VIDEO: The Grand Junction Fire Department is working on moving equipment to their new fire engine at Station Two, with firefighters carefully organizing tools and equipment to maximize efficiency during emergency responses.
The department follows a systematic process for preparing new engines, ensuring responders can locate equipment quickly during emergencies. โWe then go through the process of determining what tools, what equipment is going in each cabinet and where it is kept. And that will be maintained throughout this vehicleโs life, and our responders can find a piece of equipment at a momentโs notice without even really having to think about it,โ said Dirk Clingman, Community Outreach Specialist with GJFD.
Fire engines carry a wide range of equipment including respiratory packs, fire hoses, hand tools, and rescue equipment. The department responds to various types of emergencies beyond fires. โFighting fire is only one of the tasks they perform on a daily basis. There are car crashes. There are medical calls when somebody is sick or injured. There are rescues, and that could be a small rescue from ducklings out of a sewer grate to a high-angle rope rescue on the Colorado National Monument,โ Clingman said.
Each piece of equipment has a specific place on an engine. Engines are typically divided into two parts: the firefighting equipment on the engineerโs side and medical supplies on the opposite side where the captain is positioned. โReally, this is all in aid of making sure that the right tools are in the right place and that they can be found and utilized as quickly as possible. So having that certainty that the tools you need are right where you expect them to be, it really takes the guessing out of the response, and it makes it a lot more efficient and a lot quicker,โ Clingman said.
The planning and organization is designed to improve safety for both citizens and firefighters. โWhen you look at tools, and Iโm talking about every kind of tool, from a hammer, an axe, a chainsaw, to even just the water pumping out of the fire hose. These are all tools that are designed to keep our citizens safe and our firefighters safe, and making sure we have working tools is one of the main priorities,โ Clingman said.
The fire department does not have a set date for when the new engine will be ready for action. Officials said they must ensure everything is working properly before the engine is ready for service.
