Quote:Summit Station, PA operated this 1979 Ward LaFrance 1000/500 pumper. I think this was the "Patriot" series chassis initially developed for the military. GA_Dave will dill us in, I hope.
The prototype Patriot was built in 1976. The Patriot was created as a lower cost custom pumper with limited configurations and options. The biggest customer was the U.S. Air Force, purchasing about 35 "P-12D" versions and one "P-8D" version in 1978 and 1979. The exact number of Patriot pumpers built is undetermined, but I would estimate that there were less than 75. The Summit Station rig was purchased used from Bristol, PA. Here's a short list of some of the others I know about:
Sugar Grove, PA
Del Trail, FL
Winder, GA
Chicamauga, GA
Thornton, CO
Pleasant Valley, NY
Vancouver, WA
Holden, ME
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Amhearst, ME
Getzville, NY
Harrison Township, NY
There were also two demo units in my lists that went to Fire Fox in Houston, TX and to Charles McClarty in Atlanta. In 23 years of shooting apparatus in Georgia, I've never found the McClarty rig. Another Patriot is shown for Deer Park, TX, but I know the Deer Park FD never had one. Perhaps it went to one of the many industrial fire brigades in that area. Finally, one went to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, location unknown.