Rig Recon Live

Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier welcome Jason Nickelson, Fleet Administrator for Mesa Fire and Medical, to discuss managing a large, diverse fleet and spec’ing apparatus for extreme Arizona conditions. Nickelson outlines Mesa’s fleet (about 250 total units, including 70 apparatus and 30 ambulances) and primary manufacturers (Pierce, E-One, Horton). He explains how Mesa standardizes key chassis components across brands to simplify maintenance, supported by a large parts room and regional service contracts. Emphasizing “we’re a preventative maintenance shop,” he describes Mesa’s OEM-focused PM model, long service-life expectations, and replacement timelines. The conversation covers heat-and-dust challenges, including HVAC importance, cooling-system maintenance, tint, and roll-up door considerations. Nickelson also shares early lessons from Mesa’s E-One Vector electric fire truck, focusing on cooling systems, noise/quiet operation, and clean-cab SCBA storage, then offers top spec priorities: maneuverability, support, ergonomics, and cab comfort.

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Rig Recon Live hosts Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier talk with Chief Poitras of the Limestone Fire Department in northern Maine about ordering the department’s first new fire truck in 30 years. Poitras shares his background as a third-generation chief and fleet mechanic, outlines Limestone’s rural coverage (including contracted service to Caswell) and reliance on water shuttle due to limited, low-flow hydrants, and explains how call trends drove them to design a rescue-style pumper. The committee gathered member input, studied neighboring rigs, and prioritized safety, efficiency, and “boots on the ground” features like speed lays, pull-out trays, accessible hard suction, a powered ladder rack, extensive LED scene lighting, roll-up doors, and a trash line. They chose a Metal Fab body on an International HV607 chassis, discussed technology upgrades (electronic governor, air primer, tank gauges, Fireman’s Friend fill valve, automatic transmission), budgeting to a $540,000 cash purchase, procurement/negotiation lessons, and plans to return to a long-term replacement rotation.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Used Truck Workarounds

01:13 Show Intro and Guest

01:54 Chief Poitras Background

04:37 Keeping Old Rigs Running

05:33 Department and Coverage Area

08:17 Why a New Truck Now

10:05 From Used to Custom Spec

11:55 Spec Process and Priorities

14:18 Safety and Efficiency Features

19:07 Learning New Tech

20:19 Big Tech Upgrades

21:47 Automatic Transmission Shift

22:51 Automatic Transmission Benefits

23:40 Tank Gauges Upgrade

24:28 Firemans Friend Valve

26:09 Chassis Builder Selection

28:29 Spec Revisions And Fitment

32:01 Bidding Versus Negotiation

35:28 Budget Cuts And Addons

40:31 Replacement Rotation Planning

45:00 Top Three Takeaways

47:43 Closing Remarks And Wrap

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Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier discuss fire apparatus pump panel design, emphasizing end-user specifications that improve usability, maintenance, and apparatus size. They compare manual push-pull valves, rack-and-sector, and handwheel controls, highlighting mechanical advantage, slow-close requirements, handle locking, and layout tradeoffs that can affect wheelbase. They address electric valves, explaining past reliability issues, modern redesigns for high-pressure wet environments, a 10-year electronics/gear warranty, added cost, cleaner/smaller panels, diagrammatic layouts, and advanced position/auto functions. The episode covers plumbing considerations such as realistic bend expectations, drain placement to prevent frozen gauges/sensors, and where pressure gauges are tapped to avoid misleading readings. They review crosslay swivel placement options and “cheater” hose sections, then explain flow meter benefits and requirements, including straight-run needs and multi-point calibration for accuracy. Final advice stresses standardization flexibility, realistic valve sizing/flow expectations, testing, and keeping panels intuitive for operators.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00 Electric Valves Evolution
01:12 Show Intro and Where to Listen
01:35 Pump Panel Design Overview
02:01 Why Specs Still Matter
03:09 Manual Valves and Water Hammer
04:41 Push Pull Setup Tips
07:00 Panel Layout vs Apparatus Size
08:32 Handwheel Controls Pros and Cons
10:30 Electric Valves Benefits
14:07 Diagrammatic Panels and Smart Controls
15:46 Plumbing Layout and Gauge Taps
19:53 Sponsor Break
20:17 Crosslay Swivel Placement Options
23:34 Flow Meters Benefits and Limits
28:21 New Tech and Display Features
31:37 Top Three Takeaways
35:08 Wrap Up and Final Plug

