Fleet Operations
North Boston Firefighters
respond in a firefighting fleet that is hard to match. With years of experience,
knowledge and hard nosed attention to detail, our Truck Committees
come back with some of the best laid out pieces of equipment that others use as
templates for their next purchases.
Over the years, our equipment
has been suitable for service for over 20 years. Our replacement system affords
us to replace our Engines every 20 years, and our rescue truck has recently been
replaced after a 25 year tenure.
Our fleet consists of 3 ISO
"Class A" Engines, and a medium duty Rescue Truck. The response of
each vehicle depends on the nature and extent of the given emergency, but
generally, E-3 and R-7 are the first pieces of apparatus to respond. Between
those two pieces of apparatus, we have just about all the equipment we will need
to safely manage an incident. E-2 is our third unit out, while Engine 1 handles
traffic functions.
Engine 1
Engine 2
Engine
3
Rescue 7
Below is a brief history of
the equipment that served us prior to this fleet. Some have more details than
others, but all proved to be worthy assets.
1994-present
RD
Murray Custom Spartan Gladiator Chassis purchased for $243,000. Unit features an
8 man cab, 1,500 gpm. 1,000 gal of water, Hale FOAM PRO System. In service as first unit out. This replaced a 1964 pumper/tanker and
1971 Engine.
1984-
current
American
LaFrance Centurian with 750 gal water and 1,500 gpm purchased for
$143,000. In service as second due engine, and features a stainless
steel body, with a cab extension to accommodate firefighters that used to ride
on the tail board.
1974-1999
Chevrolet Step Van 30 Series Utility Truck
purchased from Emerling Chevrolet for $5,882. Typical rescue vehicles in the
1970's, this unit featured an aluminum body and a 4,000k generator.
1971-1994
American LaFrance1000 Series Pumper
purchased in 1971 for $37,000. Sporting a 1250gpm
pump and 500gal tank, this unit was one of the first diesel powered Engines in
Western New York. Features included front suction, cross lays and a Detroit Diesel
6-71 Engine. This unit was mutual aided to Salamanca NY (roughly 50 miles away) after
flooding from Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
1967-1984
Chevrolet/Sonja
1,400 gal Tanker built in Boston,
NY. Chassis was purchased from local dealer, while the tank and fabrication of
compartments was performed by S&E Welding Shop. Fire apparatus dealers were
charging over $23,000 for a similar tanker, while this was built for under
$10,000. Unit retired when municipal water supply was available to district.
1964-1994
American LaFrance Commercial Pumper with Ford
Chassis, 1,000gpm and 750gal tank purchased for $19,000. With the growth in the North Boston area, it
was decided we needed a second pumper to suit the needs of the community. In
1984, when the American LaFrance that is still in-service today was purchased
(E1), this was converted to a 1,300gal pumper/tanker, and sold in 1994 when
Engine 2 was purchased.
1951-1971
Young Pumper on a Ford Chassis with 500gpm pump and
500gal tank purchased for $9,566. When truck was in pump gear, driver/operator had to make sure he
did not have the parking brake on. The parking brake was on the drive
shaft.
1929-1951
Stewart Pumper 500 gpm pump, unknown size tank purchased for $4,500.
1921-1929
Fred Frank and Frank Anderson, a local blacksmith, mounted a pump on a Model T
chassis. The pump was engaged by raising the rear wheels. No photos, only an
artist rendition of apparatus.
1915-1929
Wheels and lumber were purchased to build a hose cart. One dozen galvanized
pails were purchased to assist in fire suppression. Pails had round bottoms to
discourage theft.
1904-1921
Gould
Pump #12 purchased for $86.75 and $0.81 freight charges in 1904. Pump was
mounted on a cart built by Fred Frank. Cart disappeared after motorized
equipment started getting utilized, and was later discovered in a barn of a
local farmer in 1954. On display at the Boston Historical Society.
