APPARATUS OF THE MONTH

By John M. Malecky                                                                    February, 2026

CUSTOM FIT TRUCK

The apparatus featured in this headline is a Spartan Gladiator LFD/Smeal UT-100-foot rear-mount aerial delivered to the City of Bayonne (Hudson County) in 2025. It has a trenched roof (sometimes called a notched roof) on the cab which brings it to a 10-foot eight-inch travel height so it fits into a station which was built in 1928. This station is one-of-two identical ones. This one is at the northern end of the city not far from the Jersey City border. The other is in the south end known as Bergen Point. Each has an engine and a ladder company. While one may wonder why the northern station was built so close to the border of Jersey City might be answered by a Fire Engineering Magazine editorial I read many years ago which indicated there were plans at one time to organize a Hudson County Fire Department. If that were the case, Bayonne Ladder 3 (and Engine 6) could reach some neighborhoods in Jersey City before their own units could because their southern stations were not near the border. The border was actually the Morris Canal which no longer exists in this area. Anyway, the original plan for a Hudson County FD was never followed through, although in the 1970’s there was another plan to do so but in my opinion it was politically motivated and would have cut the county’s existing fleet in half. Plus the Town of Secaucus which was fully a volunteer FD did not want to participate. There was at one time a Hudson County FD which had a firehouse in Secaucus that was behind the Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital. They had a pumper and later a brush truck. However their major responsibility was inspections of county buildings. They usually had a used pumper which during the times I was there photographing came from Kearny, Bayonne and Elkins Park, PA. If an alarm came in they would get a back up response from the Secaucus FD and when they closed the station, Secaucus was given their brush truck which they made into a squad. I can say though that one time when there I found a 700 Series American LaFrance pumper in the weeds (retired) that had “FDHC” on the front of it so maybe at one time they had their own original engine. So now we go the photos. The next photo is Jersey City’s Special Ops Water Tender. It is a former UASI foam tender that was quartered with Engine 8. It has a 3300-gallon water tank built by Precision Tank and Equipment Company of Virginia, Illinois. The tanker was re-chassied with a 2024 Mack Granite and some work was done by Lembo Body including a rear dump valve. The pump is rated at 750-gpm at 60 psi and is activated by a switch on the dashboard. Next in line is some apparatus from Essex County, namely a Spartan/LTC mid-mount quint from Millburn. It is their first platform quint. A Ferrara Cinder pumper from East Orange is next. It is one of several that were ordered. Next is a Ferrara Cinder HD-77 quint from Belleville. This truck has a shorter ladder than the former quints. No explanation was sought as to why. Lastly is a Pierce Enforcer pumper from Pennsauken (Camden County) and a Squad from the Meadowlands FD (Bergen County).

In apparatus news, Sea Bright (Monmouth County) received an E-ONE Typhoon 1250/400/78-foot wert ladder quint. The Pomona VFD in Galloway Township (Atlantic County) ordered an E-ONE Typhoon rescue pumper with Hale Qmax 1500-gpm pump and 1000-gallon water and 30-gallon foam tanks. It will have a Cummins 450 hp diesel engine. Madison (Morris County) ordered an E-ONE Cyclone CAFS pumper. It will have a Waterous CS, 1250-gpm pump, 500-gallon water and 30-gallon foam tanks, 4 ½-inch vista cab roof, five seats and Harrison 6 kw generator. The City of Hackensack (Bergen County) has ordered two E-ONE stainless steel pumpers with low hose beds. They will have Cummins X-10, 450 hp diesel engines, 67.5 inch Typhoon cabs with five seats and a 12-inch vista roof, Waterous CMU 2000-gpm pumps and 750-gallon water tanks. Middlesex Boro (Middlesex County) has ordered an E-ONE Cyclone eMax rescue pumper. It will have a Cummins X10 diesel engine, 1250-gpm pump and 530-gallon water tank.

Campbell Supply Co., LLC received an order from North Arlington (Bergen County) for a KME “TUFF TRUCK” rear-mount aerial ladder on a Severe Service LFD chassis with a 10-inch raised roof cab. It will have a Cummins X15, 605 hp diesel engine. Features about the TUFF TRUCK as it pertains to this apparatus include an SSX 103-foot, 100,000 psi steel aerial ladder, 2.5 to 1 safety factor, 500-pound unrestricted waterway, (wet/dry) capable to delivering 1500-gpm, a Store Front Blitz nozzle and 185-feet of ground ladders. For more information about the TUFF TRUCK go to the KME website. They have made the following Spartan ER deliveries: to Wanaque (Passaic County), a Gladiator Star pumper/tanker with 10-inch raised roof cab, Cummins X-15, 565 hp diesel engine, Waterous CSU 1500-gpm pump and 2300-gallon water tank. Also to Wanaque a Star Series pumper on a Metro Star MFD chassis with flat roof cab, Cummins X-12, 500 hp diesel engine, Waterous CSU 1500-gpm pump and 750-gallon water tank. To Marlboro Township FC-1 (Monmouth County) a Star pumper with a Gladiator EMFD cab, 10-inch raised roof, Hale Qmax 2000-gpm pump, 750-gallon water tank, Foam Pro 2001 system and a 25-gallon foam tank.

New Jersey Emergency vehicles reports that they have delivered to the East Orange FD (Essex County) a Rescue 1 heavy rescue on a Spartan Metro star EMFD chassis. It has a 20-foot non-walk-in body. P.L. Custom ambulance orders include two Medallions on Ford E chassis (one each to Roseland FAS in Essex County and the Asbury Park FD in Monmouth County) and a Classic on a Ford F chassis for the Little Falls FD in Passaic County.

Fire & Safety Services reports the following Pierce orders: for Montclair (Essex County) a stock Enforcer pumper; for Mendham Township, Ralston FC a Kenworth T-880 dry side tanker; for Montville Fire District 5/Pine Brook an Enforcer pumper (both Morris County), for Hamilton Township (Mercer County) an Enforcer pumper, for Stafford Township (Ocean County) an Enforcer PUC HDR with non-walk-in body, for Quinton Township (Salem County) an Enforcer pumper and for Knowlton (Warren County) an Enforcer pumper. Pierce deliveries include a Saber dry side tanker to McAfee in Vernon Township (Sussex County) and a Velocity 100-foot mid-mount tower to Pequannock (Morris County).

The City of Trenton (Mercer County) received their last Ferrara pumper from the order. It has a Cinder chassis, Cummins L9, 450 hp diesel engine, Waterous CSU 1500-gpm pump, 500-gallon water tank and low hose bed.