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On Rig Recon Live, Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier follow up their episode on rising apparatus costs by outlining practical ways departments can control the price of their next rig. They discuss using OEM “stock,” “retail,” or program units with common options instead of extensive customization, and emphasize that labor-intensive features can raise costs, using roll-up versus hinged compartment doors as an example. They note new technology isn’t always more expensive, citing FRC’s Radiant lighting redesign as brighter and less costly than Spectra. They recommend aligning body and pump house designs with OEM standard sizes and components, asking what is truly needed (including valve sizing and number of discharges), and communicating early with multiple OEMs. They warn that late spec changes and change orders can become very costly due to backlogs, engineering “stage gates,” and already-purchased parts.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Why Before You Spec
01:28 Show Intro and Setup
03:17 Program Units Explained
05:46 Saving on Doors
07:50 Tech That Lowers Cost
10:07 Standard Body Dimensions
11:56 Pump Panel Cost Choices
15:23 Sponsor Break
17:14 Avoid Change Orders
21:34 Top Three Takeaways
23:17 Design for 80 Percent
24:21 Wrap Up and Next Steps

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In this episode of Rig Recon Live, Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier break down why fire apparatus costs have risen sharply in recent years and why comparisons to mass-produced cars miss the reality of highly customized, labor-intensive fire truck builds. Using real examples, they note a custom pumper that cost about $625,000 in 2015 versus a similar well-equipped stock unit around $925,000 today, with aerials now commonly $1.5M+ and tractor-drawn aerials nearing $2M. They attribute increases to higher labor and employer healthcare costs, specialized training demands, COVID-era workforce and parts shortages that created production backlogs amid record orders, and looming 2027 emissions changes expected to add about $100,000 plus costly redesigns. They also discuss NFPA safety-driven requirements and how Capitol Hill hearings and ongoing litigation may further pressure prices, previewing a future episode on cost-control options when speccing trucks.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Finding Common Ground

01:39 Show Intro and Where to Listen

02:05 Why Apparatus Costs Matter

03:06 Disclaimers and Dual Perspective

05:22 How Much Prices Rose

07:22 Why Trucks Aren’t Cars

11:11 Labor and Healthcare Costs

14:33 Skilled Labor Training Gap

15:20 COVID Boom and Supply Crunch

19:04 2027 Emissions Engine Changes

23:10 NFPA Rules and Safety Adders

26:33 Capitol Hill and Litigation

29:35 Wrap Up and Next Episode Teaser

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In this Rig Recon Live episode, Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier discuss fire apparatus camera systems, starting with code requirements: backup cameras moved from an NFPA 1901 appendix recommendation to a requirement in NFPA 1900 effective January 2024, while older rigs aren’t required to be updated unless certain refurbishments apply. They explain retrofit options, especially wireless systems, and common issues like incorrect power taps, signal interference, and glitches at high speeds. The hosts compare single, two-, three-, and four-camera setups and explain 360-degree and six-camera systems that blend images for better corner visibility, including an “outrigger view” feature for aerials. They cover recording capabilities, storage, cloud/upload challenges, local retention laws, and argue recording can protect departments, noting video/ambulance use and HIPAA concerns.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Why Cameras Matter

01:24 Show Intro Housekeeping

01:52 NFPA Backup Camera Rules

04:11 Retrofit Older Apparatus

06:49 Wireless Setup Pitfalls

09:31 Choosing Camera Configs

12:55 360 Birdseye Systems

16:39 Recording Basics Storage

19:12 Why Record Liability Proof

20:24 Cloud Upload Live View

24:38 Legal HIPAA Concerns

26:58 Top Takeaways Wrap Up

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Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier discuss hose bed storage and hose retention systems on fire apparatus, focusing on attack and supply hose and what NFPA requires. They explain how incidents—including a crosslay launching and damaging vehicles and a fatal case where a five-inch coupling killed a child—drove NFPA to add mid-cycle retention requirements, later broadened, and how hose storage moved from minimum hose amounts to minimum cubic footage. They cover practical design and deployment considerations such as varying true hose diameters by manufacturer, packing methods affecting storage space and nozzle placement, securing bumper wells and crosslays, slide-out trays, and simple retention options like Velcro straps versus tarps, lids, or doors. For supply hose, they emphasize coupling clearance, heavier retention needs, and cover/door tradeoffs. Key takeaways: plan for future hose changes, don’t remove retention, and design systems that reduce climbing and work.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Tragedy Sparks Change

