Introduction to the Material Resources of the Rio Fernando Fire Department!
The fire department operates out of a main station and two substations. The main station is located just past mile marker 265 on East Hwy 64 in Taos Canyon. The primary sub station is located opposite the large A Frame building near mile marker ----. The second substation is unofficial, and is referred to as the Meyer substation, as Barney and Kelly Meyer have been kind enough to shelter 2 of our Type 6 wildland engines in their garage while leaving their own vehicles exposed to the weather. Plans for a larger or additional substation are under way in order to correct this situation.
Main station located near mile marker 265 housing Tender 1 and Engine 4. The main station, built primarily by department personel, is the center of Rio Fernando Fire Department operations. This is where we gather to attack fires, for communications, equipment maintenance, and for the continuing education that is such a vital part of safe fire fighting.
In addition to providing a location for equipment and departmental training, it has served as a community center for many community events. We hope to eventualy replace this building with a larger 2 story one with 5 truck bays that will be constructed where our substation is currently located. The current main station will then become the substation.
Substation located near mile marker -- housing Engine 1. This substation was constructed as a temporary shelter to keep a truck out of the weather and to keep water from freezing in the winter so that we can put out fires. This building is just big enough to hold engine 1, a couple cases of gatoraid, and a refrigerator. This is structure sits on the future site of a new large main station.
Meyer substation located near mile marker 260 housing Engines 2 and 3. Our sincere thanks to Barney and Kelly Meyer for their generosity in housing this equipment.
The fire department owns 4 engines and a water tender. Most of these were built or rebuilt by fire department personel.
Engine #1 - Wildland Type 6 - 1976 Ford F-600 4X4 - 450 Gallon Tank and 250 GPM Pump. In addition to serving as a wildland engine, Truck 1 is our primary rescue and medical engine. Theis truck is outfitted with trauma and airway medical supplies, as wells as backboards, rescue tools, and splinting devices. Engine 1 is not a fast engine, crawling up canyon with a peak speed of about 40 miles per hour, but it's gearing, large engine, and ground clearance alow it to go just about anywhere you might imagine possible. As a combined medical and fire fighting rig, this engine is a versatile tool appropriate for responding to most calls.
Engine #2 - Wildland Type 6 - 1996 Ford F-350 4X4 - 220 Gallon Tank and 200 GPM Pump. Engine 2 is a department work horse, responding to virtually all wildland fire calls. This converted Ford pickup has the benefits of speed, power, offroad maneuverability, and light weight. It's quick attack redline and foam system give it a lot of rapid response fire fighting ability in a small package. It's drawbacks are a small water tank, and a small pump. Nevertheless, this truck is often already pumping water while the larger engines are still getting into place.
Engine #3 - Service Truck - 1964 Ford F-350 2X4 - 450 Gallon Tank and 250 GPM Pump
Engine #4 - Structural Class A Pumper - 1995 GMC Kodiak 4X4 - 1000 Gallon Tank and 1000 GPM Pump Engine 4 is the department choice when it's time to bring out the 'big guns' for larger wildland and structural fires. When supplied with water by our large tender, Engine 4 has a tremendous fire fighting ability. Engine 4 has 3 quickly deployable preconnected hoses, as well as several hundred feet of additional large diameter hose that can be used to reach fires at a distance. In addition, this engine carries a variety of larger fire fire fighting tools including 4 Scott SCBA air packs for entry into hazerdous areas. The biggest drawback of engine 4 is height and weight. Many of the bridges in the canyon cannot support the engine, and in the forest, low trees and narrow roads can be a significant impediment to progress. If absolutely necessary, however, it's extremely powerful 4x4 engine can plow through or over just about anything in it's path in order to get the job done.
Water Tender #1 - Wildland Type 3 - 2001 Chevy 2X4 - 2100 Gallon Tank and 500 GPM Pump Tender 1 has two quick attack preconnected hoses on the front as well as additional hose connection points on both sides. It is fully functional as a stand alone fire engine. It's primary job, however, is to supply water to other engines, and to carry water to points on a fire scene where it is needed. The 2100 gallon tank makes this a very heavy piece of equipment. As with Engine 4, there are some bridges that won't support it, and there are a few off road places that you wouldn't want to attempt unless you absolutely had to. That's what the lighter type 6 engines are for. A soon to be installed roof mounted deluge canon will make this an even more powerful piece of fire fighting equipment for structural and larger wildland fires.
Below are photos and descriptions of some of the tools and personal protective equipment items used by RFFD personel.
All fire fighters are issued 2 sets of PPE (personal protective equipment). One set is lighter weight, and is made for fighting wildfires. The second set, shown below, is very heavily insulated. This is known as bunker gear, and is made to protect a fire fighter during an interior structural attack. Team work is critical in firefighting. As in the picture below, fire fighters help each other to make sure that their protective gear is covering all vulnerable areas before entering a burning building.
One of the primary tools of firefighters is, of coarse, fire hose. This hose is very durable, and can handle high pressures from the inside and high heat from the outside. Charged hose is pretty heavy, and can be hard to control when it is flexed by the recoil of several hundred pounds of water. Because of this, several firefighters work together on each fire hose.
Foam, similar to soap, is added to water to give it greater penetration and surface area. This makes the water wetter, and thus more effective in fire fighting. Fire fighting technology is constantly advancing. Here we are trying out a new type of compressed air foam system, that belongs to another department, with outstanding results. This fire covered much of the building a few seconds before, and was knocked down to a smoulder only a few seconds later.
Left to right Class A Water extinguisher with microblaze, a bacteria that is used to clean and repair soil or other natural areas damaged by oil or fuel products, Class ABC General Purpose Extinguisher, and Class BC CO2 (carbon dioxide) Extinguisher. 'A' class extinguishers are appropriate for ordinary fires such as wood and paper. 'B' Class extinguishers can be used on burning liquids such as fuels, grease, and oil. And class 'C' extinguishers can be used on elecetrical fires. Some extinguishers, such as the ABC in the middle of the picture can be used on any of these types of fires. It is important, however, not to use a class 'A' extinguisher on electrical or liquid fires, as it can result in fire spread or electrocution.
SCBA packs worn by fire fighters to provide fresh air in structural fires.
