FDNY Workhorses - Still Workin'
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Northeast Volunteer Fire Association, North Haven (Connecticut) - 1980 American LaFrance 1000 gpm/500 gal.
Originally assigned as FDNY Engine 258 serving the Long Island City neighborhood in the Borough of Queens, it later served the West Hamilton Beach FD (one of the nine VFD's operating within New York City). It was then acquired by a member of the Northeast Vol. Fire Association, a volunteer company of the combination North Haven FD as a parade/muster piece. It served in this capacity until 2014 when it was replaced with a 1989 Pierce Arrow
engine that formerly served the Wallingford FD in Connecticut.
Oceanside FD (Long Island, New York), Tower Ladder 244 (Retired) - 1981 Mack CF/Aerialscope 75'
Originally assigned as FDNY Ladder 161 serving the famed Coney Island neighborhood in the Borough of Brooklyn, it was acquired by the Wyckoff (New Jersey) VFD in 1991 where it was refurbished and operated until 2005. After being traded in upon delivery of their new Aerialscope, it was then used by Seagrave as a loaner serving both the City of Bridgeton, New Jersey FD and the Oceanside FD on Long Island, New York as shown here until the fall of 2009 when it was replaced with a new Aerialscope. Upon being returned to Seagrave, it was sold to a used apparatus dealer who then sold it for parts. A firefighter in the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) area purchased the bucket and has since converted it into a bar in his basement man cave. The body which was still in serviceable condition was later acquired by the Belltown VFD in Stamford, Connecticut for the third major rehab of their 1972 single axle Aerialscope which was acquired in 1982. That rig also originally served FDNY
as Ladder 138 in the Corona neighborhood in the Borough of Queens.
West Hamilton Beach FD, Queens (New York City) - 1994 Seagrave 1000 gpm/500 gal.
Originally assigned to FDNY Engine 66 in the Borough of the Bronx, this rig was transferred to the spare pool in 2003 before being rehabbed by Texron in 2005. Operated as “Squad 800”, it was equipped with this modified body for use as a dedicated spare for the squad companies. It was then acquired by the West Hamilton Beach FD (one of the nine volunteer departments serving New York City) in the Borough of Queens where it was to be rehabbed for use as a front line squad. Shown here in the Fall of 2012, it was destroyed shortly afterward during massive flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy which destroyed the entire WHBFD apparatus fleet. West Hamilton Beach later acquired another surplus FDNY Seagrave rescue pumper style body which was rehabbed in 2016 by a local apparatus dealer which then ran as a front line squad until 2020 when it was retired.
Whiteford VFC (Maryland), Truck 631 (Retired) - 1978 Seagrave/1990 Spartan/Interstate Truck Equipment 100’
This rig has quite a storied past - starting life as FDNY Ladder 37 serving in the Borough of the Bronx during “The War Years”, it was acquired by New Cumberland, Pennsylvania in 1990 and rehabbed with a new Spartan Monarch cab, roll up compartment doors and upgraded warning lights. In 2006, it entered service as Whiteford's first aerial device and operated until being replaced in the Fall of 2011 with a 2009 demonstrator Spartan/Smeal
105’ rear mount aerial quint. The rig was then donated to the Center Township VFC in Pennsylvania where it served its’ fourth career!
Aviation VFD# 3, Bronx (New York City) - 1980 American LaFrance 1000 gpm/500 gal.
Originally serving the FDNY, this rig was later acquired by the Aviation Vol. Fire Department#3 (a now defunct department) in the Borough of the Bronx. It served until being heavily damaged on 9/11 and was subsequently repaired by Texron. Following their disbanding, it is now privately owned by a member of the Catskill Fire Cats, a SPAAMFAA chapter in the northern suburbs above New York City.
AvaiationAmerican LaFranceEngineVFDNYFDNYRetiredPrivately Owned
Westbury FD (Long Island, New York), Tower Ladder 969 (Retired) - 1981 Mack/Baker 75' Aerialscope
Originally serving as Ladder 54 in the Borough of the Bronx, this rig was one of the last single axle tower ladders ordered by FDNY. Upon being acquired by Westbury in 1993, it was sent out for a complete rehab including a new custom body. After faithfully serving for 17 years, this rig was replaced in 2010 with a new Crimson 100' mid-mount ladder tower. It is now serving its' third career with the Cleveland VFD in Rowan County, North Carolina where it features artwork
with a tribute to its' former service with FDNY and Westbury.
