FWD Trucks

[Guest EMFAS_26-21]

This might come out souding like a stupid question, but since I'm an EMT, I don't know too much about fire engine manufacturers. Is FWD a subsidiary of Seagrave? I ask because there are some similarities within the looks of their respective body structures. For example, the front of Hartsdale TL 15, a 1994 "FWD/Baker/Arialscope" according to FDNYTrucks.com, looks just the same as FDNY TL 46, a 1997 Seagrave/Arialscope/Saulsbury, also listed on FDNYTrucks.com.

Am I seeing things or is there a distinct similarity in truck construction?

[chris498 31]

FWD of Clintonville Wisc. was the parent company of Seagrave between 1963 and 2003 when Jim Hebe former CEO of the new Freightliner ALF purchsed the company. FWD was responsible for moving Seagrave from Columbus Ohio to their current factory in Clintonville.

At one point FWD had it's own custom fire apparatus line... in efforts to streamline productions in the 1970's FWD trucks began using the same cabs and chassis an example of this in Westchester apparatus was Ossinings 1970 FWD Pumper. The cab of this truck and of a Seagrave PB are indenitical.

Frequently if you bought an 4WD Seagrave.... it arrived with FWD plates. So you are right in thinking they are similar... they are the same. During the 1950's FWD was a somewhat popular fire truck even in Westchester County... Ossining, Bedford Hills, and Mamaroneck Village all operated FWD Pumpers.

Until recently if you ordered an Aerialscope Tower, FWD was the predominantly used chassis.... some of this has to do with the fact the Aerialscope was also owned by FWD. FWD bought the Aerialscope line when Baker went bankrupt around 1991.

I hope this has not confused you. In short you are correct, they are the same.