r/Firefighting • u/BaptismByFire Western MA FF/Paramedic • 2d ago
General Discussion New ladder truck adjustment
What's up guys, my Dept. just got a new mid-mount platform 100' ladder. I was trained on a 105' rear-mount platform ladder. I know there's gonna be a learning curve on the transition, but for the truckies out here, what differences on set-up can I look forward to?
10
Upvotes
2
u/Agreeable-Emu886 2d ago edited 2d ago
Im assuming it’s a pierce MM without a raised cab? The general issues with this style is they’re better served backing into scene. This is due to the cab cutouts, they’re not good at going under wires and you need the first due engine to give you more room in front of the building. The cab is they tend to have a longer overall body length (our 95 ft is about 46 ft when you account of the bucket overhang). Ours also struggles mightily with tailswing due to the overall length increase. Only other issue with ours is the wide jack spread which can’t be avoided on towers
If you drive straight in and have the room, it’s also a good idea to angle away from the building the same way a tiller would. It helps to alleviate the cab cutouts