By Bill Adkins
The Bethel-Tate (OH) Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services (EMS) for 12,000 residents. Covering 48½ square miles of the Village of Bethel and Tate Township, Bethel, Ohio, is a mix of suburban and rural living.
The Bethel-Tate Fire Department has 15 full-time employees and 35 part-time/volunteer employees out of Clermont County Station 2. Averaging 2,000 incidents per year, it operates with one engine, one rescue, one 100-foot Sutphen tower, two brush units, one gator (side by side), two medic units, and one tender.
In 2018, the department determined it was time to replace its aging 1988 Summit 2,000-gallon tender and 1985 Sutphen engine. It also wanted options to reduce the number of apparatus in its bay but not give up its fire protection capabilities. To help combat the cost of this need, the department applied for and was awarded $430,000 through an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and was only responsible for 5% of the cost as long as it ordered within the grant’s parameters.
Chief Richard Stowell and his members wanted an apparatus that can operate as an engine or a tender and transport at least five firefighters to the scene with enough water to operate at a fire scene for several minutes while crews establish a sustained water supply in nonhydrated areas. After receiving specs and bids from three manufacturers, Bethel-Tate decided to order Engine/Tender 2 from Sutphen.
Engine/Tender 2
Engine/Tender 2 sits on a Sutphen Monarch custom cab and chassis with seating for five firefighters. With an overall length of 33 feet 10½ inches and a height of 10 feet 6 inches, Engine/Tender 2 can store enough water and equipment to be classified as an engine and a tender. This unit is powered by a Cummins X12 455-horsepower engine, carries 2,500 gallons of water, and has a Hale Qmax 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) single-stage pump.
The roadways for the Village of Bethel and Tate Township vary from a four-lane highway to winding, narrow, single-lane roads. Sutphen was able to provide an apparatus with a wheelbase of only 198 inches for Engine/Tender 2. Along with the short wheelbase, Sutphen included a Hendrickson STEERTEK NXT front axle, allowing for 45-degree turning. This is accompanied by tandem Raydon 48,000-pound Meritor rear axles.
1 Engine/Tender 2 is built on a Sutphen Monarch custom cab and chassis with seating for five firefighters, a Cummins X12 455-horsepower engine, 2,500 gallons of water, and a Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm single-stage pump. (Photos by author.)
2 To make it easier for firefighters to grab a ladder, Sutphen installed a Ziamatic Quic-Lift electric ladder rack.
3 When operating as a tender for water shuttling, Engine/Tender 2 has a Newton three-way water dump valve that can dump up to 2,300 gpm.
4 A “Home of the Tigers” logo on the rear doors helps signify the bond the fire department and schools have.
In rural areas, it helps to have plenty of scene lighting. Bethel-Tate had Sutphen install eight Whelen 900 Series scene lights that put out 7,000 lumens each. The brow light is a HiViz FireTech LED light bar that produces more than 28,000 lumens. This is all accompanied by a Whelen LED emergency lighting package. Engine/Tender 2 also has LED water tank level indicators on three sides of the truck. These allow operators to know their water levels while working on the fireground.
Because Engine/Tender 2 was designed to be classified as both an engine and a tender, it is equipped with 1,075 feet of Pro Flow 4-inch supply hose, 400 feet of BIG-10 3-inch flying standpipe/supply hose, a total of 850 feet of Combat Sniper 1¾-inch hose, and 300 feet of Dura Flow 1-inch forestry line, all by Key Hose. Engine/Tender 2 is equipped with Elkhart Brass nozzles and appliances.
Engine/Tender 2 also carries one 24-foot extension ladder, one 14-foot roof ladder, and a 10-foot attic ladder. With the larger water tank, Sutphen had to get creative to not compromise compartment space. This made it difficult to find space for the ladders. Taller compartments meant the ladders would need to be high on the apparatus. To make it easier for firefighters to grab a ladder, Sutphen installed a Ziamatic Quic-Lift electric ladder rack.
When needed as a tender, Engine/Tender 2 has a Husky 2,600-gallon dump tank. The dump tank sits on a Ziamatic Quic-Lift electric lift. This lift allows just one member to deploy the dump tank while other crew members complete different tasks. Also, when operating as a tender for water shuttling, Engine/Tender 2 has a Newton three-way water dump valve that can dump up to 2,300 gpm.
Engine/Tender 2 is painted red and gray, the school colors for Bethel-Tate schools. A “Home of the Tigers” logo on the rear doors helps signify the bond the fire department and the schools have. Traditionally, Bethel-Tate apparatus have been white over red. Members decided to try the red and gray combination, and they couldn’t be happier. Since Engine/Tender 2 has been in service, Bethel-Tate has had its other apparatus wrapped to match the new apparatus color scheme.
Operationally, Engine/Tender 2 is first out on all fires. With Bethel-Tate’s rural demographics, it may be several minutes before another company arrives on the scene. This allows Bethel-Tate members to have plenty of water and staffing to operate until other companies arrive. Stowell and the rest of the Bethel-Tate members have much pride in Engine/Tender 2. I was truly impressed by how well it is maintained and the knowledge the members have of their apparatus—there wasn’t a question I asked about the apparatus they couldn’t answer. This pride extends to the service they provide to the community and will ensure that Engine/Tender 2 remains at the ready for many years to come.
BILL ADKINS is a captain with the Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department Training Division/Maintenance Division.
