Kansas

[Guest]

Does anyone have pictures of Hiawatha, Kansas Fire Apparatus, Would really like to see them.  Thanks

[Athomas5784]

Wichita Fire Department Engine 10

2013 Pierce Dash CF

1500/600

Serial #: Unknown

[MFD76]

Does anyone have pictures of Hiawatha, Kansas Fire Apparatus, Would really like to see them.  Thanks

Sorry, I have visited a few times great members. I don't I am busy over the next few weeks. Let me email a friend and see if I can get some in mid July. Its about an hour and half drive from Kansas City. They drive RED machines however they have solid white Ford C/ Snorkel from Treasure Island FL Fire Department. 

 

Rick 

[MFD76]

Visited my good friends in the Captial City last month to welcome the new addition. Besides being the State Captial of Kansas, Topeka is still deeply rooted in the ATSF Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe Railway now BNSF. The Santa Fe once operated their own fire department in the large Topeka Yard with their own street boxes. 

 

Topeka operates from twelve fire houses with twelve Engines, two dry Aerial Ladder Trucks, four dry Service Ladder Trucks, two Battalion Chiefs, one Assistant Chief (shift commander), one Fire Safety/ Training Officer each shift. They operate a large full service Fire Department Mechanic Shop and Fire Training Acadmey at the Fire Headquarters Complex including Fire House Three. The complex is located on the west edge of the large Santa Fe Railway yard and east edge of downtown. They are in process of designing Fire House Thirteen. With plans for a thirteenth Engine and seventh Truck Company most likely it will be a Aerial. Currently the fleet is painted a mix of TFD historically accurate Solid RED and new Black over RED.

 

Topeka is still a very aggressive traditional fire department. Two fire chiefs ago just before the first order of black over red they successfully defended their fire ground proven traditional Engine-Truck concept against a Quint invasion. Thankfully no Quints were purchased and Aerial 5 was ordered dry.

 

This represents one of each style of the Black over Red machines in the fleet. 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

One of Three

Engine 5

#13701

02-2014

Rosenbauer/ General Commander 

1500/720/30FA

 



 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

One of One

Aerial 5

#MN3216

03-2011

Spartan Gladiator/ Rosenbauer General / RK Aerial

0000/000

100ft  Ladder Tower

Note: Aerial 5 and Aerial 8 are Ladder Towers

 



 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

One of Three

Engine 3

Ex: Engine 5

#MN3236

03-2011

Spartan Metro Star/ Rosenbauer General

1500/750

 



 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

One of Two

Truck 3 (City Service Truck Company)

#210048-01

02-2011

Spartan Metro Star/ Crimson

0000/000

103ft Ground Ladders

Note: 210048-02 is at Truck 9

Note: Truck 3,9,10,11 are service trucks

 



 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

Aerial 1 Reserve

Ex: Aerial 8

#H-1129

10-1998

HME 1871/ Ferrara/ RK Aerial

0000/000

109ft  Ladder

Note: This has been a very problematic machine with one trip back to the factory.

 



 

 

Topeka has an impressive fleet of eight historic apparatus. They are a mix of hand drawn, horse drawn, and motorized apparatus. Late in the day the only remaining tiller on the TFD roster Aerial 2 made a quick appearance, running strong. Aerial 2 is normally stored at Fire House 5 but was temporarily stored at the Fire Headquarters Complex in the Fire Shop due to the First Lady visiting for Topeka School District Commencement. 

 

Topeka, Kansas Fire Department

Aerial 2

#6285 

04-1928

American LaFrance Type 31-6 Front Drive Aerial/ American Automatic Aerial Ladder #464

0000/000

75ft Spring Raise Aerial Ladder

Four wheel straight frame tillered aerial

Note: Served as Aerial 2 at Fire Headquarters until 1947

           Displayed at Gage Park 1947-1970

           Restored by TFD 1974 and stored at Fire House 5

Thanks for Information provided by Mr. Walter McCall

[firesafe91]

Thanks for posting the Topeka rigs. This is a department that I have not seen a lot of information about.

[Athomas5784]

Wichita Fire Department Engine 7

2013 Pierce Dash CF

1500/600

[DaveYoung]

Wichita Fire Department Engine 7

2013 Pierce Dash CF

1500/600

The new Wichita apparatus are so sharp. I like the stripe extended thru the bumper. Saw a video on the layout of the pumpers, spec writers did a nice job. Beautiful.

