A standard fire engine is far from turning on a dime.

And when it comes to the city’s aging 100-foot aerial ladder truck the turning radius is even worse.

But the new aerial ladder truck the Manteca City Council has budgeted for and is being asked to authorize ordering when they meet on Tuesday is capable of being driven into places the current aerial truck can’t go nor can the standard fire engine.

That’s because the aerial ladder truck the city may be purchasing is a “tiller truck” that’s also known as a hook-and-ladder truck.”

The tractor drawn aerial truck requires two drivers. One driver at the rear of the apparatus controls the front and rear wheels of the tiller. The driver in the cab in front handles steering. The Tracy fire agency operates such a truck.

The tiller truck carries a price tag of $1,707,772 that the council can lock in on Tuesday. After that the tiller trucks will continue moving closer to $2 million.

The truck, if ordered, will take between 635 to 695 days to deliver. Between now and delivery the firm selling the truck —- Golden State Fire Apparatus — will be subject to inflation and component price increases.

Fire Chief Dave Marques signed a non-binding purchase proposal to lock in the price through Jan. 31, 2022. If the council concurs Golden State will honor the price retroactively.

The current aerial platform truck bought in 2008 for roughly $1 million is nearing the end of its useful frontline lifespan. It is often in the shop for repairs. There have been occasions when the aerial truck has broken down on the road side to be forced out of service.

Fire Chief Dave Marques noted a committee scrutinized municipal needs, firefighting trends, and weighed the cost effectiveness of a tiller truck versus an aerial truck like Manteca currently has in relation to the best possible outcomes in emergency situations.

Based on that, the tiller truck was seen as the best option for the community.

In a report to the council, Marques noted “with several large buildings in the city, including new construction such as the Great Wolf Lodge, it is imperative we maintain a working ladder truck at all times.”

Aerial trucks more effective

 in a wide array of situations

Given aerial ladder trucks are significantly longer than a standard fire truck, they can be outfitted with the widest possible variety of extrication tools making it the primary source of rescue equipment for operations.

It is why the current ladder truck responds to every high-speed vehicle accident within the city as well as on Highway 99 and the 120 Bypass.

The aerial truck, specifically one that is a tiller, has other advantages.

*Manteca Fire has used it to deploy critical streams of water to housing rooftops in a quicker fashion. That is because it can reach over and above vehicles parked on the street and attack fires from above. In doing so it is quicker and more effective that just deploying ladders and attacking a fire from the ground.

*It’s birds-eye approach is effective at keeping fire from spreading as experienced when a fireworks-related call threatened several nearby homes.

*As more infill occurs such as the three-story apartment complex replacing several homes on Stewart Street, older narrow city streets will be serving denser and taller housing.

*They deliver and direct more intense water streams in stubborn fires that are hard to control and can easily spread such as the tire company on North Main Street several years ago.

*It is part of the reason the city has — and helps maintain — its “2” rating by the Insurance Standards Organization. That typically translates into more favorable rates for insurance coverage for residents and businesses.

“Cities that are the size of Manteca typically have a ‘3’ rating,” Marques said. “Very, very, very few cities have a ‘1’ rating. Manteca has worked very hard to get a ‘2’.”

Second aerial truck gives

city more firefighting ability

The current aerial truck will be placed in back-up or second-line service. That means Manteca will have the capability of responding with two aerial trucks when the need arises such as a fire at Walmart, Great Wolf, a large distribution center, or even the future two-story classroom structures being built at Manteca and East Union high schools.

Nearby agencies such as Lathrop-Manteca, Ripon, Tracy and Stockton have aerial trucks as well. And mutual aid agreements with several of those agencies prompts a second or even a third aerial truck to respond as it did when an inferno destroyed a large chunk of the Tesoro Apartments complex when it was under Atherton Drive, the 15 minute response time usually leads to less than opportune outcomes.

The new aerial truck eventually will be staffed in a manner where it would respond to calls that it is specifically designed for such as structure fires and significant rescue operations or when other engine companies are tied up.

That, however, will require nine more firefighters for 24/7 staffing.

The plan for now is to use the new aerial truck as the primary response engine for a fire station. The current aerial truck is stationed on Powers Avenue due to the area having fewer calls and being closer to freeway traffic accidents. At one time it was centrally located to all of the city’s large and problematic structures in Spreckels Park, the South Main Street Area, Doctors Hospital and older structures nestled against each other in downtown that have fire walls significantly below current standards.

With the addition of Bass Pro Shops, Costco, Great Wolf, Kaiser Manteca hospital, and distribution centers the Union Road station sited for the purpose of accessing the freeway and being central in terms of reach to more critical structures is where the aerial company would eventually be housed when staffing is obtained.

The station was purposely designed in 2002 for a standard engine company and an aerial company.

Even then the aerial engine company would be called out on a number of calls besides what it is designed to tackle. That’s because the Union Road station service area handles the largest number of calls in the city. That will continue to occur due to significant residential construction to the east and west of Union Road south of the 120 Bypass.

A consultant specializing in fire response times and call volumes has noted the Union Road station based on current growth patterns was placed in such a manner to do the work of two stations as being effective with working to maintain the city’s goal of responding to medical and fire emergencies within 5 minutes in order to get the best outcomes.

As such Union Road essential will do the job of two stations.

“(The fire department) is very thankful for the insightfulness of the City Council,” Marques said in referencing elected leaders budgeting for the new aerial truck.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com