APPARATUS
COMMITTEE
A HELPING HAND
WHEN NEEDED THE MOST
By Mike McClintock
Approximately 130,000 Californians are displaced each year by fire and disaster.
Since 2014, SAVE has provided approximately $500,000 in immediate aid to victims.
The Local 935/County Fire Apparatus Committee
has been working to make some significant
progress on our fleet. Here are some highlights.
Color Change
Our familiar red and white spec is being replaced with a solid red scheme. There
were issues regarding standardization with the red/white, and making it fit was
adding an extra $5000 to complete on larger apparatus. This change will save
the department a large sum and will provide easier standardization regardless of
make/type.
Type 1 Engines
There are four engines currently in production with KME. Captain and committee
member Nathan Lopez has approved almost 50 changes to our platform, which
will make the engines more efficient, user friendly and provide a better ride.
Type 3 Engines
There are three brush engines currently in production with Boise Mobile
Equipment, with an expected completion time of this summer. We are hoping to
purchase more so that our first-out strike team is 100 percent uniform.
Medic Squads
Two squads were completed by Maintainer Fire Bodies on Ford chassis. Engineer
and committee member Brian Wells coordinated the build with County Fire
mechanic Paul Budde. This build has successfully changed the design to better
suit EMS deployment, PPE storage and a cleaner design. The squads, headed to
San Bernardino, will be in-service soon; these will likely be the first rigs where
you’ll be able to see the new all-red paint scheme. Many thanks to Firefighter
Adam Hoffman and Firefighter/Paramedic Chris Prater for their assistance as
part of the “working group” on this project.
Aerial Apparatus
Assistant Chief Dan Munsey has planned to
budget new ladder trucks for Division 2. When
they become a budgeted item we can go to
bid for new apparatus. Meanwhile, our newer
trucks in Fontana have been working well; we
have been visited by numerous departments
in the greater San Bernardino and Los Angeles
County region looking for examples for their
own builds.
Ambulances
Engineer and committee member Jeremy
Bothmann coordinated with the ambulance
operator group to make some much needed
changes for ambulances. This continues to
be a work in progress; however, the eventual
build will feature a safer, more user-friendly
design that will suit our AOs and those who
respond with them. The ambulances will
employ the new red color scheme as well.
Snow Cats
Two new snow cats have been delivered to
the shop, where they are being outfitted
to spec. This new order means three of the
cats serving the mountain communities are
relatively new and modern.
BC vehicles:
Several new Ford Expeditions
purchased. Battalion Chief Dan Wooters is the
main contact on needs.
On scene of another residential structure fire,
crews are making good progress and overhaul is
in full effect. Meanwhile, on the curb is a family
of five. All of them are in pajamas—they
were asleep when their fire alarm went
off and woke everyone up to get out. The
family is left with no money, nowhere to
sleep and in need of some quick financial
assistance to get them through the next
few hours. Now there is a way for San
Bernardino County firefighters to help. It’s
called the SAVE (Supplying Aid to Victims
of Emergency) program.
SAVE is funded and run through California
Professional Firefighters (CPF). It was
started in 2014 and since then it has
provided approximately $500,000 worth of
aid to victims of natural disasters. It se rves
approximately 28 million residents via the 75
California fire departments which participate.
This program allows for SBCoFD to aid families
who have had 25 percent or more of their property
destroyed through disasters such as fires, floods, and
storms. At the scene of the emergency, a $100.00
Visa gift card is given to a household to help with
immediate expenses until the Red Cross and/or
insurance companies begin to assist with recovery.
The card can be spent on anything that the family
needs. Significantly, because of the funding source via
CPF dues, the assistance is at no additional cost to the
department or its members. The only thing that CPF
asks for in return is to bring awareness to the program
through public relations and social media.
At the scene of an emergency, SBCoFD battalion
chiefs will have the cards in their vehicle ready for
distribution. If the situation fits the criteria, the
recipients fill out a simple form on the scene of the
fire, and the card is granted.
If you are on scene when this assistance is given, and
you have the chance, please take pictures and video,
and share with our social media.
As reflected in our motto, “Duty, Honor, Community…”
this program will provide another way to assist the
communities we serve.
Mike McClintock is a captain currently
assigned to Station 161 in Upland. He is
co-chair of the apparatus committee.
20
FIREWIRE • Spring 2018
By Matt Anderson III
Matt Anderson is a firefighter/paramedic currently
assigned to Station 312 in Victorville.
This is a $100 SAVE card
ONE card aids approx.
3 victims per fire/disaster
Since 2014, over 20,000
meals have been purchased
with SAVE cards
Since 2014, over 15,000
victims have been
assisted through SAVE
Since 2014, over 55,000
emergency/basic supply
purchases have been
made with SAVE cards
SAVE serves over 28 million
residents, with participation
from over 75 California fire
departments and local unions
HELP GIVE A HAND
UP TO RECOVERY
With your help, we can bring instant aid through SAVE
to more Californians to help them recover from fire
and disaster. Increasing the value of the card will help
smooth the path to recovery even more.
Visit cafirefoundation.org/save
to donate and get more information.
* All numbers are approximations.
Spring 2018 • FIREWIRE
21