Field Comms
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"Calling the Field Comm K..."
The influence of “big city” fire departments such as the FDNY, Philadelphia, etc. is often apparent with neighboring suburbs with regard to tactics, equipment and apparatus. The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) operates several mobile field communications units that respond citywide to multiple alarm and special incidents. Just across the Hudson River in suburban Bergen County, New Jersey, there are several volunteer fire departments that utilize the “field comm” concept operating mobile field communication/command post equipped heavy rescues. These “field comm” units are equipped far beyond the
typical command board and a few radios found in the walk-in area of most heavy rescue apparatus in service today. In addition to Bergen County, there are several departments in Worcester County, Massachusetts that also "Field Comm Units".
Carlstadt FD (Bergen County, New Jersey), Rescue 705 - 2000 Spartan Gladiator/Rescue 1
Operated by the Emergency Squad (staffed with members of the department’s “mother” companies), this rig provides mutual aid to the Boroughs of East Rutherford, Rutherford, Wallington and Elmwood Park, RIT for the City of Passaic and supplies safety boats for dive operations with Wallington’s dive team. It features a 35kw Onan direct drive generator, light tower, four 100’ reels with pre-connected Amkus extrication tools and a 10,000 lb. portable
winch with six receiver points. It’s command module located aft of the crew cab is equipped with a total of six radios and a laptop computer.CarlstadtSpartanRescue 1Heavy RescueField CommSupportWater Rescue
Wallington FD Emergency Squad (Bergen County, New Jersey), Rescue 204 - 1997 Volvo FE/PL Custom
Featuring a command post/field comm module in the walk-in box (accessible through an officers side entry door), this rig provides rescue services and is used to manage dive team operations as part of a multi-department water rescue task force.
Lyndhurst FD (Bergen County, New Jersey), Rescue 32-34 - 2008 Pierce Velocity
The first heavy rescue apparatus in the 125 year history of the department, this rig serves its’ own 1.5 square mile borough as well as providing mutual aid dive team support (cascade and communications) to neighboring Oradell and Wallington. Seating six, it features a four cylinder cascade system with fill station, 20,000 lb. front mount winch, 20’ light tower and a partial walk-in command post/field comm module built into the front of the rescue box. It is equipped with pre-connected and portable Holmatro® extrication tools,
rescue struts, an Arc Air torch, DeWalt® cordless hand tools, rope rescue gear including a Stokes basket and SKED® stretcher as well as BLS medical equipment including an AED. Accessed from the crew cab, the walk-in field comm module features a command board, two laptops
(one of which is connected to a flatscreen TV), a printer, satellite phone and a total of nine mobile radios. The specifications for this rig were utilized by the Millbury FD in Massachusetts when planning their 2011 Pierce Velocity which also operates as a combination heavy rescue/field comm unit (see below or photo and details).LyndhurstPierceHeavy RescueField CommSupportWater RescueMillbury
Wayne First Aid Squad (Passaic County, New Jersey), Rescue 976 - 2004 Emergency One/Saulsbury
Designed as a “jack of all trades”, Rescue 976 is equipped for technical rescue, fireground support, command post operations and even EMS transport. The officer’s side provides access to the crew cab (outfitted with three SCBA seats) command post which is equipped with multiple band radios, PC and weather station. The driver’s side features a transport capable patient care compartment that can transport a patient to the hospital in the event the squads’ five ambulances are assigned to other alarms. The transport compartment is fully equipped with a pre-piped oxygen system, cabinets for BLS supplies and a 660 lb. hydraulic lift suitable for a situation where a bariatric patient is encountered. In addition, Rescue 976 features a generator, 50’ and 33’ light towers, reels for hydraulic/air/electric power (including 200 amp service to power buildings), a large oxygen cylinder piped to the patient transport compartment and an eight bottle cascade system with booster pump and an explosion proof fill enclosure.
Saddle Brook FD (Bergen County, New Jersey), Rescue 1 (Retired) - 1994 Pierce Lance
Featuring a crew cab and walk-in body with seating for 14, this rig featured a command post complete with two command boards, six mobile radios and a laptop. It was equipped with both single and dual Hurst® pumps as well as a portable pump (powering two spreaders, two cutters, a combi tool and four rams), high and low pressure air bags as well as a four bottle cascade system with Sierra® booster pump. Replaced in early 2022 with a new Pierce Enforcer
PUC 1500/500 rescue pumper, this rig now serves the career City of Passaic FD in neighboring Passaic County.
Hudson Falls FD (Washington County, NY), 364 Rescue (Retired) - 1991 Mack MC/Saulsbury
Originally serving the Underhill VFC in Pennsylvania, this rig entered service in 2005 and was retired in 2016 after which it was sold to Argentina. It featured a two position command/communications center in the forward portion of the walk-in body equipped with multiple band radios, computers and cellular phones for managing any size incident. It also was outfitted with a four bottle 5,000 PSI cascade system with booster
pump and 12,000 watts of scene lights including 3,000 and 6,000 watt light towers. Equipped with Hurst® extrication tools, Rescue 3 also responded as a mutual aid Firefighter Assist & Search Team hence the rig's
motto "These Tigers Strike F.A.S.T.!"Hudson FallsMackSaulsburyHeavy RescueField CommRetired
From Hudson Falls
Sutton FD (Worcester County, Massachuetts), Field Comm 1 - 2011 International DuraStar/Lifeline
Formerly serving as a frontline ambulance with Swansea EMS in Bristol County, this rig was converted in-house to act as a mobile field communications unit ("Field Comm"). Owned by Fire District# 7 (one of 15 districts statewide), this rig is operated by the Sutton FD serving twenty six fire departments in Southern Worcester County including the City of Worcester.
Purchased by Fire District # 7 who also paid for the lettering, the radio equipment was acquired through Homeland Security grant funding. Two thousand man hours on the part of Chief Maynard and Lt. Jeff Wilson
(including 80 hours spent scraping graphics off) were expended in-house to convert this rig into a mobile field communications unit providing unified radio interoperability among multiple agencies operating in the region.
The main portion of the patient compartment is equipped with three radio consoles with VHF/UHF/800 Mhz frequencies (mounted in brackets from police cruisers), a dry erase board and large screen monitor while a desktop computer is mounted in the walkway to the cab to utilize all available space. The rear doors of the patient compartment feature a partial walk-in area complete with a workbench to assemble portable radios with speaker mics
as well as hanging storage for a cache of incident command vests.
Field Comm 1 is outfitted with a portable repeater, cables/adapters, a portable antenna base for multiple antennas, bank chargers for portable radios and the ability to patch portable radios from low band to UHF for interoperability.
It also carries an EZ-Up® portable shelter and wheeled 5kw generator allowing the rig to operate on its' own self contained power source.SuttonInternationalLifelineField CommEMSSwansea
From Sutton FD
Millbury FD (Worcester County, Massachuetts), Rescue 1 - 2011 Pierce Velocity
Having replaced a heavy rescue that was in service for 35 years, this rig features a stainless steel body/undercarriage for corrosion resistance to withstand harsh New England winters. Built to the specifications used by the Lyndhurst FD (shown above), the walk-around rescue body features a partial walk-in section outfitted as a "field comm" (field communications unit). Designed for multi-jurisdiction communications, it is outfitted with multiple high/low band radios. In addition, it also features a light tower and cascade system with capacity to fill up to 60 cylinders. Its' equipment complement includes 40 spare SCBA cylinders as well as four sets of Hurst® extrication tools including
an e-Draulic® battery powered cutter and spreader.MillburyPierceHeavy RescueField CommLyndhurst
From Millbury FD