Articles

By Bill Adams In the early 1980s, a New England firefighter fell off a rig and eventually died from his injuries. His family successfully sued the fire apparatus manufacturer that built the apparatus. It was a custom pumper with an ...

By Bill Adams Crosslays and Mattydales Transverse hose storage for handlines has been around since the late 1940s. Commonly called crosslays and mattydales, they’re usually located immediately above or recessed into the top of a midship-mounted pump enclosure. Some are ...

Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment publishes a monthly list showing photos of about two dozen new apparatus deliveries. In the last three months, 66% of the deliveries featured roll-up compartment doors, 23% had hinged doors, and 11% had a combination of both.

Two longtime customers of Sutphen Corp., the Dearborn (MI) Fire Department and Clemson (SC) Fire and EMS, are running only Sutphen engines and aerials in their fire response fleets, and praise the family-owned company for its quality products and strong relationships with its customers.

Limestone (OK) Fire Protection District had W.S. Darley & Co. build two wet light rescues on RAM 5500 4×4 chassis with four-door cabs powered by 6.7-liter Cummins I6 diesel engines and Aisin six-speed automatic transmissions.

In comparing dozens of OEMs’ Web sites, there is no common industry-wide description for a light rescue except for the intimation they’re support rather than suppression vehicles.

Sutphen built this SPH 100 aerial platform quint for the LaVale (MD) Fire Department. The rig is powered by a Cummins 500-hp X12 engine and an Allison Gen 5 4000 EVS automatic transmission.

The size an OEM is not necessarily reflective of the quality of the apparatus manufactured, nor does the size of a local dealership indicate the expertise and knowledge of its vendor that knocks on your firehouse door.

The North Evans WASP Max is powered by a 330-hp 6.7-liter diesel engine; has Super Single wheels and tires and a suspension lift package; and has a 320-gallon water tank, a 25-gallon Class A foam tank, and a FoamPro 2001 foam system.

The Detroit Fire Department (DFD) has officially reached Darley Demander status, setting the pace for Departments making the switch to Darley pumps.