BACKGROUND
The Hadley Township Fire Department (HTFD) is located in the southwestern corner of Lapeer County, Michigan. With a population of 4,600 residents, Hadley is a small community consisting of two state parks, thousands of acres of wooded area, and no significant highways or railroads in the area. The HTFD currently maintains a roster of 20-22 firefighters who are paid per call. On average, the department responds to 270 incidents per year, the majority of which are medical calls.
OVERVIEW
As a department whose primary operators grew up using front mount pumps into the mid 1990’s, the transition away from full sight of fires was a difficult process. Following the ban of front-mount pumps, the department moved to rear-mount pumps at the turn of the millennium. In 2018, Chief Nass once again began looking for a solution that would allow the operator to always have eyes on the fire, regardless of which way the truck was facing.
APRIL 2019
Hadley Township officially became the first user of a new technology called SAM.
Introducing two-sided visibility
SOLUTION
The HTFD began researching a midship pump truck through HALE that would provide identical pump panels on each side. Production on the truck began in 2019, just as SAM was being released. After further communication, research, and insight, Hadley Township recognized that a new technology named SAM could be the exact solution they were seeking. In April 2019, Hadley Township officially became the first user of a new technology called SAM.
RESULTS
According to Chief Nass, SAM has done much more than their original goal of allowing the operator to always see the fire. Without any training from the SAM team, Chief Nass said, “We trained ourselves within 20 minutes of receiving the SAM-enabled engine and put it into service immediately.” Not only is SAM incredibly user-friendly, Chief Nass also states, “SAM is the number one advancement in the fire industry. Ever. There are no cons.”
Departments from all over Michigan have come to look at it.
I get a call every week from a chief somewhere in America asking about SAM.
-Chief Nass, Hadley Township Fire Department
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The best way to learn about SAM is to see it in action.