APPARATUS OF THE MONTH

By John M. Malecky                                                                April, 2026

PUMPER BUILT IN TWO STATES

This month we feature apparatus from South River located in Middlesex County. South River is a borough of 2.9-square-miles and a population of 16,000. The fire department was started in 1907 and is volunteer, operating three fire companies out of two stations. Engine Co. 1 and the Reliable Fire Company operate out of one station and the Summit Engine Company out of the other. The pumper built in two states is Engine 2, a 2023 KME Panther 1500/1000 with two portable generators. The cab shell was built at KME and the chassis in Louisiana. It was then returned to KME where Bulldog Fire Apparatus (a dealer in Massachusetts) built the body and mounted it on the chassis. Other apparatus include Engine 3, a 2004 Seagrave pumper from Summit FC, X-Engine 3 a 1999 Pemfab/American Eagle pumper, Engine 4, a 1996 E-ONE HUSH pumper from the Summit FC and Engine 5 a 1999 KME Excel pumper. LT-1 is a 1996 Spartan Gladiator/1986 LTI, quint running out of the main station. They also have a utility brush truck which appeared in the Little Big Guys feature in this issue. The last photo is from the River Plaza FC in Middletown Township (Monmouth County) and is a 2024 Spartan ER Metro Star S-180 pumper.

In apparatus news, Mantua Township in Gloucester County has ordered a pumper/tanker from U.S. Fire Apparatus. It will have a Kenworth T-480 chassis. Other specs include a Pacccar PX-9, 450 hp diesel engine, 1500-gpm pump, 3000-gallon water tank, 50-gallon foam tank and have an aluminum body.

Manitou Park in Berkeley Township (Ocean County) has ordered an E-ONE Typhoon pumper. It will have a 2000-gpm pump, 750-gallon water tank and 30-gallon foam tank.

Defender Emergency Products reports the following deliveries: two Medix ambulances. One is a Type II on a Ford Transit 250 chassis to the On Time Medical Transport in Roselle (Union County) and the other is an RP90 Type III remount of a Ford E-350 chassis to Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health. Also delivered is a Rosenbauer Panther 4x4 airport truck to the South Jersey Transportation Authority for the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County).     

New Jersey Emergency Vehicles has delivered to the West Keansburg FC in Hazlet Township (Monmouth County) a Toyne pumper with Spartan Metro Star chassis.

Fire & Safety Services reports the following Pierce orders: for the Evesham Fire District (Burlington County) an Enforcer pumper; for Mercer County a Frontline Ford Transit Critical Response Unit (CRU) with a Fotokite Tethered Kite, for the Borough of Sayreville (Middlesex County) a Saber pumper and in Morris County, a Saber pumper for Dover, a Stock Saber pumper for Mount Olive and a Velocity PUC pumper for the Towaco FC (District 2) in Montville. Pierce deliveries include a Stock Enforcer pumper to Montclair (Essex County), a Stock Enforcer 100-foot mid-mount tower to the Delaware Park FC in Lopatcong Township (Warren County) , an Enforcer pumper to Boonton (Morris County) and an Enforcer pumper for Totowa (Passaic County).

The First Priority Group has delivered a Demers MXP 150 Type 1 ambulance on a Ford f-450 chassis to the Dover Fire Department (Morris County).

Spartan Emergency Response has for many years offered the S-180 pumper which is built with a quick delivery time. They have now introduced the S-180 aerial line with a delivery time of 450 days. They feature Metro Star chassis for 77-foot and Gladiator chassis for 107-foot rear-mounts utilizing Smeal aerial technology. The Gladiator chassis is also utilized for the S-180 mid-mount 100-foot platform and rear mount 100-foot platform. Refer to to Spartan Emergency Response website or contact Campbell Supply Co., LLC for more information. Campbell has also made the following deliveries: two Spartan ER Extreme Duty pumpers. One went to Englishtown (Monmouth County) and the other to Bayonne (Hudson County). Others are to Dorothy (Atlantic County) which is a KME rescue pumper with Freightliner 108SD chassis, a Ford F-550 tow vehicle for the Middlesex County USAR and two non-transport trucks with Ford F-550 4x4 chassis and nine foot Ward Apparatus climate controlled bodies to the University Hospital EMS at Newark (Essex County).