San Francisco Fire Apparatus

[Truck4 48]

I finally got around to scanning in some SFFD pics.

www.onthejobny.com

A couple of notes:

-The fireboat shown is the Fireboat Guardian, a former City of Vancouver fireboat picked up after the last big quake in 89.

-Engine and Truck 16 are first due to the Marina District, the section most heavily damaged by the quake in '89.

-The Training pics are from the training site adjacent to Station 7. There are two training sites in the city.

-The bridge behind the Fireboat/Station 35 is the Bay Bridge (to Oakland).

-The 1955 Mack is from Fire Engine Tours. They take you out on a 90 minute tour around the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge. It seats about 12 on benches on the old hose bed.

-I was in SF around Labor Day and the new rescues (2004 ALFs)were not in service. There were conflicting reports about the status of the new rigs. I've heard since that they went into service, but it's not confirmed.

[x635 4,066]

Nice pics!! San Fransico seems like an extremly traditional department. Also seems like they got some oldies for rigs.

I hear they don't even wear bunker gear

[Truck4 48]

The latest Fire Engineering has an ALF ad featuring the new SFFD Rescue 2 (Page 47).

[x635 4,066]

I've noticed it in a couple of EMS publications as well...looks good from what I can tell.....too bad it's not a front 3/4 shot......anyone seen one of those yet?

[BFD1054 1,552]

Hey Seth...remember the show "The Bravest?" They rode along with San Fran at least once that i can remember. I believe they rode with the guys from Station-7 (pictured on onthejob.com). The guys were wearing really old gear and some of the rigs looked shoddy. I remember them riding to a job on their rescue, an old Ford i believe, and they were riding on the back and the body was all open. It was the type of rig that had steps on the back that lead to a long, narrow area between the cabinets, it was very weird. I thought San Fran was a wealthy area, figured they'd have nicer equipment than that! I don't know how they got away with letting guys ride like that, seemed like an accident waiting to happen! Their gear looked like it was from the late 80's at best lol!

[Truck4 48]

SFFD doesnt have a standard replacement plan set up like FDNY where rigs are replaced every 10 years of so. They replace the busiest rigs every few years and move the former rigs to other houses, like a step-down plan. Rescue Squad 1, the resuce with the open box, runs out of Station 1- the busiest house in the city. Rescue Squad 2, out of station 7, is a closed box. Engine 1 and Ladder 1 recently recieved new rigs.

[Remember585 815]

I've always been a fan of SFFD's style. The old leather helmets, no bunker pants, and riding outside the rig. I love traditional fire service stuff, and watching them and reading about them makes me think back to the good ol' days.

I remember riding atop E119 and the old E118 in the split hosebeds. That was the coolest feeling of my life, riding up there and going to a call.

Damn safety standards take all the fun out of life.

Most memorable fire riding on top...

Mutual Aid to Yorktown for a house fire on Echo Hill Path. I actually hitched a ride in someone's car to this fire, but on the way home we got dispatched to a possible fire in our district. It was F---ing freezing up there, but it was the coolest ride ever - literally.