White Plains (NY) FD New Ladder 32 (Photos)

[TacSupport1]

City Of White Plains, NY (County seat of Westchester) FD

New Ladder 32

2012 Spartan/Smeal 105'

 

   

[TacSupport1]

   

[TacSupport1]

   

[TacSupport1]

   

[1958 F.W.D.]

What made you decide to go with the super singles on the rear? Just curious.

[Guest]

Hope they like it....the Smeal factory is just a couple of hours north of me.  While the name doesn't quite have the same ring as "Seagrave" or "Pierce," it's cool to see them on either Coast.  I've seen more and more Smeals shipped your way in the past few years.

[Roto-Ray]

What made you decide to go with the super singles on the rear? Just curious.

There's a massive new dual-axle pumper tanker getting delivered in VA this week that will be coming with super singles as well. A member of a neighboring department said that the members of the receiving department did a lot of research of the idea before committing to it, and feel like the increased contact area that the SS will provide will give them increased safety.

[hank]

Good photos!

 

tHANKs

[npfd801]

Honestly, our 2010 Smeal quint that we bought as a demo (long story, but we had to buy used due to a FEMA grant, and a demo is used per their guidelines) has been nothing but reliable.  Very minimal issues, especially compared to our other new rigs over the past five years...

[Frank B]

Smeal has a good reputation, and was building trucks and Aerials for Pierce for some time. My only issue is that they don't have there own chassis, but that is not that big of a issue. What issues have you had with other rigs? PM me if you like. Thanks!

[MFD76]

Hope they like it....the Smeal factory is just a couple of hours north of me.  While the name doesn't quite have the same ring as "Seagrave" or "Pierce," it's cool to see them on either Coast.  I've seen more and more Smeals shipped your way in the past few years.

Smeal was our first choice in 2004 for a new Tower Ladder. So many features on the Aerial exceeded our expectations and the body was built very well. Due to price we ended up with a certain Florida manufacture. Lawrence has had great luck with their Smeal fleet. They put them through hard use and they are in great shape. There have been some other metro departments that have used Smeal and really like them. I was very impressed with the Smeal Factory when I visited in 2002. I agree it was not flashy like visiting Pierce but they were top notch and extremely nice. I have been in and around the St. Louis Smeal fleet. St. Louis like any major city puts them through some extreme urban use but they are in remarkably good shape for their use. That is a true test of the quality of Smeal and Spartan.

[Juice]

I have back and forth issues about the super singles, mostly due to cost vs. practical use on a fire truck.  As with all things, we'll all have different opinions, and I know for a fact some things work better for others, but after working on/around/with semis for a few years, I'm back and forth.  As for looks, it's different, and I mean a good kind of different.

 

Trav!

[MFD76]

City Of White Plains, NY (County seat of Westchester) FD

New Ladder 32

2012 Spartan/Smeal 105'

 

wp321.jpg

Any reason they have stayed with the eQ2b, I know the older WPFD machines have real Q2b sirens. Also the the taupe over red Tower still in service. What was the reasoning behind that paint scheme. The solid red looks very nice. Thanks in advance, Rick 

[R1SmokeEater]

JP's shot of new WPFD Ladder-32:

 

 

[R1SmokeEater]

Ladder-32's ALF was reassigned to Ladder-34

[willman940]

Smeal has a good reputation, and was building trucks and Aerials for Pierce for some time. My only issue is that they don't have there own chassis, but that is not that big of a issue. What issues have you had with other rigs? PM me if you like. Thanks!

Smeal built aerials for Pierce in the early to mid  90s. Since then Pierce has been building this own based off the same design. Please Correct me if i'm Wrong.

[hondok]

Smeal built aerials for pierce in the early to mid  90s. Since then Pierce has been building this own based off the same design. Please Correct me if i'm Wrong.

You are correct about the time period, but I'm not sure that Pierce has mirrored the Smeal design.  Smeal also built aerials for Ferrara for awhile, but I believe that Ferrara is now building their own as well.

[KENTucky]

Historically, Smeal is actually quite an aerial pioneer, dating back to its very first rig in 1963.  Smeal built aerials for Pierce from roughly 1984 into 1993.  Pierce then switched to a local fabrication company to build the aerial sections, before purchasing that company.  Now, on paper, Pierce builds its own. 

 

At last check, Ferrara does not build their own aerials...still using Smeal. 

 

Kent Parrish

Louisville, KY

[Guest]

Historically, Smeal is actually quite an aerial pioneer, dating back to its very first rig in 1963.  Smeal built aerials for Pierce from roughly 1984 into 1993.  Pierce then switched to a local fabrication company to build the aerial sections, before purchasing that company.  Now, on paper, Pierce builds its own. 

 

At last check, Ferrara does not build their own aerials...still using Smeal. 

 

Kent Parrish

Louisville, KY

Pierce purchased their line of ladders from a company called NOVAQUINTECH in Pierreville PQ in 1997 I believe. NQT was a descendant of Pierre Thibault Inc and Pierce still uses that company's designs - ie the 'SkyArm' articulating platform.

[Guest]

Smeal does still provides aerials to Ferrara with their specifications for length.  

 

Also the Pierce mid-mount 5 section aerial is similar to the Smeal mid-mount 5 section aerial, that was being designed prior to the Smeal / Pierce split in the 1990s.  If I remember correctly from what I was told, it was a combined effort by Smeal and Pierce to design the 5 section.  There are some differences made though after their split.  At least that is what I was told / remembered when I was out at the Smeal factory back in 2005.