DC131 Interview: Fire Engine Design with Chief Dan Phillips

Fire Department Chief Dan Phillips joins Tim Keirnan for a
discussion about designing the new fire engine for Plymouth
Township, Michigan. How does a fire department decide which
features are most needed, most wanted, and affordable for a given
budget and for the the engine's coverage area?


Unlike most passenger cars, a new fire engine is custom built and
takes ten months to deliver. Their cost is over half a million
US$. The pressure is on a department to get it right, because the
service life of a fire engine is 15 years active duty and 5
additional years in reserve. The new engine balances several
values:
* Provide safety for the local citizens and their property
* Provide safety of the firefighters who use the truck every
day
* Provide good financial stewardship of limited public resources
to get the best solution for the budget.


You can see our Public Safety Committee's short documentary
videos on the obsolete current fire engines at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClTidKC6ZDUJVLoWedD5_gA


Our first new fire engine is a Pierce Enforcer. Check out
Pierce's website for the Enforcer and other models they
make:
https://www.piercemfg.com/


Thank you to the men and women working in fire departments
everywhere.