Other displays included Pumping Demonstrations and Extending Ladder vehicles. Then, of course, all our childhood dreams were met by being allowed to drive the fire tenders. After all, who hasn't ever wished that they could drive one of those big red fire trucks?
The Toronto Fire Service had 10 units on display and two brand new Spartan units were used in the Ride & Drive.
After watching some impressive driving displays by the TFS staff, we journalists were paired up with individual staff members and placed behind the controls.
The unit which I was given was described to me as a Foam Pumper, which is slightly taller than a standard unit because of its foam carrying capacity. It is powered by an 8.8 litre 6 cylinder Cummins engine which is coupled to a push-button Allison transmission. Getting behind the wheel of a brand new $400,000 fire engine is a daunting enough experience, but when I saw that the slalom course cones were in exactly the same position as they had been for the Toyota runs, I thought "cone demolition display coming up".
My fears were dispersed when I realized just how truly incredible this unit was. The steering mechanism on this huge vehicle has been designed to maneuver as well, if not better, than most cars. The dreaded slalom course was actually a breeze, and I began to realize just how effective this well designed vehicle could be in negotiating downtown traffic.
I was then introduced to Division Chief Mechanical Officer Rob Anselmi who had played a major role in the design of this vehicle.
Whilst listening to him explain the features of the vehicle, it was impossible not to notice the pride in his voice. This was true of all the Toronto Fire Service personnel that I spoke to during the day. It reinforced in my mind that these dedicated people truly have enormous pride in their profession.
At the end of the day, along with a childhood dream fulfilled, I left with a greater understanding of how the Toronto Fire Service works and the lengths to which they go to make our world a much safer place.
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| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
After watching some impressive driving displays by the TFS staff, we journalists were paired up with individual staff members and placed behind the controls.
The unit which I was given was described to me as a Foam Pumper, which is slightly taller than a standard unit because of its foam carrying capacity. It is powered by an 8.8 litre 6 cylinder Cummins engine which is coupled to a push-button Allison transmission. Getting behind the wheel of a brand new $400,000 fire engine is a daunting enough experience, but when I saw that the slalom course cones were in exactly the same position as they had been for the Toyota runs, I thought "cone demolition display coming up".
My fears were dispersed when I realized just how truly incredible this unit was. The steering mechanism on this huge vehicle has been designed to maneuver as well, if not better, than most cars. The dreaded slalom course was actually a breeze, and I began to realize just how effective this well designed vehicle could be in negotiating downtown traffic.
I was then introduced to Division Chief Mechanical Officer Rob Anselmi who had played a major role in the design of this vehicle.
 |
| (Photo: Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan) |
At the end of the day, along with a childhood dream fulfilled, I left with a greater understanding of how the Toronto Fire Service works and the lengths to which they go to make our world a much safer place.
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