass (smart decision, in my opinion).  Rosenbauer rep in Southern CA must be very active to talk LAFD into this purchase.  Here's my idea of how FDNY would support a thng like this . . . Ferrara would probably get a contract to build a dozen of them.


FDNY-Battery.jpg
 
LAFD as well as most other departments in CA respond on Mutual Aid sometimes a distance of 150 miles or more. What kind of range would this rig have? It might be a modern version of the ALF Turbo Chief that San Francisco had in the early 60's and didn't last very long.
 
Seattle had a 1960 ALF Turbo Chief TDA with a Boeing turbine engine, also. It lasted for ONE year before they repowered it with a Hall-Scott 1091 gasoline engine. Photo credit to Last Resort Fire Dept.

272-1961-tractor%20-%20Copy.jpg
 
I am heading out to the FDIC conference in Indianapolis in April.  This new battery operated fire truck will be displayed at the exhibit hall.  I will file on-scene reports and pictures once I get a chance to look at this new apparatus. 
 
fltpara16 said:
I am heading out to the FDIC conference in Indianapolis in April.  This new battery operated fire truck will be displayed at the exhibit hall.  I will file on-scene reports and pictures once I get a chance to look at this new apparatus.
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Look for the rig with an extension cord plugged into a wall outlet 8)
 
Bulldog said:
While I'm all for controlling pollution etc. at least in my opinion this is a terrible idea! Imagine getting to a scene of a major fire and not being able to use your truck because the batteries are discharged!! Maybe it would work for a rescue or something like that but it certainly doesn't seem appropriate for anything that would be in constant use while fighting a fire.
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True
 
Yesterday the Madison Fire Department beat LAFD to the punch, putting an electric engine built by Pierce in service at E*8. E*8 is one of the busiest companies in all of Wisconsin. Additionally, it has a traditional engine for if/ when the batteries drain out.

www.piercemfg.com

Volterra™ Electric Fire Truck | Pierce Mfg

The Volterra™ Electric Fire Truck supports green initiatives with an environmentally-conscious fire apparatus that reduce emissions.
www.piercemfg.com www.piercemfg.com
 
Lebby said:
Yesterday the Madison Fire Department beat LAFD to the punch, putting an electric engine built by Pierce in service at E*8. E*8 is one of the busiest companies in all of Wisconsin. Additionally, it has a traditional engine for if/ when the batteries drain out.

www.piercemfg.com

Volterra™ Electric Fire Truck | Pierce Mfg

The Volterra™ Electric Fire Truck supports green initiatives with an environmentally-conscious fire apparatus that reduce emissions.
www.piercemfg.com www.piercemfg.com
Click to expand...
I didn't see a run time for the apparatus on the batteries. Meaning, how long do the batteries last before it switches over to combustion engine. I know my daughters car is a hybrid and it only gets about 100 miles on a full battery, weather permitting ( cold weather it is less), and now some are getting much more but it seems that operating a pump or aerial device at a scene it will drain the batteries sooner. My thoughts
 
EdMc said:
I didn't see a run time for the apparatus on the batteries. Meaning, how long do the batteries last before it switches over to combustion engine. I know my daughters car is a hybrid and it only gets about 100 miles on a full battery, weather permitting ( cold weather it is less), and now some are getting much more but it seems that operating a pump or aerial device At a scene it will drain the batteries sooner. My thoughts
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It has to be one of the worst applications possible for an electric vehicle! You respond to a fire where you are first in, so the rig is parked in front of the building. It ends up being a multiple alarm long-duration call and guess what, the batteries die! Now you've got the front of the fire building tied up with the rig that's totally useless. Certainly makes a lot of sense to me. Okay, it has an IC engine to use after the batteries die so now you are paying for both the electric and the IC systems which raises the purchase price of the unit as well as having additional maintenance considerations.
 
I don't get it either. When there's a chance it may be hours of work for the engine its useless. A diesel can be refueled on the spot you obviously can't plug in the batteries to recharge during an incident. Last year my sister's house was lost in a 3 alarm fire on SI. E162 was first due and operated for about 3 1/2 hrs. E167 was I believe 2nd due and operated for about 5 1/2 hrs. Its just an example of how long those batteries would need to last. Larger fires even more so. And as Bulldog stated hybrids are always more expensive.
 
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