4. Road/Response (pt 4)

Question 1

What is brake fade?

How do I avoid this?

Answer 1

1. brake drums become hot and expand away from the brake shoe
2. No longer sufficient friction to slow the apparatus
3. down shift
4. auxiliary brakes
5. brake in 5-10 second bursts

Question 2

When approaching an intersection where all lanes of traffic are blocked with other vehicles, you should

Answer 2

1. turn off all sirens and horns at least 200 ft (60 m) before the stopped traffic is reached
2. Leave the emergency lights on
3. bring the fire apparatus to a stop at least 100 ft (30 m) from the nearest vehicle in traffic [This will show you are still responding to an emergency but will not “push” them into the intersection. Never encourage or force traffic to proceed against red lights or to advance into dangerous traffic conditions.]

Question 3

In our apparatus with transmission retarders how are the different levels configured?

Answer 3

1. 33% when foot comes off the throttle–if auto-apply is on
   2-3. 33% retardation as brake pedal is increasingly engaged (newest trucks since 2510 do not have transmission retarders)

Question 4

The new vehicles do not have a transmission retarder, what is a way that they overcome this lack?

Answer 4

1. Jake brake along with aggressive 2nd gear down shift
2. Jake brake has to be on
3. The apparatus down shifts from 6th to 5th and then quickly to 2nd gear
   [this is in new trucks since 2510; 2540, 255 have transmission retarders]