newportbeachindy . com FEBRUARY 17 , 2023 7
OFF-ROAD TRUCK
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— as well as the neighboring Laguna wildlands .
Although the need for this type of truck has been discussed for about 15 years , Popovich apprised , acquisition was finally determined in 2019 , especially in this era of increased fire outbreaks throughout the state , whose mega-acreages have been victimized by the incendiary effects of global warming .
For the next several weeks , Popovich will head orientation and handson training on the truck for the city ’ s 133 firefighters .
Not only will this Type 3 vehicle help to guard Newport ’ s brushy zones , it will be made available “ as part of our mutual aid agreements ” with such cities as Anaheim , Huntington Beach , Costa Mesa , Fountain Valley , Brea , Fullerton and Laguna — as well as with other districts throughout the state if we have nothing happening in our backyard ,” Popovich said .
Built by Pierce of Appleton , Wisconsin , the beefy fire engine was designed by a four-person team of veteran Newport firefighters , who crystalized the “ small ” details that make this truck unique , such as placement of capacious stowage areas to house the department ’ s existing firefighting inventory .
Two years in construction , it was created with two purposes in mind : to benefit common city calls , and “ to have the ability to save one of our own ” in the wilder areas before support arrives .
The truck will be handled by a crew of four at all times , including a paramedic with complete life-saving equipment to “ answer advanced-lifesupport-category calls .”
The truck became operational at an interesting time . With the recent heavy rains brought by this year ’ s unusually potent atmospheric rivers , drought-thirsty vegetation throughout the state should proliferate .
However , said Popovich , “ when it dries out this summer , the fire threat increases tremendously .”
Unable to predict when or where fires will erupt , or how large the outbreaks will be , it ’ s impossible to say how much use the truck will see , but Popovich observed that “ cities with like engines stay very busy .”
To learn its many features could take us into next fire season , but here are a few of interest : Its wheelbase measures 185 inches ( not counting overhangs ); it stands over 10-feet high , and spans eight and one-half feet wide — which makes handling on some fire roads akin to a tightrope walk .
Fifty gallons of fuel feeds its 360-horsepower Cummins diesel engine . It ’ s six-speed transmission in low / low and in 4WD will take her up a 30-degree slope , and slow her
Pierce Type 3 Fire Truck similar to the one purchased by NBPD
down to the proverbial crawl on sharp descents .
The main fire pump spits out up to 521 gallons of on-board water per minute at 150 PSI maximum . Theoretically , the water would last just five minutes , but Popovich explains that both water pressure and water demand vary according to the situation , so that supply could last for an indefinite period of time .
An adjacent tank contains 31 gallons of foam , which is used to separate oxygen from fuel . It ’ s the go-to choice for petroleum-fueled fires .
In terms of hoses , the truck carries a total of 1,200-feet of hose in varying lengths , in sizes ranging from 1 ” up to 2 1 / 2 ” in diameter . The real challenge in firefighting may not be the extinguishing of flame , but the rolling back up of those hoses to fit into their storage spaces .
Additionally , jutting out the front of a bumper , whose robustness would intimidate a charging rhino , is a heavy-duty winch with a huge responsibility : pulling the truck up a hill or out of a ditch or mud hole , or clearing obstacles of various sizes out of the way , or to safety .
The Warn winch and cable is rated at 15,000 pounds , while one of its metal shackles enjoys a max working load of 137,000 pounds . Cables and straps can handle just about any identifiable load .
In short , this truck is a brute , but under the management of Newport ’ s highly trained fire crews , it is capable of doing some very delicate , lifesaving work .
STEPPING OUT Stellar Double Bill of ‘ The Little Foxes ’ and ‘ Appropriate ’ at South Coast Repertory
Shannon Cochran and Jess Andrews in South Coast Repertory ’ s 2023 Voices of America production of The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman . Photo by Jenny Graham / SCR .
By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy
In its opening slot for 2023 , South Coast Repertory chose to do something audaciously ambitious : Running two shows simultaneously on the main stage .
The shows – Lillian Hellman ’ s “ The Little
Foxes ” and Branden Jenkins-Jacobs ’ “ Appropriate ” – were paired because they explore similar dramatic territory and thematic material . The project is the brainchild of David Ivers , SCR ’ s artistic director .
“ The Little Foxes ” and “ Appropriate ” run on alternating nights ( on weekends you can catch both shows in one day ), which means this production underscores the “ repertory ” in the company ’ s name . Called “ Voices of America ,” the double-bill production represents the first time in the famed theater company ’ s 59-year history that it has attempted anything of this magnitude .
“ Little Foxes ” is directed by Lisa Peterson and “ Appropriate ” by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg , but the way SCR has overlapped the two productions makes the joint production all the more intriguing : Six actors – Jess Andrews , Tessa Auberjonois , Shannon Cochran , Lea Coco , Jamison Jones and Hunter Spangler – have major roles in both shows , and Lawrence Moten ’ s set design is used for both .
COVID struck during previews , disrupting the joint casts and causing performances to be cancelled . While only partially back on track , each show , apart from the other , is still impressive – and , each reinforces the other .
That means the experience of seeing both shows is an incredible one that shouldn ’ t be missed by anyone who loves theater . Though no mere words can measure up to the combined impact of the two shows , here ’ s what patrons can expect when they come to SCR through the end of this month .
Set in Alabama at the dawn of the 20th century , “ The Little Foxes ” is a portrait of three siblings of the Hubbard family : Ben Hubbard ( Marco Baricelli ), Oscar Hubbard ( Jamison Jones ) and Regina Giddens ( Shannon Cochran ). Ben and Oscar are on the verge of financing an industrialized cotton mill that will restore the family ’ s now-lost fortunes . In fact , it will make them millionaires .
To pull off the deal and keep the business in the family , the brothers need Regina to secure the seed money from her now-ailing husband Horace ( Matthew Arkin ), who has been living in Baltimore and whose weak heart could give out at any moment .
In her most successful play , Hellman builds incredible suspense just through the fact that the family ’ s entire future rests on such sickly shoulders . Will the family be able to effect this coup and become wealthy beyond their dreams – or are they counting their chickens too soon ? Will Horace agree
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