[anesti]

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

[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. 

[hp1530]

Any idea what the ladder compliment is on the Topeka trucks?

[MFD76]

Any idea what the ladder compliment is on the Topeka trucks?

 

As with most departments as the industry has pushed and the NFPA ladder complement has become more watered down. The current Trucks Carry a one three section 35ft, one two section 24 or 28ft (depends on year), two 16ft roof ladders, one 10ft folding ladder, and one folding A-Frame 8ft as A and 16ft straight. So around 117ft-121ft with the NFPA required Aerial ladder complement being 114ft. Some of the service trucks have replaced their Duo Safety or Alcolite A frame with a standard fiber glass A frame werner style ladder making the complement 109ft. I measured the Crimson and E\-One Truck bodies last time I was at TFD they are at sixteen feet long making them four feet too short for a two section 35ft ladder with a bedded length of twenty feet. The bedded three section 35ft is just over fifteen feet. 

[anesti]

 

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. 

Thanks man i apperciate it very intresting and well written

[johndanger]

 

Great Question part tradition and part financial. All of the.....

 

By far the best story teller on Firepics. Great info.

[MFD76]

Andover, Kansas Fire Department

Engine 1

12-2007

#19621

Pierce Impel XM

1500/750

ISL/ 3000-EVS

 



 

 

Andover, Kansas Fire Department

Ex: Wichita, Kansas Fire Department one of four

Quint 10 

1984?

#unknown no sticker

Sutphen

1500/300

75ft Aerial SA75

Detroit 8v92/ Auto

pump Hale OG-150

 

Note: Refurbished at local Wichita body shop repainted solid RED from solid Lime-Green. One of four purchased in 1984 no delivery build sticker only pump plate. Currently Colwich, Kansas operates another one of the four 1984 and Counsel Grove, Kansas operates the lime-green one off 1986 Spartan/ Sutphen 75ft Aerial Quint. Neodesha, Kansas has the white over red 1993 Sutphen T/C 75ft Aerial Quint that started the returning Wichita to RED. Altogether their were six Sutphen 75ft Aerial Quints at one time in Wichita.

 



 

Andover, Kansas Fire Department

Tank 11

09-2002

#84416

Freightliner FL70/ Emergency Fire Equipment Company (Mayfield, Kansas our state Crimson Dealer)

1000/2000

Diesel/ Automatic 

 



 

 

Andover, Kansas Fire Department

Tank 12

09-2002

#84417

Freightliner FL70/ Emergency Fire Equipment Company (Mayfield, Kansas our state Crimson Dealer)

1000/2000

Diesel/ Automatic 

 


 
 

Andover, Kansas Fire Department

Rescue 35

02-2013

#12-318

Ford F550/ Weis Fire and Safety Equipment Co. Inc. 

30 Gallon Tri-Max Skid CAFS

Diesel/ Automatic 

 

[Athomas5784]

 

Hutchinson Fire Department

2014 Pierce Saber

1500/1000

Forgot to grab the serial number off it. It was a Pierce Demo.

[jlg1875]

Counsel Grove, Kansas operates the lime-green one off 1986 Spartan/ Sutphen 75ft Aerial Quint. Neodesha, Kansas has the white over red 1993 Sutphen T/C 75ft Aerial Quint that started the returning Wichita to RED. Altogether their were six Sutphen 75ft Aerial Quints at one time in Wichita.

 

 

Rick would you happen to have a photo you could post of either of these? Thanks in advance?

[Guest]

 

Hutchinson Fire Department

2014 Pierce Saber

1500/1000

Forgot to grab the serial number off it. It was a Pierce Demo.

Besides a stripe...I feel like this is missing something on the front

[npfd801]

Even if the paint break had gone a little lower and dipped the white to the grille...  I agree though, needs the stripe to wrap or have a stainless band with the headlights or something.

[Roto-Ray]

Besides a stripe...I feel like this is missing something on the front

 

A Roto-Ray of course.  ;-)

[MFD76]

 

Hutchinson Fire Department

2014 Pierce Saber

1500/1000

Forgot to grab the serial number off it. It was a Pierce Demo.

This is the first new Pierce Saber in Kansas. I agree with Roto Ray, HFD Truck 1, Engine 3 have halogen Roto Rays and Engine 4 has a LED Roto Ray. Unsure why this machine does not have one. All other HFD Pierces have always had the signature ribbed stainless band. It needs it, but still a fantastic photo great job Andy!!!!