White firetrucks

Although I have been known to complain about the recent tendency of trucking companies to leave their trucks in factory white (thus surrendering their distinctive company identities) I am a fan of fire trucks painted white.
There are still a few spotted around the country - Quebec City being one- and many in the southern US  including Washington, DC.

Today I spotted retired rigs from two Nova Scotia departments that are also noted for their white painted apparatus.

Early in 2014 Truro, NS received their new number 4,  a Pierce Arrow XT 95 ft aerial platform and retired the old number 4. Built in 1987 by Pierre Thibault on an International CO1950 chassis, it carried a 1050 gpm pump and 30m aerial ladder.

Down the road the Parrsboro Department can't give up on their veteran Ford pumper tanker. It isn't being given house room in their 3 bay fire hall anymore, but it is parked outside and re-assigned the number 4. It carries no makers plate or ULC plate, but other sources say it is a 1978 Ford, with 400 gpm PTO pump and 1200 gal tank, built by LRB Fabricators of Port Williams, NS. It is service from April to November (when there is no danger of it freezing up.)

 Southern US cities have long been known for their white painted fire trucks.

Frisco, TX hadn't taken delivery of their new truck in April 2002, so it was on display in front of the Emergency-One factory in Ocala, FL. Labelled for Engine 604 it appears to be a quint.

Out back of the Emergency-One factory in April 1999, this Duplex chassis pumper from the City of Sunrise, FL was in for repairs and reconditioning.

The City of Seminole, FL had an all white fleet, many of which were built by Gator, a short-lived local company, such as this pumper assigned to Engine 32. (1999 photo)

 This Spartan was assigned to Squad 32. (1999 photo)

 Tower 29 for Seminole ran this veteran Sutphen.(1999 photo)

In 1993 Engine 29 was running this Gator with sun-tan bronze stripes.

All the Gators, the Duplex and the Sutphen appear to be fitted with Cincinnati cabs.

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Roll out at Station 4

There was a roll out at Station 4 today as firefighters carried out some maintenance in the engine bays.
Station 4 has one engine company based there and its two other bays host a rotating selection of apparatus.
Spartan Metro Star/ Carl Thibault 11-530E is one of the newest engines in the Halifax Regional Municipality Fire + Emergency Service, part of the large order from 2011 and delivered in 2012. It is a rescue pumper, with a 1250 gpm pump and 500 gal booster tank.

The other two units seen today are amongst the oldest serviceable pieces of HRM apparatus, and all are in spare status. Engine 92-76E is a Spartan/Fort Garry, 1050 gpm pump / 600 gal booster. It has a rear access cab, and centre mounted controls.

Third visitor is Spare Quint, Emergency-One, 90-57Q. It has a 1050 gpm pump and 500 gal booster along with the 75 foot aerial ladder.

Next week there may be another selection of interesting units.

Station 4 is located on Duffus Street, and serves the far north-end of the Halifax peninsula.

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Road Report-Part 3 - Summer Fire Apparatus

This is a round up of fire apparatus from July and August-some from around home and some from away.

1. Halifax Regional Municipality 97-258E is a Freightliner FL 80 / Metalfab,1000 gal, 840 gpm pumper tanker. It predates the amalgamation of numerous municipalities into the HRM.

2. An independent volunteer organization, Halifax Regional Search and Rescue is one of twenty such ground search groups in Nova Scotia. It operates this Sterling Acterra fitted with a Drake body as a logisitics support unit.    

4. This 1997 Spartan chassis aerial was on sale in Moncton in August.

5. A 1994 Pierce engine was also for sale. Its black over red scheme is similar to that of Chicago.  

6. An unusual Saulsbury unit was also for sale in Moncton.

7. Saulsbury was a highly regarded New York state apparatus manufacturer taken over by Emergency-One in 1998. Best known for its custom rescue units until it was shut down in 2004, and work transferred to E-One's Ocala, FL plant. 

8. La Malbaie, Qc runs this Mack Tibotrac as their front line, number one response engine.

9. It misbehaved one day and had to be towed home, but was back in service within a day or two.

10. The village of Les Eboulements, Qc has a nice engine locked behind closed doors, and this basic tanker, with wonky driver's side mirror frame. (The passenger side mirror can be seen in reflection.) 

11. There is no identification as to the tank builder.

12. The Kennetcook District FD runs this trim looking GMC C8500, with 1050 gpm pumper/ tanker built by Lewis R. Benedict Fabricators of Port Williams, NS in 2002. Now known as LRB Fabricators, the company has been in business since 1978. See http://www.lrbfabricators.ca/ (Be sure to look at the gallery and click on each album to see more photos)

  The Kennetcook rig appears to be in superb condition.

Old Fire Trucks Never Die........

Old fire trucks just keep on trucking. Sometimes in new and different ways.
Blues Mills and Area Volunteer Fire Department serves a rural area on the Trans Canada Highway in Cape Breton. This weekend they took delivery of a 1991 International/ Emergency-One rural attack pumper. Fitted with a Hale 1250 US gpm pump and 1,000 US Gal tank, the truck had only 28,000 miles on it. It was purchased through Fire Line Equipment of East Earl, Pennsylvania, and members of the VFD picked it up at the US border. The truck has an International DT-466 diesel engine and Allison automatic transmission. Rigid hoses, ground ladders and other equipment came as part of the deal.

This 1981 Chev with Metalfab tanker body now serves the Fredericton Race Way at the Exhibition Grounds in Fredericton,NB. It is used to water the track and perhaps carries water for other uses (the cattle barn in the background may need to be hosed down from time to time.)

If you are looking for a used fire truck have a peek at Fire Line's web site:

http://www.firelineequipment.com/

you will see more photos of Blues Mills' truck#1 under List number P1116

A tip of the tilt

A tip of the tilt cab to my neighbourhood fire station. That would be Station #2 at the corner of University Avenue and Robie Street. Old timers still call the station Morris Street, since University Avenue is an extension of Morris Street.

Station#2 is the busiest in the Halifax Regional Municipality with three universities, three hospitals, a million bars and restaurants and my house to look after.

The boulevard ends just short of the station to allow space for the trucks to turn and back into their stalls. This morning a little TLC was called for under the hood of 97-108E. This particular engine is a Superior, the onetime Canadian brand from Red Deer AB, taken over by Emergency-One in 1991, but since closed. All Canadian made E-Ones were called Superior for a time, then US built E-Ones destined for Canada were branded Superior. When E-One closed Superior in 2006, the name was discontinued.

On close inspection I am not sure what good that wheelchock is doing on the uphill side of the left rear tire. It doesn't seem to be an optical illusion.

Whale of a Pumper

Classed as a pumper this newest unit of the Halifax Regional Municipality Fire and Emergency Service, looks more like an aerial truck (which is certainly is). However the identification number is 09-498 P because it has pumping capacity, unlike some aerials, which only rely on pumpers to supply them with water.
It is a brand new Emergency-One, only recently delivered. (The "09" refers to the year in which it was purchased.)
I caught it at Morris and Queen Street doing some familiarizations. It does not appear to be in service yet, since it has no station number applied.

Under Contol

Halifax Regional Municipality Fire & Emergency Service has its own vast website. Tucked into it is an apparatus listing, complete in many instances with photos. Five stars for the list (two stars for the photos, which are generally poor.)

One of their newer pieces is this Tactical Support vehicle - an Emergency-One Cyclone -it is not pictured on the web site, even though I sent them this photo about a month ago. It seems to have replaced the Pemfab Tactical Support unit that used to cover downtown.

Have a look: www.halifax.ca/fire/HalifaxRegionalFireEmergencyApparatus.html