APPARATUS OF THE MONTH

By John M. Malecky                                                             October, 2026

RIGS FROM ESSEX AND UNION COUNTIES

    This month Essex County is represented by the East Orange Fire Department. If you are a regular reader of this column you will note that in the February issue East Orange Engine 5 was featured. It was one of four Ferrara pumpers ordered by them Well the rest of them are now in and the specs are as follows: Cinder LFD chassis, Cummins L9, 450 hp diesel engine, Hale Qmax 1500 gpm pump, 750 gallon “L” shaped water tank for low hose bed, eight inch raised roof cab, six-inch front intake, four 2 ½-ich rear discharges, aluminum body, roof hook storage in hose bed and rear transverse compartment and ladders and high rise pack storage is above the right side compartments.  They also received a Rescue 1 heavy rescue unit on a Spartan Metro Star chassis. It has a 22 foot four inch non-walk-in body, a 35 kw generator and portable winch. Representing Union County are vehicles from three fire departments. The first is Rahway Engine 2. It has a Spartan ER Metro Star MFD chassis, Cummins L9, 350 hp diesel engine, Waterous CMU, 1500 gpm pump, Pro Poly 750 gallon water tank, ROM roll-up compartment doors, six-inch front intake, 1 ¾-inch front bumper line, Whelen brow and scene lights and rear Rigid lights. Kenilworth is next featuring a Rosenbauer King Cobra (the first in the state) which has an articulated section. The specs were included in last month’s column. Finally there is Cranford’s Rescue 1, a Pierce Enforcer heavy rescue with a 25.5 foot walk-in body, a full size cab but with two doors and rear storage, a 25 kw generator, six-ton front winch and a four-ton portable winch

    In apparatus news, from Defender Emergency Products, Cape May Point (Cape May County) has received a Rosenbauer Commander pumper. Specs include a six seat, 78 inch cab with 8-inch raised roof, Hale Qmax, 2000.gpm pump, 1000 gallon water tank and Rosenbauer hot dipped galvanized frame rails with lifetime warranty.

    The Mount Tabor FC in Parsippany Township (Morris County) has ordered an E-ONE heavy duty rescue with stainless steel walk-in body. Specs include a Cyclone 74 inch stretch long cab with 24 inch raised roof, Cummins X-15 565 hp diesel engine, 10 seats, two Command Light towers, front 16,500 pound fixed winch, rear 9,000 pound winch, upper anchor tie off points, Whelen lighting and a Harrison 25 kw PTO generator.

    Carney’s Point Township (Salem County) has received a Weis quick attack unit on a Ford F model chassis. The Meadowlands Fire Department (Bergen County) received an E-ONE VM8 mini pumper on a Ford F model chassis.

    Hazlet Fire Company 1 (Monmouth County) has received a Ferrara Inferno 100 foot mid mount platform. It has a 2000 gpm pump and 300 gallon water tank. It replaces a 37 year old Mack tower ladder. The difference with the new truck and the old is that the old truck did not have a pump or water tank and it had a 75 foot platform. Some specs about the new truck is that it has a Cummins X15, 605 hp diesel engine, Hale Qmax pump, three crosslays, two Akron Stream Master electric platform monitors, Fire Tech and Whelen scene lighting and a Harrison 6 kw generator.

    Fire & Safety Services reports the following Pierce orders: For the PSE&G Nuclear Plant (Salem County), an Enforcer heavy duty industrial foam rescue pumper; for Neptune Township District 1/Shark River FC (Monmouth County) an Enforcer 107 foot single axle ladder; for Glassboro (Gloucester County) an Enforcer tiller with tank and pump; for Hamilton Township (Mercer County) an additional add on to an Enforcer pumper ordered late 2025; to Vineland (Cumberland County) a Saber pumper and for Ho-Ho-Kus (Bergen County) an Enforcer HDR ( their 1^st Pierce.) Pierce deliveries include to Cherry Hill District 13 (Camden County) a Velocity 100 foot ladder, to Woodcliff Lake (Bergen County) an Enforcer heavy duty rescue pumper, to Morris Plains (Morris County) a BRAT mini pumper with Ford F-550 chassis, to Stafford (Ocean County a Saber pumper, to Phillipsburg (Warren County) a Saber pumper and to East Brunswick Fire District 2 (Middlesex County) an Enforcer 100 foot mid mount tower. In addition, Burlington County received a Frontline 45 foot command unit on a Freightliner M2-106 chassis.  

    Campbell Supply Co., LLC reports an order from Montgomery Township Fire District 2 (Somerset County) for an SVI Trucks rescue on a Kenworth T-880 chassis. Specs include a 24 inch front bumper extension, 26 foot tandem axle, stainless steel walk-in body, Hale 500 gpm PTO pump, 300 gallon water tank, Onan 12 kw diesel generator and a Will Burt NS4.5 120V light tower with 220 Lumens. They are prepping for delivery to Roselle (Union County) a 93 foot mid mount platform on a Spartan Gladiator MFD chassis with a 10 inch raised roof cab. Specs include a Cummins X15, 565 hp diesel engine, Hale 8FG 1500 gpm pump, 300 gallon water tank, ROM roll-up doors/hinged doors, Firetech Hi Viz scene lighting, Whelen scene lighting and a Smart Power 6 kw generator. They have delivered to Mahwah (Bergen County) a Ward Fire Apparatus rescue truck. It has a 10 foot walk-around aluminum rescue body. It is mounted on a Ford F-250, 4 x 4 chassis  with crew cab. Other specs include a 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engine, Fire Tech 20 inch LED double stack scene light and brow light, two-inch spacer lift kit, Maxon lift gate, Fire Tech Hi Viz 46 inch upper scene lights, Fire Tech Hi Viz Guardian rear scene lights, Whelen scene lighting and a Warn 8 ton winch..

    Some quick notes: The Keasbey fire station in Woodbridge Township (Middlesex County) has been closed and the apparatus transferred to the Fords fire station. The district has been absorbed into the Fords district. There seem to be some conflicting reasons for this however this column is not looking to investigate any further.. Also Keyport (Monmouth County) has undergone a reorganization in 2025. It is now simply the Keyport Fire Department and one department as opposed to separate fire companies. In addition there has been an apparatus transfer between the Deptford Township Fire Department (Gloucester County) and the West Orange Fire Department (Essex County.) West Orange has purchased Deptford’s 2006 Seagrave 75 foot Meanstck to be used as a spare engine. It has a 1500 gpm pump and 500 gallon water tank. It will be quartered at Fire Headquarters/Station One. At the time of this printing it was being re-lettered. Ridgefield Park Fire Co. 4 (Bergen County) has been disbanded. Their 2014 Sutphen Monarch 2250/750/10 pumper is now serving the Gratz Area Fire Company in Pennsylvania. The 2014 Pierce Arrow XT 105 foot rear mount aerial from Cinnaminson (Burlington County) which they had purchased from Evesham is now serving as Bellmawr L-3 (Camden County.) Bellmawr’s 2020 Pierce Enforcer PUC 1500/750/30 pumper is now serving Gibbsboro (Camden County) as Engine 68.

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