Massachusetts Fire Apparatus

[Guest]

Here is Wilmington's former Ladder 1, a 1959 Maxim as seen at the 4th of July parade in Wakefield last year.



   

[Guest]

More random stuff that didn't make the cut. Beverly Emergency Management Unit 124, which I think is used as a command post.



   

[Guest]

Ipswich Squad 1 runs this 1989 Chevrolet pickup.



   

[Guest]

Marblehead Ladder 1's 1997 KME 1250/500/75' Quint.



   

[Guest]

[quote name='ff556' post='60729' date='Dec 22 2006, 20:29 ']I bet the guys at Station 1 are wishing they had the Pierce that was sent to Engine 5. I think you guys on Loring Ave made out with the better deal.[/quote]We certainly did! Can you believe that that truck can't be put at any other station in the city because of the mirrors. With the budget cuts, Engine 1 is out of service periodically, and when a piece goes down for repairs, we can't use it, unless we park it out on the ramp. Money and Politics is what it's all about!!! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_crazy.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Guest]

HME was at Chelsea's headquarters today showing off their engine in the hopes of breaking Chelsea's streak of five consecutive Pierce engine orders. Engine 2 is in line to be retired some time this year after 13 years of hard service to the city.



Sorry about the glare, this was the best shot I was able to safely get without dodging buses, police cruisers, and cars.

[hfd556]

Melrose



Engine 3 "Pride Of The East Side"    



1999 Seagrave

[hfd556]

Wakefield



Engine 2



2000 or 2001 Seagrave    

[hfd556]

   



Lynn



Medic 1



2006 Chevrolet c4500/Horton

[hfd556]

   



Gloucester



Engine 4



2005 Suthphen

[hfd556]

Gloucester



Engine 6



2005 Sutphen





   

[Guest]

Somerville K7, an old Ford that looks like it is on it's last legs with the department...

[brob01915]

I can remember dispatching in the early 70's from a selection of six pumps and three ladders that were running from six stations. Response times were shorter and timely knockdowns were the norm, rather than the exception. Oh - for the good old days.

[Guest]

[quote name='BrobMa' post='67446' date='Jan 14 2007, 14:16 ']I can remember dispatching in the early 70's from a selection of six pumps and three ladders that were running from six stations. Response times were shorter and timely knockdowns were the norm, rather than the exception. Oh - for the good old days.[/quote]





Did they lose the men and stations through attrition? Or did it all happen at once? I'm amazed that two engines and a quint protect a city of that size. There's a fair amount of wealth and power in Beverly especially in parts of North Beverly and Centerville and, of course, Beverly Farms, with a soild downtown with occupied businesses and housing. Have the people near the closed stations complained, or were they pushing for the cuts and lower taxes? I lived in Beverly for 12 years, and somehow, since I moved away, the FD has been decimated. There has to be a good solid tax base there, so why and how did the FD get hit so hard?

[Guest]

A dusk shot of Engine 1 at the 2nd alarm in Salem today. See my site or the Fire scene section of this forum for more photos.



   

[Guest]

[quote name='The Kid' post='67473' date='Jan 14 2007, 16:47 ']Did they lose the men and stations through attrition? Or did it all happen at once? I'm amazed that two engines and a quint protect a city of that size. There's a fair amount of wealth and power in Beverly especially in parts of North Beverly and Centerville and, of course, Beverly Farms, with a soild downtown with occupied businesses and housing. Have the people near the closed stations complained, or were they pushing for the cuts and lower taxes? I lived in Beverly for 12 years, and somehow, since I moved away, the FD has been decimated. There has to be a good solid tax base there, so why and how did the FD get hit so hard?[/quote]



I know Ryal Side and Centerville were closed in 1992, I THINK there were layoffs at that point. Since then I do not believe there have been any, I guess since then the force was allowed to shrink down to the point that overtime was required to keep Ladder 1 in service 24/7. The cuts in state aid during the Romney administration casued this to become a problem. I'm sure my good friend Bob can shed much more light on the staffing issues than I can. I know it certainly is not because of lower taxes...my lastest tax bill can attest to that, LOL.



Since that time, Ladder 1 has been in service periodically, and during major storms. Often times spare Engines 2 and 4 are put into service during major storms as well.



