Denver Metro Fire Apparatus

[mfd110]

I did not know DFD had such a calling for a dive rescue team. Can anyone give me some more information?

[bigjim]

There are many bodies of water within the Denver city limits, alot of them in parks. Rescue 1 and E-1 are the dive units. They are not support units, but main responders. The trucks allow the divers to suit up while responding so they can get in the water as soon as they get on scene.

[Guest]

I need to get a better day time shot but here is the new Velocity Denver Hamer 1 at a recent job...

   



A couple shots from the Denver convention shown at the Pierce booth.

   

   

[Guest]

DFD Engine 16 blocking the street at a residential fire.

   



Denver Paramedics EMS Supervisor

   



South Metro Rescue 3 at a recent 2nd Alarm

   

[Guest]

South Metro Engine 37

   



South Metro Medic 37

   



MetCom 1, Mobile Incident Dispatch Team unit

   

[Guest]

New Cunningham Medic 61 Ford F-450 / MedTec

   

   



New Cunningham 4x4 plow / ATV

   

[Guest]

Some old photos from South Denver, courtesy M. Stacy



Prior to being renamed South Metro in 2000, the department was called Castlewood which had localized historical meaning. The command staff felt that Castlewood was too specific and no one outside the area knew who they were, thus the rename. This is Truck 32 seen in the Denver Tech Center in the early 90's, they ran a 1986 E\-One.

   



Castlewood Quint 35 seen on the apron adjacent to Centennial airport. This 1992 Pierce Lance was the first quint ever purchased by the department and serves as a reserve today.

   



Castlewood / Metro Dive 3 ran with this donated AMR ambulance for many years.

   

[Guest]

Littleton Engine & Squad 14

   



Littleton Haz-Mat 11

   



   

[Guest]

West Metro Reserve Tower - Former Tower 3

   



South Metro Tender 36

   



South Metro Engine 41

   

[Guest]

South Metro Special Operations Chief 3

   



South Metro CAFS Tender 46

   



South Metro Tender 41

   

[Guest]

South Metro Fire Training Academy

Littleton Sutphen, Englewood Snorkel, Castlewood LTI

An Englewood Engine and Rescue are also visable on the left.

This photo was taken in the early 80's by and unknown photographer, Credit to photographer

[Guest]

A few from this morning... This one was just placed in service last week, Littleton Battalion 1 - 2008 Suburban 4x4 with telescoping lightbar for highway responses.

   



   



Littleton Reserve Aerial 368

   

[Guest]

West Metro Medic 10, one of two heavy duty chassis the department is trying out for medic units. 2008 International / Lifeline

   

[Image7801]

[quote name='Toneslider12' post='264254' date='Dec 4 2008, 19:38 ']West Metro Medic 10, one of two heavy duty chassis the department is trying out for medic units. 2008 International / Lifeline

[/quote]



I just can't get used to the LED lighting. I like color, and these don't really do it for me.



It's funny, because West Metro was talking about trying out medium duty ambulances/rescues/medics 9 years ago, when I worked there, and they're only now just getting around to it.



Keep 'em coming, love the updates!

[Image7801]

[quote name='SFD Probie' post='263965' date='Nov 26 2008, 18:56 ']South Metro Fire Training Academy

Littleton Sutphen, Englewood Snorkel, Castlewood LTI

An Englewood Engine and Rescue are also visable on the left.

This photo was taken in the early 80's by and unknown photographer, Credit to photographer[/quote]



I think my question got lost in the great server crash of 2008, or whatever it's called...



Does anyone have any photos of the Littleton Sutphen or the Castlewood tower?

I know the Englewood Snorkel is shown elsewhere, but haven't ever actually seen the other two rigs up close.



Also, I am looking for any historical Bancroft FPD, Morrison VFD or Lakewood FD rigs from prior to 1992, when Lakewood/Bancroft CFA (now West Metro) was formed.



Thanks,

John.

[Image7801]

[quote name='Toneslider12' post='264254' date='Dec 4 2008, 19:38 ']West Metro Medic 10, one of two heavy duty chassis the department is trying out for medic units. 2008 International / Lifeline

[/quote]



A quick history lesson here: Lakewood FPD did run Red/White medium duty ambulances prior to the Lakewood/Bancroft CFA merger in 1992. Ambulances 91 (491) and 92 (492) ran 1985/86 Chevrolet C-50/Cayel Craft Type I's for several years, but they were replaced by what I would call the "typical" Bancroft ambulances (Yellow/White Ford E-350/Cayel Craft Type III) in the early 90's. Bancroft never ran medium duties, to my recollection.



