Mount Vernon Fire Department Classics

[61MACKBR1 222]

I believe that the Dodge Van Rescue 1 was a "Spare" rescue used by FDMV, backing up the 68 Mack Rescue. FDMV "Rescue 2" was acutally a front line AMBULANCE that ran out of FDMV before Mount Vernon went to a contracted service (Then early on during that period, "Rescue 2" was used as a back up/secondary Ambulance within the City of Mount Vernon for a period of time). Interesting to see the 2 FDMV "Foam Units" pictured. With the other post being discussed concerning the Foam Trailer being given to WPFD, it is very interesting to note that Mount Vernon was "the first" major city in Westchester County that had a "Front Line" Foam Company in service 24/7 (Given that "Oil City" is located just down the road from the Fulton Avenue Station where Foam 1 was housed. Sad that budget cuts forced Foam 1 to be disbanded).

[x129K 1,393]

Man that old rescue is a beaut!

[61MACKBR1 222]

Yep, that Mack C Box Rescue Truck, running as R1 in FDMV was a beauty. I believe that this rig was a Walk In Rescue Truck with plenty of room inside. West Hempstead Long Island ran a similiar Mack C Rescue Rig, to which I understand that there is a collectible on. I especially like the blue circular strobes along side the front of the "Box" I would be interested in hearing from some of those FDMV men, who remember this rig or possibly worked on that specific rig, on what they thought about it (say vs. the Ford Rescue that came after it). PS - Always loved SNORKEL 1 (although I hear it was sometimes cumbersome to drive to incidents, that rig certainly pounded allot of water on a fire during its time)

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Mack stopped making the C model in 1967 but a few late end of run rigs where titled 1968 when they where recieved by the companys that built the bodys that Mack did not make where put on, sometimes a year or so after the chassis was made.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Other Rescues like the Mount Vernon Mack C , Croton On Hudson, West Hemstead, and Linn Mass all had the Great looking model C.

[SteveOFD 176]

Yep, that Mack C Box Rescue Truck, running as R1 in FDMV was a beauty. I believe that this rig was a Walk In Rescue Truck with plenty of room inside. West Hempstead Long Island ran a similiar Mack C Rescue Rig, to which I understand that there is a collectible on.

Yes, there is a collectible for the West Hempstead Rescue. I saw it for sale at this years New England Fire Chiefs Expo. Don't ask me who had it for sale, I did not make note of it. It jumped out at me because at first I thought it was Croton on Hudson's Rescue. This was my Dad's Company, and I pretty much grew up with that rig. The WHFD rig looked to be almost a twin to CFD's.

As an FYI, if I recall correctly the body was a Gerstenslager.

[61MACKBR1 222]

I believe that Westchester Collectibles in White Plains has it for sale

[dadbo46 50]

Somebody wake me up. I think that I went back to the future.

Perhaps CHIEFHAC can provide some info on the rigs.

Some of the photos show rigs that are actually the same but were moved around as new rigs were received.

The photo of "Engine 7" is a 1958 Mack and was originally Engine 5 for a good many years. Engine 7 was the spare.

There never was more than one foam truck in service. As rigs were retired, ocasionally they would bump down and become the foam truck. The foam truck was never manned unless there was a box or a spcial call for it. The "back step" career firefighter assigned to Engine 5 would drive it.

There were two ALF tillers, Trucks 1 & 2. Truck 1 was a 1967 and Truck 2 was a 1968. They were both identical, 100' aerials, except for some hand tools and Truck 1 carried a 50-foot extension ladder with tormentor poles) and Truck 2 had a 45-foot extension.

[CPAGE 2]

The Mack C that is tagged as the Foam unit 1 was Engine 6. Ladder 4 ALF was an 85 foot ladder. The van tagged as the rescue was the rescue for a time before they got the box van now used as the field unit.

Edited August 19, 2009 by CPAGE

[Guest DFC278]

Ladder-2's refurbed ?? / ALF tiller

Was this the rig that tipped over and was destoyed at a fire ?

Edited August 18, 2009 by DFC278

[61MACKBR1 222]

CPage - Do you know what year that FDMV's Old Mack C Rescue Rig was taken out of service? What did FDMV do with it (Sell it to another department) and if that Ford Rescue that was recently sold last year was indeed its replacement?

Thanks!

The Mack C that is tagged as the Foam unit 1 was Engine 6. Ladder 4 ALF was an 85 foot ladder. The van tagged as the rescue was the rescue for a time before they got the box van now used as the field unit.

[hudson144 150]

Ford Rescue sold? did you mean to say stolen n scrapped?

[Bnechis 3,961]

Ford Rescue sold? did you mean to say stolen n scrapped?

Hudson to be politically correct the term is creativly aquired not stolen and recycled not scrapped...

[wraftery 1,275]

Getting REALLY OLD, this is my wife's grandfather, Fireman George Grove, tillerman on a FDMV rig

[Bnechis 3,961]

Getting REALLY OLD, this is my wife's grandfather, Fireman George Grove, tillerman on a FDMV rig

GREAT PHOTO

Looks like they had a problem with standards then too.....2 Steering wheels on the left, 1 on the right and one in the center (tiller) all in one photo.

