Gonzales USAR Unit Delivered

On June 2nd, Firefighter Dean Smith arrived at Station 10 with Gonzales Fire Department's newest arrival.  The 54'-long monster barely squeezing into the station was a sight that Fire Chief Butch Browning had longed to see for some time.  Gonzales has always been on the forefront of technology and training, and this unit is the ultimate proof of that.  This unit will be fully functional by July 1st and will be capable of handling technical rescues of any shape or form.  The unit will house a plethora of equipment suitable for collapse, trench, confined space or high-angle rescues, haz-mat or mass casualty situations.  The unit will carry uniforms and supplies for rescuers as well as medical equipment capable of handling a fifty-patient load.  This project, while suited, was not a direct response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Though the unit would have proved invaluable at those times, it was actually well underway and actually hindered by the storms.  The events following those storms did in fact help to change the initial concept of this unit into what it has become today. 

The trailer is a Hackney model, refurbished and custom designed for this application by Ferrara Fire Apparatus in Holden, Louisiana.  It is approximately 43 feet long and each side has nine roll-up doors as well as a canopy.  The trailer is equipped with a 60kw generator to power the entire unit and peripheral equipment, shoring capabilities and a 12-foot high viewing platform on the rear.  The tractor is an International 4400 DT530, and it was also customized by Ferrara to fit into the scheme and functionality of the unit.  The Intek camera, mounted on a 40' mast, provides the command center (cab) with a live color video feed of the incident, which can be simultaneously recorded to VHS.  The thermal imaging capability allows for more manageable night operations as well as increased functionality on some haz-mat incidents.  A fully-functional weather station will be lofted above the cab to provide real time weather data such as wind speed, direction and barometric pressure.  Inside, the laptop has wireless internet, e-mail and printing capabilities, as well as a compliment of incident management software.  A satellite receiver and flip-down monitor allow incident command to stay abreast of new information, and three mobile radios in the cab help to ensure interoperability with nearly any agency.

The Gonzales Fire Department recognizes that this magnificent step in public preparedness would not have been possible without the continued support and shared vision of our Mayor, John A. Berthelot and our City Council.  A sincere thanks goes out to them and all others who have made this possible.