Lower Swatara VFD (Pennsylvania), Rescue 59 (Retired) - 1975 Mack CF/1990 Ranger
Having replaced a 1975 GMC/Hamerly rescue, this rig had quite a story which is what prompted me to visit Lower Swatara in 2011 to document a piece of firematic history that was slated to be retired. Beginning life as a Mack pumper built for the FDNY, it originally served during “The War Years” as Engine 82, the company made famous by the classic fire service novel “Report from Engine Co. 82” written by Dennis Smith (who actually rode this rig for a short while before being transferred). Later serving as Engine 238 and Reserve Engine 511, it was purchased by the Progress Fire Co. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where it operated for two months before the company decided it did not meet their needs. Lower Swatara VFD then acquired the rig and had Interstate Mack refurbish the cab and extend the chassis upon which Ranger Fire Apparatus built a 20’ aluminum walk-in rescue body.
After a total of 36 years of active front line service, this classic rig was replaced with a 2014 Ferrara tandem axle walk-around heavy rescue through the assistance of a state casino gaming grant. It was then acquired by a fire department in Kentucky which purchased it simply for all the equipment it came outfitted with (the rig never actually entered service). It later returned to New York when purchased by a collector who planned to restore it for use on the muster circuit, it was then acquired by another private collector in late 2018 with plans to restore it.Lower SwataraMackRangerHeavy RescueFDNYRetiredPrivately Owned
Long Hill Fire District, Trumbull (Connecticut) - Satellite 3 (Retired) - 1982 American LaFrance/Saulsbury
Originally assigned as Satellite 3 in the Borough of Brooklyn as part of the Maxi-Water System, this rig replaced the original 1965 Mack C satellite wagon that had a ComCoach cab mounted in 1978. It is shown here while serving the Long Hill Fire District of Trumbull, Connecticut - it was photographed at a large scale holiday parade in New Jersey hence the decorations. It was equipped with a 10kw gas generator, a 2,500 gpm fixed monitor, a 1,250 gpm portable monitor and 180 gallons of foam concentrate. Outfitted with Storz® intakes, it responded with two engines to provide the needed water flow capacity. Retired in 2019, it now serves the Georgia chapter of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a non-profit organization that assists fire departments with needed equipment (the fund is named in memory of FDNY Rescue 4 FF Terry Farrell who was lost on 9/11).
Long HillAmerican LaFranceSaulsburyWater SupplyFDNYRetiredTerry Farrell Fund
Frankfort Center FD (New York) - Truck 2 (Retired) - 1974 Mack/1980 American LaFrance/1997 Northern Fire Equipment 75'
This rig was by far one of the most unyque rigs I have ever photographed. Originally assigned as FDNY Ladder 33, it then served the Undine Fire Co. of Bellafonte, Pennsylvania after which it was acquired by Frankfort Center. Due to severe rust, the cab was replaced with a 1980 American LaFrance Century Series cab (ex-Philadelphia FD) the vendor had on hand. While this unusual pairing might give Mack purists a stroke, it created a unique, functional apparatus that served Frankfort Center for 15 years. It was replaced in 2012 with a 1980 Sutphen 100’/1250/300 quint that formerly served as FDNY Ladder 119, then the Rolla FD in Missouri and briefly at the Alcan Aluminum Company plant in Oswego, New York. The final disposition of Truck 2 is not known - there was a rumor that a department in Northern New York was looking to purchase it to use for parts for their existing Aerialscope.
Frankfort CenterAmerican LaFranceAerialscopeTower LadderNorthern Fire EquipmentFDNYRetired
Mapleton FD (Pennsylvania), Engine Rescue 2-1 (Retired) - 1980 Mack CF611 1000 gpm/500 gal.
Assigned shop number MP7949, this rig originally served the FDNY as Engine 7 in the Borough of Manhattan from 1980-1990. It then served in the reserve pool where it operated as Engines 73, 58 and 10 until being removed from service in 1996. It was acquired in 1997 by the Mapleton FD in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania where it was refurbished with high side compartments (built by local Amish), an extended front bumper, the single beacon warning light from the rear step was moved to the crew cab roof (along with another matching light that was located), telescopic floodlights and painted the Green/White color scheme shown here (it served the FDNY in the traditional Red color of that time period). An interesting note is that the driver’s side rear crew cab door still retains hand drawn markings from its’ FDNY days indicating pump pressures and corresponding floors! This rig served in active frontline service until 2014 when it was acquired by a father-son team who currently make the rounds on the muster circuit showing off this workhorse which continues to be restored.