In 1831, the Milford (MA) Fire Department was formed. For equipment, it purchased two tub engines at a cost of $125 each. In 1837, the subject of firefighting equipment was brought before the town, and $200 was appropriated.
In 1838, Engine No. 2 was formed, and officers were chosen annually until the state legislature passed an act authorizing an organized fire department in 1854. The first really respectable engine house was built in 1844 at a cost of $1,044.56. A few years later, in 1852, it cost $3,300 to operate the engine and hook and ladder companies along with the new fire station.
The fire department was run by a board of engineers consisting of a chief and five assistants. The complement of firefighters ranged from 30 in 1837 to a high of 217 in 1869. Water service was inaugurated on January 16, 1882, with 60 hydrants in operation. On December 24, 1882, the board of engineers purchased two new one-horse carriages costing $650 each and on February 18, 1886, they placed a steam whistle on the Electric Light Company building in town at an expense of $100 to sound all fire alarms. On August 18, 1890, the first fire alarm boxes were installed and tied in with the steam whistle. The town created a civil service list in 1937 to hire paid firefighters and had its first full-time chief the next year.
Ever since its early stages, the Milford Fire Department has been proactive in its apparatus purchases. Its response area consists of 15 square miles with a population of 30,000. It comprises two stations with 45 career firefighters. The response area encompasses mostly a suburban mix with a regional hospital, six hotels, and a major interstate within its boundaries.
1 The Milford (MA) Fire Department’s new top-mount pumper is built on a KME XMFD 96-inch-wide cab and chassis. (Photos courtesy of KME.)
KME 96-Inch Severe Service XMFD Cab
|
According to Chief Mark Nelson, “We try to replace our four engines about every seven or more years, depending on our budget. This time around, we formed a committee so we would have input from all areas of our department. Every department has its preference for apparatus purchases. Ours was KME since we previously purchased an aerial and brush vehicle from them.”
He continues, “Our firefighters liked the quality of their construction as well as dealing with the local dealer Bulldog Fire Apparatus, which has given us great service through the years.” The department went through the HGAC apparatus consortium and chose KME once again.
For this purchase, the department made some changes to its specs. For example, it chose a top-mount pump instead of a side-mount pump but was able to maintain a short wheelbase. Nelson says, “It actually came out 2 feet shorter than the previous pumper we had in operation. It also made the vehicle more maneuverable around our response area.” The committee spec’d a 1,750-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump from Waterous and increased the water tank size from 500 to 750 gallons. It also chose a 30-gallon Class B foam tank. The unit is powered by a Cummins X12 500-hp engine and Allison EVS 3000 transmission. “The suspension on the truck was also upgraded to an air ride with upgraded axles as well,” Nelson says.
2 The department designed the new engine with added compartment space for now and the future in mind.
3 Milford’s new pumper features two 250-foot 1¾-inch preconnected crosslays and a 1,750-gpm pump.
4 The pumper also features a steel hosebed cover.
“The additional compartment space was also great,” adds Nelson. “We carry battery-powered Holmatro cutters and spreaders for extrication work we sometimes perform on the interstate.”
He continues, “The Severe Service Cab we chose is 96 inches wide, down from 100 inches on our ladder, so it fits better in our station. Also in our specs was a 12-volt system that is more than enough power for our LED emergency lights and scene lighting capabilities.” The new pumper also features air bags, rollover protection, traction control, and a steel hosebed cover.
The rig’s hose complement is 150 feet of 1¾-inch trash line in the front bumper, two 250-foot 1¾-inch preconnected crosslays, 200 feet of 2½-inch dead lay, 300 feet of 3-inch line, and 1,500 feet of four-inch supply line.
“Our committee did a preconstruction conference at KME but did Zoom meetings the rest of the time during the actual construction because of the pandemic,” says Nelson. “The final inspection was performed at the local dealer with virtually no problems encountered during the whole process.”
The Milford Fire Department designed a new pumper with safety for its firefighters as paramount. It also designed the new engine with added compartment space for now and the future in mind. It upped its water tank and pump capacity and added a foam tank. Going from a side-mount to a top-mount was also a big change but made the vehicle more maneuverable around the department’s response area. Purchasing from KME worked for the department since it had previous experience with that manufacturer and local dealer. When it’s time to order a new apparatus for your department, these are all items to investigate before the purchase. Doing so will hopefully ensure that you will have a great problem-free build.
BOB VACCARO has more than 40 years of fire service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (NY) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, the New York Fire Patrol, and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. He is a life member of the IAFC.
