APPARATUS IDEAS
BY BOB VACCARO
The Riverhead (NY) Volunteer Fire Department (RFD) was organized in 1836 to provide fire protection for the approximately 48 square miles that make up the Riverhead Fire District, the largest on Long Island.
The department is now 210 members strong, with six companies comprising 35 members each. It stretches over the township of Riverhead and into parts of both Southampton and Brookhaven Townships as well. The RFD responds to an ever-growing number of alarms, averaging around 1,400 emergency calls a year. The department operates from four strategically located stations to provide coverage for the large area.
Captain Justin Berry, who was on the apparatus committee along with Former Chief Joe Hartman, began the process to replace a 1997 tanker that was 27 years old and that had begun to show its age. “Our district mechanic stated that the vehicle was starting to age out on parts as well,” says Berry. “The older tanker only had a 500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump and couldn’t store a FOL-DA-TANK with limited compartment space. This time around, we wanted a self-contained unit. We wanted an apparatus that could be used not only as a tanker but as a pumper if needed. Also, we were interested in a larger tank and bigger pump and a little more compartment space.”
Fouts Fire Tanker-Pumper
- Kenworth T-880 chassis, Fouts Fire body
- Paccar MX13 565-hp engine
- Allison 4000EVS transmission
- Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump
- 4,000-gallon polypropylene tank
- Wetside design
- Four low-side compartments equipped with AMDOR roll-up doors
- Manually activated Newton stainless steel swivel dump valve
- Two rear body direct tank fills
- Storage for two 10-foot lengths of lightweight hard suction
- Storage for one 4,000-gallon aluminum FOL-DA-TANK portable tank
- Whelen LED warning and scene light package
The design of the new tanker-pumper would call for carrying two 200-foot lengths of 1¾-inch attack lines and 600 feet of 3-inch hose for supply line. “Our district has several trailer parks with no hydrants, so this type of unit would be to our advantage, not only to operate independently but to supply our other engines as well,” says Berry.
The department looked at several manufacturers but wanted a quicker delivery. It worked with Bulldog Fire Apparatus in Connecticut, which represents Fouts Fire. “They had a similar truck that we looked at and liked the quality of the build,” Berry says. “It turned out that the factory down in Georgia had a tanker-pumper that was already built for another department in Louisiana that it decided not to purchase. They sent us some photos and a video, and it had everything we wanted on the vehicle. We decided to go with this unit.” Although the apparatus purchasing committee wasn’t able to visit the factory, it went to Connecticut to do a final inspection with the dealer. “What also helped us was that we went with the HGAC procurement process, so it speeded up the purchase and delivery,” Berry adds.
1 The Riverhead (NY) Volunteer Fire Department Fouts Fire tanker-pumper built on a Kenworth T-880 Chassis with body by Fouts Fire. (Photos by author.)
2 The rear swivel dump