The Ludwigs Corner Fire Company #1 is located in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. It is a relatively new fire company, having been founded in March 1973 after meetings with residents of the town who deemed it necessary to start the fire company.
It initially relied on donations of fire trucks and equipment from neighboring communities to get started. It also had to join with the Kimberton Fire Company to attend training at the local fire academy until it obtained its own insurance. The fire company’s first piece of new apparatus was a 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) GMC unit purchased in 1974.
Today is a far cry from the early days for the Ludwigs Corner Fire Company #1. Today, the company covers three townships with more than 50 square miles in Chester County, Pennsylvania. According to Ex Chief and Apparatus Chairman Allen Cleaver, “The response district is a combination of rural and residential areas with single-family dwellings, apartment complexes, restaurants, and farmland. Sixty to 70% of our area is nonhydranted, so we need to bring our own water with us during a response.”
The fire company’s older tanker was a 1989 Mack/Four Guys Fire Trucks pumper-tanker that was due to be replaced. “It was 33 years old, and we felt it was time to upgrade to a newer unit that better met our needs,” says Cleaver. “The apparatus was designed to have more compartment space, room for more hose and equipment, a foam tank, 6-inch intakes, and 5-inch discharges. The wheelbase is also shorter on this new apparatus, which enables us to maneuver around the narrow streets in our response area.” The fire company decided not to specify a generator because all warning lighting and scene lighting are LED. “The 12-volt system on the vehicle was enough power to handle this,” adds Cleaver, and the department chose to purchase battery-powered fans.
Cleaver states that Ludwigs formed a new truck committee that was made up of five members: the chief engineer, assistant chief, president of the fire company, a firefighter, and a fire police member. “We wanted to give everyone a say in the design of the new apparatus,” he says. “Since we had planned for a new apparatus purchase well in advance, we had a great deal of money in our capital reserve fund. We paid cash for the new apparatus, which was great on our part.”
Cleaver explains that Sutphen was chosen not only for meeting the fire company’s specs but because Sutphen East is not far from its response area. “The cab and chassis were built in Ohio and then shipped to Sutphen East for the body and final assembly,” he says. “This made it a great deal easier for our committee to visit the factory several times to see construction of the apparatus. Our local Sutphen dealer, Signal 1, was a pleasure to deal with during the whole process. All of our questions and concerns were answered during the build, and we were able to deal directly with the engineer who designed the vehicle.” Cleaver says the apparatus purchasing committee had only minor changes during the process and added a Roto-Ray for better visibility at the front of the unit.
The pumper-tanker can carry 1,000 feet of 5-inch large-diameter hose, 800 feet of 3-inch supply line, two 200-foot crosslays with 1¾-inch lines, one crosslay of 200 feet with 2½-inch line, and 150 feet of 1¾-inch line in a front bumper tray. “Other equipment carried includes two 15-foot sleeves of hard suction, one 24-foot extension ladder, one 16-foot roof ladder, one 10-foot attic ladder, battery-powered fans, rope bags, salvage tarps, portable scene lighting, one VentMaster saw, pike poles, fire extinguishers, hose packs, assorted forcible entry tools, and hand tools,” says Cleaver.
1 The Ludwigs Corner Fire Company #1 Sutphen pumper-tanker built on a Monarch aluminum cab and chassis with aluminum body. (Photos courtesy of the Ludwigs Corner Fire Company #1.)
2 The driver’s side with two 15-foot lengths of hard suction hose, roll-up hose packs, portable lighting, hose fittings, and pony lengths of hose.
3 The officer’s side with lengths of lifeline, utility line, portable extinguishers, and a battery-powered fan.
4 The pumper-tanker’s simple blacked-out pump panel with color-coded discharges.
Sutphen Pumper-Tanker
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He continues, “This time around, we went with ROM roll-up compartment doors, which make it easier for our firefighters as well as mounting various equipment. This new apparatus gives us 174 cubic feet of compartment space, which is a great deal more than our past apparatus. We definitely have space for future use.” The fire company plans to use the new pumper-tanker as its first-due unit, especially for mutual aid, but will determine that in the future.
The Ludwigs Corner Fire Company #1 was proactive with this purchase. The committee planned for the future when designing this pumper-tanker with added compartment space not only for existing equipment but for future use as well. The shorter wheelbase makes it more maneuverable around its response district. The fire company had a good rapport with the local dealer as well as the Sutphen engineers at the plant, which made for an easy build process. Service after the sale was also an important aspect for the fire company.
Look at all of your options when designing a new apparatus for your department. Added compartment space for future use might come in handy for changes in your response district and will enable you to carry equipment that might not have been a priority in the past. The size of the apparatus is another concern—not only fitting in your firehouse but being able to drive it and maneuver it around your response district. Remember: The design should be able to carry future equipment and not be overweight.
A great deal of common sense and preplanning can result in a great apparatus build for your fire company.
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.
