Day 14- March 22, 2007

It was actually raining here when I woke up this morning. I went down to the lobby to join the rest of the relatives for the hotel breakfast buffet. After breakfast I headed to a local Chevy dealer while rest of the group headed- Phoenix Zoo. I talked to a service manager to find out what it would cost here to do the work. He told me $275! I told him I’d wait to get it doe at home- after my vacation.

It wasn’t raining at the time so I headed into Phoenix. I dropped by the PFD Headquarters to see if there were any rigs parked outside- there were none. I went to nearby Station 8 and it was vacant. I headed to Station 1. Ladder 1 had just returned from a run. A very nice firefighter pulled it outside for a photo. The Ladder Tender is gone from Station 1 right now. Engine 1 had a reserve and I already had Engine 2’s rig. I headed north to Station 4. Both Engine 4 and Ladder 4 were parked outside, so I took a few overcast shots.

I went by nearby Station 9 and the Engine was out and the Ladder was using a reserve. It started to rain again so I headed to the training area. By the time I got there the sun had broken through. I took a few shots of some of the training rigs parked out on the training pad. Just yesterday received a new 2006 ALF pumper to use at the training academy, along with all the old reserve E One pumpers there.

I went over to the new Resource Management Center at 2625 S 19th Avenue. They have a huge used building the city purchased and remodeled over the last four years. I was introduced to my old friend Bill Bjerke’s replacement, Ed McDonald, who I’d actually met before on a visit here. Ed was great and took me around the yard to see what was going on. They were building eight more Brush trucks on Ford F550 chassis. They have the utility box made for the back ends and then load a skid-mount pump and they’re ready to go.

They had just received six more of the 60 ALF engines on order-one more batch of six to come. They had switched from the CAT C12 diesel engines to the Detroit 60 series diesels with the latest group because of the new emissions requirements. There are no ladder trucks on order. I took a few photos out in the yard, one of Ladder 9’s Bronto, in for repairs. Ed also gave me a current apparatus roster of Phoenix rigs.

I stopped at Station 6 and got a photo of their Spartan/Saulsbury engine. Station 6 has to be one of the older stations in the department. I drove by new Station 16, but again the companies were out. I headed to new Station 29, adjacent to Sky Harbor Airport. I got a photo of Utility 29 (they have three more identical on order for new companies by the way). Engine 29 was using a reserve engine. When I asked if they had an ALF rig he told me that they have a Sparton/Saulsbury rig and they love it. He said they’ve turned down a couple ALF engines already. A young firefighter then borrowed one of the Foam Truck drivers ID card and took me into the restricted area of the station that lies within Sky Harbor Airport. I got to see their two foam unit.

When I left Station 29 it started to rain again. By the time I got into Tempe, it was pouring rain. I had to give up for the day and headed back to the hotel. The group had just returned from the zoo. We headed back down to the Arizona Mills Mall to do some shopping without the kids. My nephew Keith stayed back to take care of the kids.

Just after we returned from the mall (around 1700 hours) Mesa had a working fire at 920 11th Street? I think that was the address. They sent at least four additional units to assist companies on the scene. I also heard a couple of houses reported hit by lightening today, but I don’t think either was a working fire.

We all went to dinner at a fabulous Mexican Restaurant in Chandler. It had to be fantastic as I don’t normally enjoy Mexican food- but I sure did enjoy this place. We got back to the motel around 1900 hours just as the skies started to light up with impressive bolts of lightening. Luckily we were already back when it really started to pour again. It’s now 2130 hours and its still pouring. They really do need the rain here.

Hopefully it will clear up for tomorrow. Augsburg has two games out south of here someplace tomorrow. Hopefully I can drop by some nearby stations again tomorrow, which is my last day here in the Phoenix area. Then Saturday it’s on to El Paso.

Your Roving Reporter