West Winfield FD
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Organized April 6th 1906 as the Henry Hiteman Engine & Hose Co., the West Winfield FD provides Fire and Rescue protection to a 15 mile rural residential area as well as Advanced Life Support level EMS transport to a 250 square mile response area encompassing five fire districts. Forty active volunteers respond to an average of 450 alarms annually (50 Fire, 400 EMS). West Winfield is known for having an assortment of new and used apparatus each of which has its’ own unyque story (remember, Every Fire Truck Has A Story!!)
Following the department's organization in 1906, the original firehouse was built in 1910 and consisted of a two story masonry building that received an addition in 1970. In 1992, the original firehouse was demolished and replaced with the current firehouse which houses the entire fleet. A cornerstone of the original 1910 building along with stone from the 1970 addition is maintained alongside a commemorative stone for the 1992 dedication of the current firehouse.
Engine 128 - 1987 Ford F8000/1989 3-D Metals 1250 gpm/1250 gal.
The first top mounted pump panel in Central New York, this rig was constructed on a 1987 chassis the vendor had available in order to meet the strict $100,000 budget the department had to work with. Built with a galvanneal body to resist rust in harsh Central New York winters, it is equipped with a rear pre-connect outfitted with a piercing nozzle for use on mobile homes.
Engine 129 (Retired) - 1976 Seagrave 1500 gpm/750 gal.
Originally serving the River Edge FD in New Jersey, this rig was acquired by West Winfield in 1996 and served until being retired in 2015 (it is now maintained by a private collector on the muster circuit in the Central New York region). It featured a bronze pump and fittings to resist rust when River Edge drafted out of the Hackensack River.
Tanker 319 ("The Beast") - 1999 Peterbilt/Osco Tank & Truck Sales 3500 gal.
This rig has quite an interesting story - it was the first NFPA compliant fire service tanker ever built by Osco which specializes in over-the-road trucks. The cab started life as an over-the-road tractor which after logging 300,000+ miles, the engine seized and was replaced with one from another tractor that was wrecked. Having never assembled an NFPA compliant tanker, the manufacturer consulted a member of West Winfield FD who was a former fire apparatus salesman to ensure they met the NFPA standard.
Engine 110 - 1997 Freightliner FL106/Saulsbury 1500 gpm/2000 gal.
This rig features a two door extended cab with two side facing SCBA seats in the extended cab. While appearing to be Blue in color, this rig is actually a very light shade of Purple known officially as Plum Metallic. The color choice was not due to a clerical error (as is common with unyque colors) or the loss of a bet but rather simply the department wanted something a little different. This rig certainly fits the definition of a “unyque fire truck” as it is the first and to date the only Purple fire truck I have ever photographed in all my travels across the country (there are others out there on my "to-pix" list such as Grapeville, Pennsylvania).
Truck 410 (Retired) - 1965 Ford C/American Fire Apparatus 85'
Formerly serving the New York Mills FD in Oneida County, this rig was purchased for just $5,000 after the turntable and one entire side of the rig was replaced after suffering damage from a wall collapse. It was replaced in 2014 with a 1983 Pierce Arrow 85' rear mount ladder tower that originally served the Hawthorne FD in Westchester County.
American Fire ApparatusFordNew York MillsQuintLadderWest WinfieldRetired
Rescue 512 (Retired) - 1992 International 4900/EVI
Originally serving the Winonah Fire Co. in New Jersey, this rig was wrecked when it struck a tree after sliding on black ice during a harsh Central New York winter. It featured a light tower and two compartments dedicated specifically to hold large amounts of cribbing (while West Winfield does not perform extrication, they are well equipped to stabilize vehicles prior to the arrival of mutual aid companies that provide heavy rescue). This rig was replaced with a 1991 Spartan Gladiator/SWAB heavy rescue that originally served the Hershey, Pennsylvania VFD and still maintains its' unyque Yellow and White paint scheme complete with "Chocolate Town USA" logos.
Ambulance 609 - 2009 Chevrolet 4500/Road Rescue
West Winfield provides Advanced Life Support level EMS transport at the Critical Care Technician and Paramedic level to four other fire districts in addition to its’ own serving a 250 square mile response area. Averaging 400 alarms annually, the neighboring fire districts provide EMS first response at the Basic Life Support level as West Winfield's response times to the farthest end of their service area can be as long as 20-25 minutes with a lights and siren response!
Formerly operated by the City of Utica in neighboring Oneida County, this was the very first “Orion 1” model passenger bus built. It was donated by a local bus company with the lightbars being supplied by two separate fire departments that had them as surplus equipment. Originally planned for use as a mobile office for the department’s field days (carnival), it has also been used as a command post during a prolonged haz-mat incident as well as for rehab purposes during harsh Central New York winters.
Antique - 1939 Federal/Fire Apparatus Engineering 500 gpm/200 gal.
This rig has a very colorful history spanning four generations of a firefighting family in West Winfield:
In 1939, Mayor (and Volunteer Fireman) Benedict P. Murphy purchased this engine from Fire Apparatus Engineering, a regional builder in Clayton, New York that only produced about twenty fire apparatus while his son James F. Murphy was tasked with picking up the rig from the factory. Several years later upon being discharged from the military after World War II, James F. was returning home to West Winfield after a four year tour of duty when the fire alarm rang. True to his duty as a volunteer fireman, he responded (having not been home to see his mother in four years) and drove the rig to the scene. In 1956, during the department’s 50th anniversary, James F. (who was the assistant fire chief at the time) got married and was driven to the church on his wedding day by this very rig. Many years later on their anniversary, their son James G. Murphy (fire chief in 1987-1989 and the current deputy chief) picked up his parents with this very same rig and drove them to the celebration reception.
In 2009, their grandson Firefighter/Ambulance Captain Sean Murphy got married - in keeping with tradition, he and his groomsmen were transported to church on this rig along with a procession of eight other trucks from local departments. In late 2010, several members of the department were curious if the old Federal would still pump despite being told by “the old timers” that the pump had cracked while it was stored outside during the 1950’-1960’s. They cautiously started the rig, engaged the pump and over time gave it some pressure from a hydrant supply line - while some leaks were detected, the faithful rig pumped like a champ throwing a straight bore stream over the barn behind the firehouse!!
In 2014, this rig celebrated its’ 75th anniversary. Fundraising is underway with plans to restore this rig to its’ original look to celebrate its' many years of faithful service to the department.
Antique - 1915 Seagrave Hand Drawn Ladder Cart
This was reportedly the last hand drawn ladder cart built by Seagrave according to their paint department records. This rig was used exclusively until 1924 when the department’s first motorized apparatus, an REO Speedwagon with a locally built Childs body entered service. As this rig was the only source of ladders, it was used sporadically until the mid 1950’s. At that time, the continued use of this rig resulted in a “spirited discussion” between the outgoing and incoming fire chiefs which was settled in the swampy mud pit behind the firehouse (the rig was
retired at that point).
Antique Hose Cart
While not an actual West Winfield rig, this early 1900’s era hand drawn hose cart was purchased by a member and donated to the department for parade purposes.