[wraftery 1,275]

Only you would pick up on that, Barry

Note that the crank starts are all in the same place, and turn in the same direction.

[FirNaTine 370]

ONE THING'S FOR SURE THEY HAD ALOT MORE MANPOWER THEN!

Edited August 23, 2009 by FirNaTine

[Bnechis 3,961]

ONE THING'S FOR SURE THEY HAD ALOT MORE MANPOWER THEN!

Except instead of running 4 groups they had 1 and they worked 6 24's in a row.

[chiefhac 130]

Bill,

I have an original on that 1920 picture also!

Dadbo filled in along with CPage the dates of some of the rigs in the pictures. I will add to that. The Rescue is a 1965 Mack and served the department to 1977. I served many years on the Rescue as FF, LT, and company commander. It was a great rig staffed by great firefighters always anxious to challenge the red devil, and Mount Vernon then, as now, gave us plenty of work.

The 1958 Mack piumper was assigned to Engine 5 and then in the 70's became a spare. When the rig was originally delivered in 1958 it had a roof and was sent back to Mack to have it cut off. It didn't look like the open cabbed Seagraves! It would be the next to last rig without roof . The last was Truck 3, a 1960 ALF 4 section 100 foot ladder made to fit in old Truck 3's quarters on South Fifth Avenue whih was closed in December of 1962 when the present Station 2 was opened. The Snorkel is a 1977, Truck a 1967 ALF, Truck 2 a 1968 ALF and the Foam Truck was a 1950 Seagrave. The Foam Truck was a first line apparatus in Mount Vernon for many years. At one time the Oil City storage area in MV was the third largest oil storage depot on the east coast. The Foam Truck responded to two major oil fires in Brooklyn on the Gowanus Canal during the 70's and was the model for the units they eventually placed into srvice back then.

[kurt 5]

thanks love the old macks

[nfd2004 750]

Bill,

I have an original on that 1920 picture also!

Dadbo filled in along with CPage the dates of some of the rigs in the pictures. I will add to that. The Rescue is a 1965 Mack and served the department to 1977. I served many years on the Rescue as FF, LT, and company commander. It was a great rig staffed by great firefighters always anxious to challenge the red devil, and Mount Vernon then, as now, gave us plenty of work.

The 1958 Mack piumper was assigned to Engine 5 and then in the 70's became a spare. When the rig was originally delivered in 1958 it had a roof and was sent back to Mack to have it cut off. It didn't look like the open cabbed Seagraves! It would be the next to last rig without roof . The last was Truck 3, a 1960 ALF 4 section 100 foot ladder made to fit in old Truck 3's quarters on South Fifth Avenue whih was closed in December of 1962 when the present Station 2 was opened. The Snorkel is a 1977, Truck a 1967 ALF, Truck 2 a 1968 ALF and the Foam Truck was a 1950 Seagrave. The Foam Truck was a first line apparatus in Mount Vernon for many years. At one time the Oil City storage area in MV was the third largest oil storage depot on the east coast. The Foam Truck responded to two major oil fires in Brooklyn on the Gowanus Canal during the 70's and was the model for the units they eventually placed into srvice back then.

It's always GREAT to hear from the guys that worked these rigs during those times. They can tell it Exactly as it was and what rig served where and when. Thanks 'chiefhac'.

[wraftery 1,275]

I would bet that Henry Campbell has pictures of the "Line Shooting Rifle" that was carried on the Rescue.

Ask him nicely.

(It's OK, Henry, the statute of limitations is long past. And the young people at OSHA never even heard of such a tool.)

[Bnechis 3,961]

I would bet that Henry Campbell has pictures of the "Line Shooting Rifle" that was carried on the Rescue.

Ask him nicely.

(It's OK, Henry, the statute of limitations is long past. And the young people at OSHA never even heard of such a tool.)

Its still available, Naval Company Inc is the manufacturer of the US Coast Guard approved Model CG85 Bridger Line Throwing Gun Kit ours was given to us via the Federal Civil Defence Administration.

For those who have ever shoot skeet, Its still very useful. Remember the concept of "Pull" then shoot the defenceless little skeet.

When responding to the "Cat in the tree" call, you reverse the process: you shoot the defenceless little kitty then yell "Pull" and someone pulls the line......................bingo no more kitty in the tree.

[wraftery 1,275]

The line throwing gun we used to use in the Navy also had a flashlight head so you could see it at night

[chiefhac 130]

Bill,

That life saving gun was a classic. The chief before me donated it to some doctor from a historical society. Barry has done his usually excellent job of describing it and the manufacturer.

I only recall 2 incidents when it was fired. Once to connect a line across the Eastchester Creek when it scared the daylights out of all personnel on the scene, both MVFD and FDNY, during a fuel spill (20,000 gallons of gasoline) in the creek. The officer who fired it had taken vapor tests prior to discharging the weapon and readings were far above the UEL. Still everyone wanted a piece of him. The other time it was fired was in the rear of quarters when we were checking equipment and it was fired in the air and past the captains office and scared the daylights out of him. We heard about that dispicable act for weeks. The offenders shall remain annonymous, though both have passed from this world.

[x129K 1,393]

I love old FDMV.............reminds me of my very first fire instructor, who taught me Essentails of Firemanship nearly 20 years ago, Chief Kenny Flood!