My Trip To Bethel, CT Today

[x635 4,066]

Today, among my travels, I went to Bethel, CT to shoot some of their apparatus.

Special thanks to EMTBravo members CHIEFPHIL and nickcabral for arranging and making these photos happen.

Bethel FD and Stony Hill FD both have some really nice apparatus.

(Note Bethel FD and Stony Hill FD are seperate FD's located in the Town Of Bethel, CT, which is adjacent to Danbury and located of I-84)

Here are the photos from today:

http://emtbravophotos.com/SpecFeat/Bethel.html

And here's a preview. This is Bethel FD's beautiful 2006 Mack Granite/4 Guys Tanker:

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Bethel is a cool town. I'd like to live in that area oneday.

Edited January 17, 2007 by x635

[x635 4,066]

Here's Bethel's 1977 Sutphen Tower Ladder.

Like other Bethel apparatus, this has an interesting history behind it....CHIEFPHIL, would you mind giving us the history?

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[Remember585 815]

I love that dog mural on the back of the Bethel(?) rig.

[biglew 3]

Seth,

I wish I knew you were coming up this way today.

I live in Danbury, it would have been nice to have met up with you, and show you around town !! I see you found a lot of stuff yourself too! But did you get to the railway museum, or the military museum ?

Lew

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

The 77 Sutphen was ordered in 1972 and was paid for by a Federal Govt block grant. The rig was delayed at the factor due to the auto workers strike. When it was getting near completion, the Detroit FD walked in and bought it off the floor. Thru a lot of negotiation and talks and visits by the chief, the rig was finially delivered in June 1977. the first run for this rig was mutual aid to the city of danbury for the fatal prison fire. Ironically, this rig saw more service in danbury in its first 20 years of service then in bethel. for a while , this was the only aerial tower in norther fairfield county and was called upon many times to help out our neighbors. It has seen service in Newtown, Redding, Danbury, Brookfield and even New Milford, a 25 mile run !!

Not to take anything away from bethel, but this rig served this town well for 29 years 7 months. We have turned many of a tide of battle with it. I myself will miss it, especially since it is a 5 speed standard shift.

I remember well the first time I drove it to a job, we were a big job on main st in danbury. If I remeber right it was the 3 bldgs to the rightof the palace theater. , every time I touched the brake pedal, the LT told me to get my foot off it or he would break my leg!!

It has been a long hard fought battle to replace this rig and ,the new one, I imagine will have it's own glory as well

Also should mention this was the best appearing aerial tower at the CT state convention, 1977,78,80,81.

Edited January 18, 2007 by CHIEFPHIL