DCFD Photos, old or new

[smketrfdny]

Nice job, Kevin. Those E-1's brought back memories. Drove E-16's many many times, along with E-3,5,13,and 14's. Loved E-5 with the shut off for the back up alarm so the neighbor wasn't disturbed. lol



Not an E-1 fan, but these rigs moved......... and handled well.





Stay safe, Brothers.

[FDNY 10-75]

DCFireman, Great shots. Very well composed!



Thanks for sharing!

[dcfireman]

[quote name='JFong' post='80985' date='Feb 25 2007, 16:51 ']Did the E\-One top mount pumpers get replaced quickly? From what I've seen, most of the reserves are older Seagraves, KMEs or E-1s (closed cabs).[/quote]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I believe they were the shortest lived of any pumper. From 1987 to 1990 the department bought 20 Ford/ E-Ones. In the years following, the Hurricanes began to break, and the Hahns continued to be used.

[dcfireman]

   

S-349 1958 Seagrave



Thanks for the kind words, all. Here's a few more unposed snapshots:



The DCFD replaces its aerial apparatus at a rate of about once a year. S349, a 1958 Seagrave in service with Truck 1, was the oldest truck in front line service when I came on the job. The 1978 photo shows it in service as Truck 7, backing into E8’s quarters, where T-7 ran 1977-78. S-352 was similar.

[dcfireman]

   

S351 1961 Pirsch



1961 saw delivery of this Pirsch Senior aerial ladder. In 1977, 16 of the 25 aerials on the Department inventory were Pirsch. Of these, 14 were the three-section 100’ ladders with the tiller assembly over the ladder. Two were four-section 100’ ladders with a tiller cage fixed behind the ladder.



Photo; March, 1983 - Truck Co. 12 heading up Wisconsin Ave NW

[dcfireman]

   

S 352 1961 Seagrave



In 1961 the city returned to Seagrave. This Truck Co. 13’s piece c1976 on Bladensburg Rd. NE fire. Trivia: last truck with round fenders.

[Guest]

Hopefully I can get a shot of E13's hurricane before it disappears. It was rehabbed by the shop a while back, and now sports a white-over-red current DCFD paint scheme & emblems. Unfortunately, half of the windshield is original, the other half is from a cyclone...

[dcfireman]

   

S 355 1966 Seagrave



In 1966 the city purchased Seagrave for the last time for many years. The 100’ ladder truck was placed in service at T4, where it remained until 1972 when it went out to T5 until its retirement in the 1980s. At one time it suffered front-end damage in an accident. When the shop repaired it, it came back in service with a third chrome bar on the front grill.

[dcfireman]

   



S 356, 1966 Pirsch 100' Senior aerial.



June 1985 photo, fire at Bolling Air Field, DC. This may have been Truck 16 at the time.

[dcfireman]

   

S 357, 1968 Pirsch.



This truck spent its life as Truck 9, first at E-21, then at E-9, 1617 U St NW. U St. had a bump at the end of the firehouse apron that could bounce a tillerman. T9 received a new piece in 1981. Sometime after, the old Pirsch came back as a reserve. While responding on a fire call the driver hit the bump at the end of the apron and the tractor broke in two! The turntable crashed through the wood canopy, but, thankfully, there were no injuries.



Note the Circle-D lights on the front fenders. All DC trucks had these as their "address lights", operated by toggles on the dashboard. They were held by quarter turn clamps and could be quickly removed and used.



Photo is 1976.

[dcfireman]

   

S 358, 1969 Pirsch



This 1969 Pirsch was the last three section aerial on the Department, and the last with a removable tiller seat. In 1980 it was repowered with a diesel motor from the old fireboat “Firefighter”, and went in service at Truck Co. 16. It is seen here in its last regular assignment as Truck 14, in service at an alarm on upper Georgia Ave. NW, January, 1985. It was the only Truck with a red wooden canopy.

[dcfireman]

   



S 358 (T-14), April 1, 1982; 3rd Alarm on Box 883, 732 Lamont St NW

[dcfireman]

   

S 359, 1970 Pirsch



Because of continuing civil unrest in the late 1960’s, the Department was compelled to specify enclosed apparatus. After the bidding process on S 358 and S 359 it was decided to change to enclosed cabs and tillers. S 358 was already under construction, but Pirsch was able to accommodate the changes on the second one. This 1970 truck was DC’s first custom cab-forward and the last driven by a gasoline motor. It went to Truck Co. 17. Photo shows it as a reserve piece being used by T13 in May, 1988.

[dcfireman]

   

S 360, 1971 Sutphen 85'



The city’s first non-tillered truck (but not the first straight frame), this 85’ Sutphen tower was placed into service at Truck 3 in 1971. Ala Chicago’s snorkel squads, Truck 3 ran its own Box Alarm area, all working fires in an extended area, and all 2nd Alarms in the city. From 1976 to 1987 it ran as a normal truck company at Truck 10 and as the special called “Water Tower” to alarms outside of its Box area. It had a whopping 44’ turning radius. I believe this was Sutphen's first custom chassis tower.

[dcfireman]

   

S 361, 1972 Pirsch



1972 added another Pirsch truck. S 361 went to Truck Co. 4, a diesel version of the 1970 model. The trailer had all enclosed compartments that had a tendency to pop open going down the road. It would be nine years and six more trucks before the Department spec’d a similar arrangement of cabinets.



Pictured: T-4 relocates in order to set up a ladder pipe and hurry overhaul at the Brentwood Shopping Center (directly across the street from Engine 26 & Truck 15), 01-04-83. It became Truck 15 two weeks later.

[dcfireman]

   



March 4, 1992 – T-13 with a Pirsch S 361 (reserve), fire in the 1200 block North Capitol St.

[Guest]

Nice Sutphen tower there with stack out between jump seats just like Ridgefield NJ's 1976 65 footer What a beast it was you can still see the blackend conrete truck 1 over replaced bay doors

[dcfireman]

    [quote name='BAIN172' post='80803' date='Feb 25 2007, 13:05 ']hey, would anyone have pictures of the american lafrance tillers in DC.[/quote]

S 362 – 364, 1973 – 1974



Three American LaFrance Series 1000 ladder trucks were delivered in 1973 – 74. These diesels were the first ALF trucks ordered since the 1940s. Assignments were to Truck Companies 6, 7, and 8.



Photo: Truck 7, even side of 1300 block, Florida Ave NE, March 1978.

[dcfireman]

   



October 1988 -- Truck 7 in front of the Apparatus Division, E-7 quarters in background; still in red livery.

[dcfireman]

   



February 1990: T-7 in white, or Stars and Bars. It was the only one of the eight American LaFrance Tillers to be repainted.