Smeal—Montgomery Township Department of Fire Services, Montgomeryville, PA, 100-foot mid-mount aerial platform quint. Spartan Gladiator MFD cab and chassis; Cummins X15 605-hp engine; Hale Qmax 2,000-gpm pump; UPF Poly 300-gallon water tank; Onan 10-kW generator. Dealer: Tony Sirna, Campbell Supply Company, South Brunswick, NJ.

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The Phoenixville Fire Department and Borough of Phoenixville extends an invitation to the community to take part in the dedication of our new fire station on Saturday, August 20th beginning at 1 PM.
A parade from the current station on Church Street to the new station will kick off the festivities, followed by the building dedication and housing of emergency vehicles. The new station is located on Paradise Street along the French Creek, East of the outfield of Babe Ruth League’s DeSanno Field.
A “housing” is a traditional ceremony in the fire service in which new apparatus is pushed into the station three times; once for God, once for country, and once for the fire service. The housing is normally performed by firefighters from neighboring fire companies. This ceremony dates back to the time of non-motorized carts & wagons which needed to be pushed and pulled by firefighters.

A $4 million facelift and upgrade was given to the Lathrop Manteca (CA) District fire station which was recently reopened, according to a report published by the Manteca-Ripton Bulletin.

According to the report, the station was given separate bunk space to allow for gender diversity, and overhaul to the exterior of the building, the replacement of a grass lawn in front of the building with drought-tolerant landscaping an a new alerting system.

The building was also upgraded with a “clean area” to prevent firefighter turnout gear from contaminating living areas and an exhaust evacuation system, according to the report, that also added the project took longer than expected to complete because of supply-chain issues, according to the report.

By Bill Adams

Some are called trade shows. Others are called expos. Those called conferences are multifaceted, with the larger ones featuring extensive educational and training programs. Every year in the United States there are numerous such events drawing fire service personnel from across the country. A handful style themselves as “national” shows. In Indianapolis, the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is held annually (except during pandemics). It is the largest domestic national fire service trade show, drawing more than 30,000 attendees.

Fire apparatus manufacturers have traditionally used the FDIC forum to introduce their newest and greatest apparatus innovations. Most of the rigs displayed there are new, including numerous demonstrator models available for immediate sale. This missive is about the fire truck side of the trade shows, especially the regional shows.  

FA Viewpoints: Walking the Trade Show Floor

Regional trade shows should not be disparaged or discounted by apparatus purchasers. Although some manufacturers regularly attend them, local dealers are usually responsible for organizing and staffing the displays. Often the apparatus shown have been sold and are en route to being delivered after the show. Some have recently been placed in service and brought to the show. Most are equipped, and that is a benefit to potential purchasers.

The benefit to prospective buyers is to observe, compare, and evaluate how various fire departments actually equip their new apparatus. Granted, new shiny fire trucks with large hosebeds and empty pristine compartments are impressive looking and accurately display workmanship unobscured by equipment and packed hose. But equally important is to see how functional the apparatus is—or can be—when loaded and ready to go.

The following photographs are from a regional show. Comments are this writer’s personal opinion about features liked as well as disliked. Keep in mind that most of the photographed rigs are designed for specific fire departments for THEIR use today and tomorrow and NOT for the department I belonged to 20 years ago. Readers may find some of the layout ideas useful or find some they want to steer clear of. 

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