Mini-Attacks

[fireboyny 61]

Just wondering if anyone knows when Westchester County started referring to their Brush Trucks as Mini Attacks, and if they know the reason(s) for doing so?

[firedude 985]

It was changed in 2001.

2011 WCDES Plate Assignments

[Guest MahopacFF101]

It was changed in 2001.

2011 WCDES Plate Assignments

It was long before 2001. I remember Somers M/A 13 & 14 when they were the 1960's International Harvesters

From www.Somersvfd.com

Retired Apparatus

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 2005

Engine 185 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 13 (1978-2005)

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 1987

Engine 186 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 14 (1978-1987)

Edited October 28, 2011 by MahopacFF101

[mfc2257 464]

Just wondering if anyone knows when Westchester County started referring to their Brush Trucks as Mini Attacks, and if they know the reason(s) for doing so?

Honestly I don't know of any real brush trucks in Westchester. If you look at 90% of the vehicles that are called mini attacks in Westchester, they are way to big and heavy to be considered brush trucks by the rest of the country where true brush firefighting apparatus are needed. The term mini attack or mini pumper is quite fitting for Westchester

[JBE 328]

It was long before 2001. I remember Somers M/A 13 & 14 when they were the 1960's International Harvesters

From www.Somersvfd.com

Retired Apparatus

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 2005

Engine 185 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 13 (1978-2005)

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 1987

Engine 186 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 14 (1978-1987)

I was about to say the same thing. I remember them called MA's back in the late 80's in my first foray into scanner land.

[firedude 985]

It was long before 2001. I remember Somers M/A 13 & 14 when they were the 1960's International Harvesters

From www.Somersvfd.com

Retired Apparatus

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 2005

Engine 185 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 13 (1978-2005)

1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER

Served from 1966 to 1987

Engine 186 (1966-1978)

Mini Attack 14 (1978-1987)

I was refering to the county's system. I believe they started to organize the apparatus in 2001. Somers may have done it earlier.

Edited October 28, 2011 by firedude

[TRUCK6018 50]

I was refering to the county's system. I believe they started to organize the apparatus in 2001. Somers may have done it earlier.

While the county did a major overhaul of there radio designators in 2001 (or there about), Westchester County did have a "mini-attack" designator before then. The Somers twin IH brush trucks, as mentioned, had official Westchester County plates as stated in 1978 when their "engine" designators were removed. This was due to the 1979 Orens were purchased which were given the engine 185 and 186 numbers. It was the same period Croton Falls had its M/A 16 and 17, Yorktown had its M/A 8, etc.

When Westchester County overhauled their designators in 2001, the intended purpose was to stream line the designators to NFPA terminology. Prior to this time the county would give you virtually any designator that was requested ie Somers QA-1 in 1989.

One of the major changes was the inclusion of the current ambulance numbering system. Prior, Somers ambulances were "Rescue" 6, 7, and 38 and then were given the 80B1, 2, 3 as they are known today.

Other changes included:

The deletion of the "QA" designation (Somers and Vista were the only two departments to ever have a QA (Quick Attack) number). Somers initiated it, Vista perfected it.

All departments that had any sort of water vessel, whether it was a dinghy or a actual fire boat, were given "Marine" unit designators.

The "Tele Squirt" designation was deleted. The two squirts in the county (Millwood and Mohegan) became "engines".

Any apparatus not otherwise specified (Cascade, bus, RAC, etc) became "utilities".

Edited October 28, 2011 by TRUCK6018

[dadbo46 50]

"County Fire Control" initiated the term "Mini-Attack" in the mid-70's when there was a growing number of non-rated pumpers that were being used for quick-out, mimimum manning (generally 2 or 4 max)apparatus used for minor incidents such as car, brush, dumpster fires as well as wires down, etc.

It was inappropriate to call them pumpers (engines) because their pumping capacity was less than 750 GPM (they were generally in the range of 250 GPM)and the term "utility" was not accurate (I always thought the term "utility" were vehicles/apparatus that didn't fit into any other catergory.......I suppose they could have been called "Miscellaneous Vehicles.").