APPARATUS OF THE MONTH

By John M. Malecky June, 2020


Some Vehicles From Hunterdon And Morris Counties

This month we feature apparatus from two of the northern counties. Four of the rigs are from Hunterdon and three from Morris. In Hunterdon, two units are from the Borough of Califon, which was a nice community of mostly old homes and other buildings. I believe it was the first time I had been there in my life and the cooperation from the VFD members was great. In fact the cooperation was great from all of these fire company personnel in each of these departments. Quakertown, which is in one of the many Franklin Townships in our state, has about 10 vehicles off the top of my head. Two are featured here and their brush truck was recently in the Little Big Guys feature. All of their rigs are interesting so I just picked out two and will no doubt feature more in the future. In Morris County the Fairmount Fire Company in the Washington Township Fire Department (one of the many Washington Townships in our state also) is in Long Valley. I first went through Long Valley over 25 years ago along Route 24. I had noticed that there were signs on lawns and along the road trying to prevent the building of a shopping center. It was something to the effect of “No Mall in the Mountain". But driving through this time looks like it may have happened anyway, as there are now a number of commercial properties and a lot more traffic. In the photos for Califon are Spartan ER IPS pumper which is similar design to the Pierce PUC. This pumper is a squad with a Gladiator chassis, Cummins 600 hp diesel engine, Darley PSM, 1500-GPM pump, UPF 100-gallon water tank, Stokes/long board storage above the pump house and enclosed suction hose compartment. Their other pumper is a Pierce Contender 4x4 with a 1500-GPM pump and 750-gallon water tank. They also have a brush truck which will eventually be featured in Little Big Guys. In Quakertown their newest pumper is a Pierce Enforcer with a 1500-GPM pump and 750 water tank and also featured is their squad which is a Pierce Quantum with a 1500-GPM pump, 750-gallon water and 20-gallon foam tanks and a one-kw portable generator. Fairmount has a Spartan ER, CAFS engine with a Gladiator MFD chassis, Cummins 565 hp diesel engine and enclosed pump panel behind a roll-up door. It has a Waterous CSU, 2000-GPM pump, Pro Poly 750-gallon water and 30-gallon foam tanks, a Foam Pro 2001 system with Spartan One-Touch, 200 cfm CAFS and a Harrison 20 kw generator. They also have a Pierce 4x4 pumper but on a Dash chassis. It has a 1250-GPM pump, 500-gallon water and 25-gallon foam tanks as well as a 10 kw generator. Their other major apparatus is a 4 Guys pumper/tanker with a Spartan Gladiator chassis, 2000-GPM pump and 3500-gallon water tank. Fairmount also has a utility truck which will eventually appear in the Little Big Guys feature and has an antique which was featured in Antique Apparatus of 1st Responder’s last issue.

In dealer news Firefighter 1 reports that they have delivered a foam tender to Perth Amboy in Middlesex County. It has an International HX620, 6x4 chassis, a modular stainless steel body, a Foam Pro Accumax 3150-GPM, single point system and a 4000-gallon foam concentrate tank.

VCI Emergency Vehicle Specialists has made the following ambulance deliveries: the Verona RS in Essex County received a Horton 623 Type 1 on a Ford F-550 4x4 chassis; the Hoboken VAC (Hudson County) received a Ford T-250/AEV Transit ambulance and St. Claire’s Health in Denville (Morris County) received a Forde E-350/AEV DR 92 as part of their fleet purchase program.

Defender Emergency Services reports receiving an order from the Beachwood VFD (Ocean County) for a Rosenbauer Viper 78-foot aerial. Specs include a 60-inch, flat roof Commander chassis with full length cab entry doors, Cummins L9, 450 hp diesel engine, Whelen lighting, Akron Stream Master monitor, Rosenbauer Smart Technology galvanized painted aerial, Rosenbauer wireless radio remote control of aerial, monitor and outriggers, Rosenbauer hot dipped galvanized frame rails, Waterous CSUC20, 1500-GPM pump, 500-gallon water tank and Rosenbauer FX body with Amdor roll-up doors.

Absolute Fire Protection received an order from the Wood-Ridge VFD (Bergen County) for a second Road Rescue Ultramedic ambulance on a Ford F-450 4x4 chassis.

Fire & Safety Services has received an order for a Ford F-550/Pierce mini pumper from the Hillsborough Township District 1 (Somerset County). Pierce deliveries include to the Gordons Corner FC in Manalapan Township (Monmouth County) an Arrow XT 100-foot Ascendant mid-mount platform (1st delivered in NJ), to New Milford (Bergen County) an Arrow XT Ascendant 100-foot mid-mount platform (AFG Grant Purchase), to Hillsborough’s Woods Road FC an Impel heavy duty rescue pumper and to their Fire Company 2 an Enforcer tanker/pumper. Also, Ridgefield (Bergen County) received and Enforcer pumper.

First Priority EMS Group received an order from the On Time Medical Transport in Roselle (Union County) for a First Priority remount onto a Ford E-450 chassis. Ambulance deliveries include a Braun Chief XL on a Ford E-450 chassis to the Roxbury Township Fire EMS (Morris County), to Inspira Health, two First Priority remounts onto Ford E-450 chassis and a Braun Chief XL on a Ford F-450 chassis to the Rutherford First Aid & Ambulance Corps., (Bergen County).

Campbell Supply Co., LLC is prepping the following: a Spartan ER pumper each for Wyckoff (Bergen County) and Washington Township, Whitman Square (Gloucester County). Wyckoff’s is a Gladiator ELFD chassis with 10-inch raised roof cab, Cummins L9, 450 hp diesel engine, Waterous 2000-GPM pump and 750-gallon water tank. Whitman Square is a Gladiator LFD chassis with 10-inch raised roof cab, Cummins L9, 450 hp diesel engine, Hale 1500-GPM pump and 750-gallon water tank. Also being prepped is an EVI special service unit with a Ford F-550 chassis with 12-foot walk-around body for the Shongum Mountain FC in Randolph Township (Morris County). It has Whelen scene lighting, a 6.5 kw Honda generator and Will Burt light tower. They received an order from the Edison Division of Fire (Middlesex County) for a Spartan/LTC 93-foot mid-mount platform featuring a Gladiator MFD chassis with five-inch raised roof cab, Cummins ISX, 505 hp diesel engine and a 10 kw diesel generator.