downsizing gilford police vehicles
 

Today's www.citizen.com has an article about the Gilford Police Dept's replacing a totalled Ford Crown Victoria with a Ford Fusion, a mid-sized car. Gilford, unlike Meredith, is an SB-2 town. Replacing the Crown Victoria, as they wear out, with smaller and more economical police vehicles could help offset the huge increase in heating the police station.

About two years ago, the Waterville Valley Police Dept replaced their two Crown Vics with two Chevy Malibus equipped w/ the standard police package. The Malibu is about the same size as a Fusion and seems to work just fine as a police car.

Between the higher gasoline, heating oil, and property taxes there's got to be some local property tax payers who would appreciate it.

Got to wonder what the police use in Canada and Europe where gasoline is still higher? Seem to recall seeing a Ford Focus police car in England. Probably had a 4 cylinder w/ a manual tranny!

They use all kinds of little cars for cop cars in Europe. Some are bigger than others. In London I saw their choice of police vehicles is as varied as the NH Marine Patrol's choice of boats. They have a few big vehicles for when they need them, but all the grunt work is done by the guys in the little cars. They can maneuver around the streets really easily, too.

In 2002 or thereabouts, UNH PD switched to Chevy Impalas (a high-end 6-cyl. with Police Package.) I saw the same thing in Salt Lake City when I was there in 1999.

The German police car is a Mercedes.

Two are, the third is a BMW...

Just maybe the Gilford Police patrolmen's joining the Teamster's Union last year was motivation for the selectmen to chose a Ford Fusion and not a Crown Victoria.

Just a thought?

"Hey, if they want to join the Teamsters, then let them drive around in a horse & buggy, or something!:rolleye1:"

In Switzerland three years ago, I saw police use far more economical cars, and several Saabs. Some even the Smart Car! Same was true when I was in other countries of Europe 30 years ago! After three months, I came back to realizing that US are such gluttons for large size. Are the designers finally learning their lesson?

In a hotel, I had to put my card key in a slot on wall inside door to my room; that activated the electricity. When leaving, take the key card with you and all lights are shut off. When hotels are remodeled or new ones built, why is not that sort of device installed!

Not to start a large discussion or disagreements: it's about time we in North America start thinking conservation, re-use, and alternative fuels for everything. My oil tank & furnace need replacement, and I am learning how much more efficient other fuels can be; I am serious about propane.

Home orientation should be towards passive use of sun's energy, instead of always towards the street. Who cares?

Thank you for the document. It is 10 years old, but we can assume the formula remains constant. We need to change to current fuel prices.

Your welcome
The formula is still used. I think you will find fuel oil is still the best value and should be for sometime. The key is not to get hungup on the Efficiencies that gas offers the btu are way lower than oil

I do. I just added another south facing window yesterday, as a matter of fact.

We built our house with passive solar in mind. There's an insulated and unheated garage on the north end, and no windows facing north at all. The north end of the basement is also built into the hill side. The south end has a walk out basement with three stories exposed to the sun. The house is very cheap to heat. Last year, I burned 325 gallons of oil, 1 cord of hardwood, and 240 gallons of propane to heat 2400 square feet and provide hot water for 4. I'm trying to improve on that.

Decison was made some time ago
 

Actually the decision about the Ford Fusion was made some time ago. The Gilford Energy Committee had suggested a number of energy (and money) saving ideas, and the police chief and captain decided they could do their part by using smaller vehicles for non-patrol purposes. The accident merely moved the timetable up a few months.

If you are seriously thinking of replacing your furnace.... I wouldn't go propane... GEOTHERMAL! initial buy in is a bit steep, but very effiecient to heat & cool your house long term...


Woodsy

Thanks for that thought!
I had similar thoughts, and finally I was told warm air systems are best.
My house is over 100, and has existing hot water baseboards. If I were building new, I consider geothermal exchangers and use heating tubes in the flooring - radiant!

so, I am "forced" to use another oil & tank or new propane boiler.

Thanks

So, where do they put the criminal when they're arrested??? :laugh:

And what's a high-speed chase considered to be in a car with 61-HP?

When I asked one of the London cops this same question, the response was that it's for patrol purposes only (like a cop on a bike, horse, or foot patrol) and regarding high speed chases, "If you can figure out how to get through this city's traffic quickly, you'll make a lot of money." From what I observed there, the smallest vehicles encounter the fewest obstacles.

The first investment to make for an old house is not on something to use a cheaper fuel, but to reduce the heat leaks that require the large heating load in the first place. Tighten up the house (get a blower door test done to locate the biggest leaks), add insulation. Then think about how to provide the much reduced heating demand.

Ground source heat pumps (not really "geothermal" - we don't have hot subterranean water in NH) can be a very good way to provide the heat. It's like heating with electric resistance heating, but at one fourth the electric power cost. But reduce the heat demand first, as that determines the size, and thus cost, of the heat pump/ground connection (horizontal fields of coils or vertical wells).