By Bob Vaccaro
The Wyandanch Volunteer Fire Company is located in Long Island, New York’s Suffolk County. It is an all-volunteer fire company and has been a long-time Pierce customer since the 1980s.
The Wyandanch Volunteer Fire Company designed its new quint and rescue-pumper in order to improve response times and to carry more equipment on both rigs. The familiarity and operation of Pierce apparatus was also important to the department.
Chief of Department Jarvis Brown said, ”Our fire company favors purchasing Pierce apparatus because of ease of operation, familiarity of training, maneuverability and reliability. Since we are a fire company we didn’t have to go to bid or worry about ordering from a certain manufacturer. We were able to finance the purchase of both vehicles on our own.
“All of our Pierce apparatus has given us great service through the years and dealing with Firematic and their people has been the best.”
Quint
“Two years ago, we went with a Pierce Enforcer 107-foot quint,” Brown said. “Our response area has grown considerably over the past five years with numerous four-story apartment buildings that are already built with construction set to begin on others in the same area.
“The 107-foot quint gives us the ability to reach the roof of all the buildings, something our platform can’t do. Plus, we have two stations in our response area, with each one on separate sides of our district. It is great to have ladder capability from each station since the fire district is divided in half by the Long Island Railroad with grade crossings that can sometimes impede our response.
“The quint also gives us a bigger water tank and foam capability, with a front trash line and additional hose in the rear which gives us the capability to act as a regular engine for fires as well.”
Rescue-Pumper
“The fire company decided to sell our 1987 Pierce heavy rescue and go with a rescue-style pumper,” Brown said. “By going this route, we really didn’t sacrifice any space for equipment. The Enforcer chassis and rescue style body gave us a great deal of room because if its bigger, longer and deeper compartments. We are able to carry the same amount of equipment we had on the heavy rescue and also have some added space as well.
“Also added was foam capability and a 750-gallon water tank. The pumper also can respond first due to just about any type of alarm we have.
“Equipment carried was updated to an all-electric complement of extrication tools, fans, saws, and hand tools on both apparatus. The compartment space on the rescue engine also enables us to carry cribbing and shoring materials.
“We didn’t go with a generator on either vehicle because we operate a 12-volt electrical system, which is more than adequate to handle all of our tools, scene lighting and emergency lighting.
“The engine carries a 100-foot trash line on the front bumper with 300-feet of 1¾-inch pre-connect and 300-feet of 2½-inch pre-connect, both off the rear. There are also two crosslays of 200-feet of 1¾-inch in the front as well as 500-700-feet of five-inch supply line off the rear.
“Our committee traveled out to Pierce in Appleton, Wisconsin for the final inspection which went well with virtually no problems.”
Quint
- Pierce Enforcer Cab and Chassis Aluminum, 107-foot HDA
- GVW 56,300lbs
- Front Axle Oshkosh Tak-4 22,800 lbs, Rear, Meritor 33,500
- Cummins L9 450 hp. Allison EVS 3000 transmission. Jacobs Engine Brake
- Waterous CSU Single Stage 2000gpm pump, 500 gallon poly tank
- Pierce, Husky Foam System 20 gallon tank
- Pierce Command Zone Electronics.
- HiViz Scene lighting
- Whelen LED Emergency Vehicle light package
Rescue-Pumper
- Pierce Enforcer cab and chassis Aluminum. HDRP
- GVW 49,800
- Front Axle Oshkosh Tak-4 22,800 pounds. Rear DANA 27,000 pounds.
- Cummins L 9 450hp. Allison EVS 3000 transmission Jacobs Engine Brake.
- Pierce Husky Foam System 20-gallon foam tank.
- Pierce Command Zone Electronics
- Waterous CSU 2000gpm, 750 gallon Poly Tank.
- HiViz Scene lighting
- Whelen LED Emergency Vehicle light package
