Kansas

[MFD76]

Out of curiosity why does Topeka run with the city service ladders??

 

Great Question part tradition and part financial. All of the old large cities in Kansas at one time operated City Service Ladder Trucks. With that said there are only three old large cities, Wichita, Kansas City Kansas, and Topeka. Wichita Service Trucks ended in the mid 1980's when they fell victim to Quints and Squads and all Aerials were moved to cross-staffing (no longer the case). Kansas City, Kansas eventually converted to all Aerials by the 1970's with some service trucks in reserve by the mid 1980's they were gone. Olathe we operated a horse drawn service truck later a motorized quad.

 

Topeka for many years has used the Service Trucks in areas of town that were more residential and often times truck work could be completed with ground ladders instead of an aerial ladder. In recent time 1980's-mid 1990's Truck 9 and later Truck 10 in far South Topeka were the two Service Trucks mainly residential with light industry, and big box stores.  Snorkel 3, Aerial 4, Aerial 8, and Snorkel 11 were in areas of downtown, industry, and apartments. In the mid 1990's a shift was made for more financial reasons.

 

Topeka experienced some issues in the Aerial fleet along with an aging pumper fleet in the early 1990's. The national and local economy being weak they began to look toward the service trucks as a cheeper but still effective alternative. Snorkel 3 had their 55ft Snorkel removed due to mechanical problems and they became Service Truck 3. Fire House 3 has a very low door and short bay it was not designed to house a aerial or truck the 55ft Snorkel barley fit. When Old Fire Headquarters No2 closed downtown then 2Sn-85ft went to 11Sn-85ft and 11Sn-55ft went to 3Sn-55ft.  Aerial 4's Yellow 1976 LTI had a major mechanical failure and was sent to E\-One in 1995 for a glider kit and made into a RED 95ft Ladder Tower on Hurricane cab. It returned as 5 Aerial at new relocated Fire House 5. The Glider Kit 95ft could not fit in the bay door at Historic Fire House 4 on Clay Street they had to remove a cap stone above the bay when 4A got the new LTI in 1976. You had to be spot on to get 4A backed in. 8 Aerial the TFD called the big banana 1980 Pierce Arrow LTI became 1 Aerial Reserve later Aerial 1 Reserve. 8 Aerial got the new RED 1998 HME-Ferrara-RK. 11 Snorkel was showing its age and was replaced with a extra large Service Truck that doubles as the cities air,light, power wagon it also carries trench rescue equipment since Engine 11 and Truck 11 are the trench rescue fire house. I was told the RED 1972 Ford C8000-American-85ft Snorkel was not kept since it required special operators and they didn't want it out in the general population. From what I remember it was also a standard transmission. The big banana although yellow was almost ten years newer, an automatic transmission, and a LTI ladder that everyone could fly.  Eventually a few years ago the big banana was down graded to a bed section fly pipe only and service truck due to aerial issues. It is now on a truck lot outside of Topeka. The A8 now A1R HME-Ferrara-RK has been a mechanical nightmare since delivery. They placed a new 100ft Ladder Tower Spartan Crimson in service at Aerial 5 and the 1995/1976 Glider Kit 95ft was transferred to Aerial 8 and the HME-Ferrara-RK was moved to reserve. In 2011 a new Spartan-General-RK was delivered and sent to Aerial 5 and the Crimson went to Aerial 8. My friends faces were priceless when they figured out the new Rosenbauer Aerial was truly an RK. Although I believe the new A5 has had few issues. The 1995/1976 glider kit was having mechanical issues with the thirty-five year old 1976 drive train and was sold to Plattsburg, Missouri. Plattsburg needed an Aerial for ISO and this one fit the bill for the little if any use it will see. Topeka wanted to keep the glider kit over the HME-RK but it was just worn out.  

 

I have been told they are planning to convert one of the existing Service Trucks back to an Aerial in the future. My guess would be Truck 11 to Aerial 11. Fire House 11 has some very large industry including the massive Good Year Tire and Rubber Plant, world Headquarters/ Distribution for Payless Shoe Source, Hills Science Diet, and some massive grain elevators. Also they are in the early planning for a Fire House 14 in south Topeka near the large Frito Lay Plant it will be an Aerial also. Currently the two south fire houses Fire House 9 and Fire House 10 bay doors are too low for a normal rear mounted aerial. I believe Truck 9 will be moved to be Aerial 14 with Engine 14. Fire House 13 is going by the Governors Mansion in Northwest Topeka. I believe at some point in the next five years you will once again see four Dry Aerials and two Dry Trucks most likely Aerial 5, 8, 11, 14 and Truck 3, 10. This would give north, central, east Topeka two Aerials and one Truck. Then south, west Topeka would also have two Aerials and one Truck.