01:21 Show Intro and Housekeeping

02:06 Hose Beds Overview

02:53 NFPA Rules and History

06:43 Sizing Hose Storage Right

09:06 Attack Hose Wells and Lids

10:47 Loading Crosslays Safely

14:42 Retention Systems That Deploy Fast

18:42 Nozzle Fit and Crosslay Design

19:30 Supply Hose Storage Basics

21:23 Supply Hose Retention and Covers

25:19 Top Three Takeaways and Wrap

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Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier discuss why fire apparatus weight matters beyond OEM specs, emphasizing liability after crashes, vehicle longevity, and handling safety. They explain how NFPA requires OEMs to weigh the finished truck with full fluids and account for fixed items, personnel (250 lbs per seat), and estimated equipment by storage volume, but not the real-world variability of loaded compartments and hose choices. They highlight how exceeding planned hose loads—especially five-inch supply hose—can quickly add hundreds of pounds, and why users must communicate actual intended loads to the OEM. They recommend using FEMA’s Apparatus Cube Calculator to estimate equipment weight/volume and plan distribution left-to-right and front-to-back to avoid skating, longer stopping distances, and rollover risk, especially on aerials, rescues, tankers, and mini pumpers. They note ROM roll-up doors can reduce overall weight, warn that being underweight can hurt ride/braking, and close with takeaways: be transparent with OEMs, weigh trucks in service (and recheck over time), and replace tires after seven years per date code.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00 Liability When Overweight

01:30 Show Intro Housekeeping

02:13 Why Apparatus Weight Matters

04:27 NFPA Weighing Basics

07:46 Hose Loads Can Surprise

09:49 Planning Tools Cube Calculator

13:22 Balancing Weight For Safety

15:57 Which Rigs Are Most At Risk

18:13 Roll Up Doors Weight Savings

20:04 Underweight And Mini Pumpers

23:22 Three Takeaways And Wrap Up

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On Rig Recon Live, hosts Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier talk with Jason Davis of Bulldog about fire apparatus refurbishments and how “refurb” can range from repainting and reconfiguring compartments to new chassis, rebuilt engines/transmissions, aerial teardown/inspection, and even replacing frame rails. Davis explains Bulldog’s process involving sales, in-house engineering, fabrication, and paint, noting that refurbs often reveal hidden issues like corrosion only found after disassembly, requiring clear upfront communication. They discuss re-chassis projects, typically using Spartan, with raw chassis lead times around six months to a year, plus complications from modern emissions packaging and multiplex electrical systems that may not interface with older body controls. Savings versus new can be roughly 20–40% depending on scope, and they close with top considerations: budget, trusted vendor capability, and timeline.

Chapter Markers:
00:00 Refurb Demand Rising
01:30 Rig Recon Live Intro
01:54 Meet Jason Davis
03:20 What Refurb Really Means
05:33 Common Refurb Types
07:03 Rechassis Process
07:59 Hidden Surprises Found
09:43 Chassis Lead Times
10:43 Cost Versus New Rig
13:38 Codes Emissions Wiring
17:58 Paint Matching Pitfalls
20:21 Fabrication Capabilities
23:35 Facilities Storage Workflow
25:31 Misconceptions Frame Rails
28:47 Top Three Takeaways
32:34 Final Thoughts Wrap Up

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On Rig Recon Live, hosts Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier interview Bob Albano of Hendrickson Fire about fire apparatus suspension and why it matters beyond comfort; protecting firefighters, electronics, cab/chassis, and keeping trucks in service over long lifecycles. Bob outlines front options (beam/straight axle with multi-leaf or parabolic springs, and independent front suspension via air or mechanical torsion) and rear options (multi-leaf/parabolic, rubber ride, and air ride), emphasizing how front and rear should work as a system and how wheel travel affects handling and stopping by keeping tires in contact with the road. He discusses durability issues driven by corrosion and “rust jacking” in long-leaf springs, benefits of parabolic springs and zinc-rich coatings, air-ride stigma and serviceability, load-leveling advantages, and how tire pressure and maintenance capability influence ride complaints and spec decisions.

Chapter Markers:
00:00 Tradition vs Innovation
01:14 Show Intro and Sponsor
01:59 Meet Bob OB Bono
03:44 Why Suspension Matters
05:07 Front Suspension Options
06:23 Rear Suspension and Air Ride
07:50 Handling and Stopping
09:20 Corrosion and Spring Failures
11:13 Parabolic Springs Upgrade
12:14 Rear Setup and Matching
14:23 Air Ride Myths and Maintenance
17:56 Dumping Air and Ride Height
19:06 Preventing Corrosion
20:30 PM Schedules and Costs
23:12 Spec Advice and Wrap Up
25:04 Final Takeaways and Outro

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