Wassaic Apparatus from the Past

[markmets415 524]

Here are some shots of apparatus from the past before the transition to the current Blue/White scheme.

The first blue rig

[markmets415 524]

Some group shots

[markmets415 524]

[markmets415 524]

And the current fleet:

[hilltophunter 1]

Mark I noticed over the years there has been more equipment than the Blue Crew has now any particulars on it?

[pfdfirefighter01 1]

wow didnt know wassaic had a ladder truck, how long was it in service and was it someone elses before wassaic had it?

[markmets415 524]

wow didnt know wassaic had a ladder truck, how long was it in service and was it someone elses before wassaic had it?

The good old Snorkel, aka 224, 69-45 or the eight ball. We bought it from South Amboy, NJ late 80's, we had it for several years but it was not user friendly around the district it was sold in the mid 90's, it went to a paint company in Chi-town.

[markmets415 524]

Mark I noticed over the years there has been more equipment than the Blue Crew has now any particulars on it?

Well always had three engines, but when we bought the current 69-11 we sold off two of the engines, the international went to the town and the FWD was sold privately.

The main reason was room, as you guys are in the same boat, the apparatus today is much bigger. we actually years ago had four pieces in the front three bays.

It is VERY difficult to say the least to fit a current rig in a 9' high door, that's why we added the new building out back and the floor to the rear bay was cut out and lowered a few years.

[99subi 121]

im sure its been asked a million times, and if i searched i could find it, but why blue?

[markmets415 524]

im sure its been asked a million times, and if i searched i could find it, but why blue?

Why not??

No real reason, we saw a Pierce Lance from Peru NY at the NYS Chief's show in 1988 that was pianted blue and we took pictures of the rig and brought them back to the company and we voted to paint our tanker which was at Pierce being refurbished the blue/white color scheme, all other vehicles purchased from that point forward have been painted blue/white.

We have a new utility on order from Firematic Manufacturing with an expected delivery of September and just got permission to start spec'ing a new ambulance with a 2010 deliver, I would expect to see more blue on the new ambulance then the current one as the new utility will have more than the current one.

[10-Buff-4 0]

Great photos! I've never seen and FWD like that one (Engine 2.) Nice Cadillac Ambulance too, and nice to see the before and after with the Ford C Tanker. ANd of course, nice to see the Snorkel.

-Joe DA BUFF

[markmets415 524]

Great photos! I've never seen and FWD like that one (Engine 2.) Nice Cadillac Ambulance too, and nice to see the before and after with the Ford C Tanker. ANd of course, nice to see the Snorkel.

-Joe DA BUFF

Joe you never saw the recover video of our FWD in December?

[grumpyff 1,159]

I got real bored at work yesterday, and while killing time, found the old Tanker over on the Firetec website in the Bargains section. http://www.firetec.com/detail/BG-8798.html

Edited May 24, 2009 by grumpyff

[x635 4,066]

AWESOME photos, thanks for sharing, Mark!!!

Definetly a very interesting fleet! I was most suprised by the Snorkel, when seeing the title to this thread, I wondered if Waasaic had an aerial at one time. I'm assuming the (state?) facilities that the aerial was to cover are now closed?

Also, where was the Aerial stored?

[markmets415 524]

Seth,

The NYS Facility is still open in Wassaic called Taconic DDSO and it sits on a 375 acre campus, it used to be 800 acres but 1/2 was sold off several years ago. It is my place of employment in the Safety Dept, kinda like an emergency services dept. that provides EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement duties to the residents and staff. Most of the TDDSO operations are now in the community, spread over 5 counties (Dutchess, Putnum, Ulster, Greene and Columbia) and there over of 90 state operated locations as well as 150 family care homes.

The purchase of the snorkel was a mixed one but the facility was one reason for it. It was housed at our current firehouse in the rear bay after we cut out the floor about a foot to get her to fit.

Here are a few shots of the snorkel in operation, a few shots are x129's:

The signman on the turntable:

Structure fire on Firehouse Road:

[x129K 1,393]

AND IT WAS SCARY AS HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I kinda miss it!