I'm not sure how recently you lived in Beverly, but development has taken off over the last 15 or so years. The United Show was coverted into a massive office complex (Cummings Center) with many new structures added to the property as well. Downtown is thriving with shops and restaurants. There is a new road at the airport with several industrial buildings, as well as development at Cherry Hill. Enon street is busy with a new larger Stop and Shop, new strip mall where the Commodore was. Rampant development in the Essex st. area with many new homes. And another large expansion at Beverly Hopsital.



And now, Pisani's on Rantoul st. was taken down, and a new 5 story luxury condo building has been put up. With plans for 2 more large 7 story buildings. So Beverly is a growing, busy city. I too, am amazed at the cuts to fire protection over the years when you take into consideration the growth that has taken place.

[Guest]

[quote name='massfirebuff' post='68147' date='Jan 16 2007, 14:41 ']I know Ryal Side and Centerville were closed in 1992, I THINK there were layoffs at that point. Since then I do not believe there have been any, I guess since then the force was allowed to shrink down to the point that overtime was required to keep Ladder 1 in service 24/7. The cuts in state aid during the Romney administration casued this to become a problem. I'm sure my good friend Bob can shed much more light on the staffing issues than I can. I know it certainly is not because of lower taxes...my lastest tax bill can attest to that, LOL.



Since that time, Ladder 1 has been in service periodically, and during major storms. Often times spare Engines 2 and 4 are put into service during major storms as well.



I'm not sure how recently you lived in Beverly, but development has taken off over the last 15 or so years. The United Show was coverted into a massive office complex (Cummings Center) with many new structures added to the property as well. Downtown is thriving with shops and restaurants. There is a new road at the airport with several industrial buildings, as well as development at Cherry Hill. Enon street is busy with a new larger Stop and Shop, new strip mall where the Commodore was. Rampant development in the Essex st. area with many new homes. And another large expansion at Beverly Hopsital.



And now, Pisani's on Rantoul st. was taken down, and a new 5 story luxury condo building has been put up. With plans for 2 more large 7 story buildings. So Beverly is a growing, busy city. I too, am amazed at the cuts to fire protection over the years when you take into consideration the growth that has taken place.[/quote]



Thanks for the reply. I guess my biggest question is where is all of the tax revenue going? I would think that a city that is thriving and growing would generate a great tax base, and that public safety would benefit from this. This may be a rather simplistic way of looking at the issue. I do realize that state cutbacks have hit Massachusetts hard, but it just seems that Beverly's FD has been hit harder than other cities in the area. Am I wrong for having that perception? I get back to the area probably 2-3 times a year, (My parents still live on the North Shore) and have been amazed at the growth that has taken place since I last live there. I would think that with all of the growth that you mentioned, that there would be cash to add staffing and apparatus.

[Guest]

[quote name='The Kid' post='68160' date='Jan 16 2007, 15:10 ']Thanks for the reply. I guess my biggest question is where is all of the tax revenue going? I would think that a city that is thriving and growing would generate a great tax base, and that public safety would benefit from this. This may be a rather simplistic way of looking at the issue. I do realize that state cutbacks have hit Massachusetts hard, but it just seems that Beverly's FD has been hit harder than other cities in the area. Am I wrong for having that perception? I get back to the area probably 2-3 times a year, (My parents still live on the North Shore) and have been amazed at the growth that has taken place since I last live there. I would think that with all of the growth that you mentioned, that there would be cash to add staffing and apparatus.[/quote]



The first thing that comes to my mind is how the schools take a HUGE chunk out of the budget. Beverly High has been on the verge of losing accreditation, and we are now facing the cost (tens of millions) of rebuilding the high school. Increasing health costs have also been a major burden to cities and towns. So when you put these factors together with cuts in state aid, it really ads up. But still even I am mystified, that with the tax base we have, that the money isn't there to keep Ladder 1 on the road.



As always the FD seems to be first on the chopping block. Other communites have faced cuts in recent years...Peabody Engine 1 is OOS much of the time. The same with Salem Engine 1, and most notably Lynn suffered large amounts of layoffs a couple of years ago. Engines 8, 11, Rescue 1 and the two BLS Ambulances were deactivated.



In the past when Centerville and Ryal Side were closed, then when Ladder 1 was put OOS much of the time, the citizens that were effected, along with the city council were quite concerned. But now it seems all have forgotten, at least until they need the FD's service, and then they have to wait for an engine from the other side of town that was tied up on a medical call.

[Guest]

Medford Ladder 3(spare) in Malden in service as Malden Ladder 3.

[Guest]

Malden Ladder 1 stopping by Engine 3/Ladder 3 for a bit