Individual motivation and commitment is important for making a quint part of the family. Whether you currently have a quint or are thinking about making one your next apparatus purchase, you’re going to be more successful with that change by addressing cultural element head-on.Ĭhange can be more difficult in a tradition-bound organization like the fire service. So, how can you go about developing that new hole for the triangular peg in your department? Here are six steps to making your quint an integral part of your department’s operations. It’s a conflict between what they’ve been raised to believe a piece of fire apparatus should be (either a round or square peg) and what a piece of fire apparatus could be (a triangular peg). So, when forced to bring in a quint, by a city manager or county administrator, as a money-saving venture or by a fire chief with a different vision for the department, firefighters and officers find themselves in a conflict. Quints are neither a round nor a square peg. They end up emulating many of their operational practices – and their culture. Which is not surprising, given that smaller and newer departments have historically looked to larger departments like FDNY, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles and Phoenix to learn how they operate. This is true even in relatively young fire departments. The traditional roles of engines and trucks – and their very different tactical capabilities – and their firefighters’ attachment to those roles, are deeply ingrained in the culture.Įngines and trucks are round and square pegs that fit nicely in the round and square holes we’ve developed for them. One reason why quints have not enjoyed wide-spread use is based in our culture. So why doesn’t the quint have a place in more fire departments? Neither a round or square peg NPFA Standard 1901, The Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, outlines the requirements for a quint in Chapter 9 of the standard. Quints are designed to provide five tools – a pump, hose, water, ground ladders and aerial device – for firefighters to carry out to provide water supply and access to elevated areas. And while many fire departments operate quints with good success, others have tried them and found they didn’t meet their needs. The quint appears to be the fire apparatus equivalent of the best athlete available.
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