Sunday, October 30, 2011

Rare CM-1s made it to Nova Scotia

1. The Windsor, Nova Scotia Fire Department operated this 1984 King CM-1 with a rear mount Snorkel platform, which King sold as the Fire King line. 1990 photo.

2. Nearby Kentville operated this 1984 King CM-1 with a 100 ft aerial device. This truck was removed from service after an accident. 2003 photo.

3. Amertek used CM-1 cabs on their airport crash trucks. 1987 photo.


The illustrious King fire apparatus company of Woodstock, ON, could trace its roots back through various iterations as King-Seagrave, Bickle-Seagrave and just plain Bickle, to 1906. In its last years in the early 1980s, it offered the usual array of devices mounted on commercial chassis, but also developed its own cab chassis, called the CM-1.

Only 12 CM-1s were ever built before King went out of business and so it is one of the rarest Canadian trucks. Two of them made it as new vehicles to nearby towns in Nova Scotia.

A successor company which became Amertek, used the cab components for its large series of airport crash trucks. Many of these were operated by the Canadian government and it is likely some were stationed in Nova Scotia at one time. Amertek also went out of business, and it is unlikely that many Amerteks are still operating.

You can read more on the history of this company on the Canadian Fire Truck archive at:



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