We had to take our engine to the doctor's the other day. It needed some work that our shop was not able to do. It's quite the road trip, but it is kind of cool to see the various rigs that are usually there.
This time, there was a brand new engine sitting in the repair bay. It is destined for Santa Clara County Fire in California, It is having some last minute stuff installed before heading to it's new home.
When it comes to apparatus color, I have never been a traditionalist. I really like white, especially when trimmed in blue or red. This one is trimmed in white and gold which is nice as well.
I am told someday all apparatus will have the same reflective pattern on the rear of the unit. I am sure it is safer, though our problem usually isn't visibility. It's usually drunk or stupid people losing control of their cars and slamming into us. I am not sure this reflective chevron pattern will cure that.
I found this interesting, a camera mounted on the rear of the unit. I know that they have been around for a while, I just haven't seen one until now. If it keeps you from squashing one kid, it is a bargain. I am curious about one thing though, if a unit has a camera, will a "back-up man" still be required?
All in all, a nice engine for Santa Clara County. I am sure they will get many years of service from it and is a good looking ride to boot. Enjoy it folks.
Thanks for reading,
Schmoe
Got one of those cameras on our new tanker (tender, to youse out west?). It's a neat gadget, which gives you a quick eyeball directly behind the rig, to ensure there's no one walking behind you. It does not, however, give you any depth perception back there - it's sort of a flat view, not exactly a fisheye in terms of the distortion, but kind of. For example, it works great to get you lined up with a porta-tank, but it's easy to get focused on the camera screen and not realize you're too close to the tank til you bump into it. So we're still operating with a "back-up" person for reversing whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteDear Captain Schmoe,
ReplyDeleteWay cool. Happy Friday to you!
Ann T.
None of our engines have them yet, but some of our ambulances and air trucks have both backup and right side cameras (with infrared for night-time). The air truck is the only unit allowed to back with only the camera since it's a 1-man unit. The rescues are allowed to back with camera-only at the hospitals when arriving. All other times there has to be a set of eyes on the ground.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I love the cameras. As a driver, I can simply flip my right turn signal on if I need to watch clearance down that side of the truck. Even when backing with assistance, there's nothing like being able to actually see your tailboard.
I like the idea of having both a backer and a camera. If nothing else, you can look at the backer on the camera!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments
Hmm, might as well add my camera story...
ReplyDeleteWe have a back-up camera on our quint, and the screen in the cab has a series of green "depth dots" (think airport landing signal lights). While this is nice, we still use a backer per policy. It just gives us that extra bit of insurance.
When the apparatus was placed in service, the dealer rep neglected to mention that the camera also had audio...a fact not realized until my driver and I were letting the FF get some wheel time. We were somewhere in the middle of comparing his backing skills to my grandmother's, when the FF rolled down the window and signaled what we assumed to be a left turn, using a certain finger.
Good thing you weren't talking about his wife!
ReplyDeleteCap,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the white rigs and the camera. We have both, but still require a backer.
The audio feature is nice, as you can yell at the driver through the camera if needed.
Our Rescue and Ladder have these cameras installed. I'm not a big fan: there's an issue that no one's hit on yet. Staring at a screen while moving the apparatus gives a certain loss of "situational awareness" (to borrow from airline pilots and the Coast Guard) and spatial disorientation. What's that, you ask? Have you ever been driving down the road and had that split-second feeling that you were sitting still while the world moved around you? (no, I did not smoke too much in my formative days) Ever spaced out for a few seconds and forgotten what you were doing? That's what these cameras do in ADDITION to providing another viewing angle.
ReplyDeleteThe new generation of firefighters grew up with video game controllers in their hands (I think some of them came out of the womb that way), and there's a certain disassociation involved with watching something happen on screen while your feet and hands are causing it.
The cameras have their benefits, no doubt. I'm just saying that they are also a distraction, and need to be balanced with a healthy dose of training and common sense.