Since Bancroft never had a truck company, they always had rescues and couple of engines with telesqurts (Bancroft's last Chief (LBCFA's first Chief) didn't think truck/ladder companies were necessary in that district, or so I've been told). As a result, right after the Lakewood/Bancroft Fire Authority was formed in '92, Lakewood's Truck 94/494 (Lime green 1974 (or was it a '73?) ALF Pacemaker 100' RM) was taken out of service, and one of the Chevy/Cayel Craft's was converted into a rescue squad and ran out of Station 3 (93/493) for a couple of years (Rescue 10 (46/446) was also running the '79 Ford F-700/Pierce medium rescue at that time), before LBCFA got the 1993 Pierce Lance tower that is now in reserve. I think the other was simply disposed of in the mid-90's.



If anyone has photos of any of those rigs, please post them. I only have black and white photos in the Lakewood Fire Dept 50 year, 1937-1987 history book.



Cheers!

[Image7801]

[quote name='SFD Probie' post='263965' date='Nov 26 2008, 18:56 ']South Metro Fire Training Academy

Littleton Sutphen, Englewood Snorkel, Castlewood LTI

An Englewood Engine and Rescue are also visable on the left.

This photo was taken in the early 80's by and unknown photographer, Credit to photographer[/quote]



Just wondering something - I don't know if Bancroft FPD was a member of the South Metro Academy in the 80's, but the engine and rescue on the left (credited as Englewood rigs) look very much like Bancroft rigs. Bancroft had three (3) 1975 Seagrave PB's with single clear beacons on the roof and mars lights. I'm not sure if Englewood ever ran Seagraves back then or not. Also, the rescue looks like it could be one of what I call a "typical" Bancroft rescue/ambulance - White with yellow stripes.



Any clarification would be welcome.



John.

[Guest]

[quote name='Image7801' post='264834' date='Dec 6 2008, 21:39 ']Just wondering something - I don't know if Bancroft FPD was a member of the South Metro Academy in the 80's, but the engine and rescue on the left (credited as Englewood rigs) look very much like Bancroft rigs. Bancroft had three (3) 1975 Seagrave PB's with single clear beacons on the roof and mars lights. I'm not sure if Englewood ever ran Seagraves back then or not. Also, the rescue looks like it could be one of what I call a "typical" Bancroft rescue/ambulance - White with yellow stripes.



Any clarification would be welcome.



John.[/quote]





The two rigs on the left that I credited as EFD rigs appear to me to be such as. The Engine appears to be a Pierce, due to the oval on the front, which would match an EFD engine at the time. The rescue at the back of that line could be either EFD or LBFPD, I labeled it as such due to the other rigs being an EFD rig.



Hope this helps.

[Image7801]

[quote name='SFD Probie' post='264839' date='Dec 6 2008, 22:05 ']The two rigs on the left that I credited as EFD rigs appear to me to be such as. The Engine appears to be a Pierce, due to the oval on the front, which would match an EFD engine at the time. The rescue at the back of that line could be either EFD or LBFPD, I labeled it as such due to the other rigs being an EFD rig.



Hope this helps.[/quote]



Hmmm. It's indeed a mystery. Too bad it isn't available in a larger size! I don't know, though. The engine still looks very much like a Bancroft Seagrave, all 3 of which had a Q siren installed in the middle-front of the cab (maybe the "oval" you refer to?). To me, that cab shape is distinctively PB-model Seagrave.



Here is a photo from the West Metro photo stream on Flickr (credit to ral11us), showing one of Bancroft's PB-model Seagraves. Disregard the overhead warning lights - They were obviously added after the rig was sold by West Metro. Up until the end, when they were still reserves, those rigs had the original clear single beacons on the roof.







Thanks for writing back. We may never know for sure!



Regards,

John.

[Guest]

[quote name='Image7801' post='264827' date='Dec 6 2008, 21:18 ']Does anyone have any photos of the Littleton Sutphen or the Castlewood tower?

I know the Englewood Snorkel is shown elsewhere, but haven't ever actually seen the other two rigs up close.[/quote]



Hi John,



The CFD Tower was the first aerial in South Metro's history and was a 1976 Seagrave with an 85' LTI aerial. It was originally painted all white, then the red top was added later. The E\-One Truck 32 I posted earlier was the replacement for the tower.



Credit to the original photographers...

   



   







The Littleton Sutphen has always been very elusive in photos, even the LFD history book has maybe two very poor quality b&w shots of her. I'll look up the details later today but I think it was a 1978 Sutphen with an 85' tower which ran out of old 12's for its entire life. In 1983 the tower went into reserve and the 83 Pierce Arrow 55' Telesqurt ran out of 12's until 1998. Before the Sutphen LFD only had one other Truck Co. which was a late 60's Maxim mid mount 100' straight stick. That rig actually ran out of old 11's which was downtown at Rio Grande & Main, the site it now an RTD Lightrail parking lot.