By Franklin Stover
The Humboldt Beacon
FORTUNA, Calif. — The Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department at 320 South Fortuna Blvd. recently took possession of a brand spanking new fire engine. Called the #5, it’s the latest compliment of fire fighting tools the department has added to its arsenol to knock down fires quicker and more efficiently.
Engine #5 is actually a pumping unit and at 330 horse power, it has a storage capacity of 750 gallons. Built by the Hi-Tech Emergency Vehicle Service, Inc. of Oakdale in Stanislaus County. Fortuna firefighters had a say in Engine #5’s overall design which included an automated foam dispensing system, room for six firefighters in the cab, and four airpacks to counter the effects of smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
After the fire department placed the order, it took close to a year for Hi-Tech to build the fire truck, begining with a Spartan chassis. According to Fire Chief Lon Winburn, Hi-Tech utilizes the Spartan chassis to add on all the extras.
Started in 1987, Hi-Tech provides California and Nevada fire departments with new fire apparatus and bumper-to-tailboard vehicle repair services. Last Thursday, Hi-Tech was at the S. Fortuna fire station to perform routine maintenance on other pieces of fire fighting equipment. While they were in town, Hi-Tech personnel offered training on the new pumper to Fortuna Fire volunteers the night before. Winburn explained that they come by once a year to inspect everything, top to bottom.
Winburn added that the decision to add another pumping fire engine was in response to growing concerns over the older downtown area off of north Main Street and with recent efforts to increase Fortuna’s reserve of potable water at that end of town.
“What our goal was in purchasing that engine was to round out our downtown fleet so that we would have the fire power necessary to protect the downtown area. The pumper seats six, and that gives us the initial manpower for a quick and efficient attack,” Winburn said.
This most recent acquisition, according to Assistant Fire Chief Tom Daetwiler, puts the department in a better position to deal with a wider range of fires and emergencies. “We probably have more equipment than any other department in the county,” Daetwiler said.
A little over a year ago, the department picked up a new rescue truck that’s outfitted with the jaws of life apparatus. “It makes it so fast when we pull on scene,” Winburn said. “Within seconds. we’ve got our equipment deployed and ready to go.”
And with the department’s new trick up it’s sleeve, the foam deployment system rigged up on Engine #5, firefighters have a new way to subdue fires, and as Daetwiler pointed out, the system can dispense two types of fire fighting foam. For instance, a Class A fire is a typical fire like a brush fire, so Class A foam is generally used. Class A foam concentrate is said to be more penetrating than plain water.
Whereas, in a Class B fire, flammable liquids are involved, and Class B foam is composed of fire retardents that coat the fuel and reduce contact with oxygen. Engine #5 can use either type of foam, with the flick of a switch. Winburn added that the system is very state of the art, “is very simple to operate in comparison to the other units we have, and is computer-controlled.”
The new fire truck was paid by taxpayers through property tax assessments, which forms the basis for the fire departments’ budget. Industry standards are set by the National Fire Protection Association, who helps determine the individual needs of fire departments based on number of structures in the area in each service area. According to Winburn, this and other information helps fire departments figure how many gallons per minute of water flow are needed to mitigate a fire.
Copyright 2009