Fire Trucks Get a Ladder Safety Upgrade
Rushed and dangerous scenarios require equipment that's safe and reliable. Here's how the aerial ladders on firetrucks just got safer.
Edited by EE Staff
Cool Stuff
Nov 17, 2025
Amity Fire & Safety serves the Fire & Equipment industry by producing swivels, telescopic waterways, weldments, machined parts, and pins for extremely demanding applications. Their international customer base includes industry giants such as KME (Kovatch Mobile Equipment), Pierce Manufacturing, and Rosenbauer. Amity’s customers manufacture the fire trucks that are seen at local fire departments around the world. KME custom manufactures the broadest family of aerials in the fire service and incorporates IQAN E-Control™ (motion control system) in their trucks to ensure a high level of safety.
Ladder base swivels allow for rotation of the aerial ladder while acting as a pass-through for water and continuous hydraulic and electrical circuits. The position of the aerial ladder on a fire truck needs to be monitored to reduce risk of injury and damage to equipment. Although Amity used limit switches to monitor whether the ladder was within certain degrees of rotation, the proximity switches still couldn’t monitor the accurate position of the ladder within that range.
Without knowing the absolute position of the aerial ladder, damage or injury can occur in several ways. Trucks could tip over when the ladder’s range of movement is exceeded. This could happen during a short jacking operation where a narrow jack spread is used to avoid obstacles such as parked cars. Damage can also occur when bringing the ladder to cradle position. When the ladder is brought back into the resting (cradle) position, misalignments can damage the cradle ears. On mid-mount ladders, pump panel damage can occur when the aerial ladder is brought below grade (too far down).
Accurate Positioning
By using an absolute analog DuraCoder®, Amity is able to acquire the accurate feedback they need. The DuraCoder recognizes where the ladder is within the 0–360 degree revolution without guesswork. When the ladder is at a low angle, the operator is now capable of automatically stopping rotation at a pre-set point known to eliminate risk of damage to the body of the truck and injury to firefighters during a rescue operation.
When KME upgraded to their Parker IQAN™ (motion control system), they realized that the grey scale encoder they had initially specified would no longer meet their voltage output requirements. Additionally, an excessive amount of mathematical programming was required with the grey scale encoder; and together, Amity and KME set out to find a more efficient solution. “If we want to be successful, we have to get to that next level.”
Signal Changes
After reviewing all of their options, KME contacted Amity with the solution: an AMCI DuraCoder with integrated cable. The DuraCoder’s analog output signal eliminated much of the mathematical programming that was necessary with the grey code encoder. With the integrated cable, KME no longer needed to produce their own cable, simplifying wiring and installation, and ensuring the IP67 sealed rating. The DuraCoder is installed in an area of the truck that is exposed to water mist during firefighting, high pressure wash downs, and airborne contaminants from smoke and ash. AMCI’s DuraCoders are designed to provide consistent reliable feedback while preventing water and contaminant ingress.
With the DuraCoder, KME’s IQAN “E-Zone™ system stops rotation or elevation of the ladder when the operator attempts to position the ladder in a pre-defined zone (cab avoidance, body avoidance, and short jack operation). This eliminates the possibility of cab or body damage and makes operation of the device on the short jack side of the vehicle safer, according to the KME product brochure.
Amity’s concerns when selecting an encoder included its ability to withstand heavy shock and vibration caused by the truck’s engine, onboard generators, and road vibration. The DuraCoder is resolver based, meaning that it was designed to provide absolute position feedback without plastic disks or magnetic components, enabling it to withstand high levels of shock and vibration.
The optional 5/8-inch stainless steel shaft boasts exceptional shaft loading, and the high shock and vibration rating provides reliability where most sensors fail. The IP67 rated product line comes standard with either a ¼-, 3/8-, or 5/8-inch stainless steel shaft and an oversized double row sealed bearing. Additionally, DuraCoder brand encoders are available in six different versions, including SSI, Digital, Analog, Incremental, DeviceNet, and Ethernet/IP.
Amity was able to change out the original optical encoder for the AMCI DuraCoder quickly and easily. The units’ industry-standard mounting pattern made it easy to replace the existing encoders. While the standard lead time for the AMCI DuraCoder is three weeks or less, Amity could not wait that long. Because AMCI designs and manufactures their products in-house, they were able to expedite the process, sending the full shipment out within a few days. After an easy installation, Amity’s swivels were ready to be sent off to KME.
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