Quakertown Fire Co. No. 1

On August 19th, 2010, members of the Quakertown Fire Company #1 participated in the Veteran’s and Community Expo at Strayer Middle School, held by PA State Senator Bob Mensch and PA State Congressman Paul Clymer.  Other organizations there included the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, SEPTA Police K9 unit, and the PA State Police.

Members in attendance were David Erwin, Scott Jones, Collin Reinhart, Chris Erwin, Bill Weber, and Michele Graziano.

Quakertown Fire Company #1 took delivery of its new Chemical truck on July 30th, 2010. Members have been working diligently to mount equipment on the new truck, and to learn how to operate the new vehicle.

The new truck has been lettered and is almost ready to go in service.  Radios will be installed on Monday, August 23rd, and the truck will go into service after the radios are installed.

The new truck replaces the 31-year-old R Model Mack which went into service in 1979.  The old Chemical 17 was sold to Pennsburg Fire Company.

The new Chemical 17 combines the equipment from the old Chemical 17, as well as the old Hazmat 17.  Features include:

• 75kW PTO Generator
• Onboard compressor for filling SCBA cylinders and cascade systems
• 4-cylinder cascade system for filling SCBA cylinders in hazardous atmospheres
• 20kW of truck-mounted scene lighting, including a 9kW multi-directional light tower
• 5kW of portable lighting
• Ventilation equipment, including smoke ejectors and PPV fans
• 125lb class BC truck-mounted dry chemical extinguisher system, with 200′ hose
• Firefighting support equipment
• Rapid Intervention equipment
• Several hundred feet of various-sized booms for hazmat incidents
• Other hazmat equipment from Hazmat 17
• 400lb of oil dry
• 75 gallons of foam
• Portable decontamination shower and other equipment for mass decontamination incidents

A full list of equimpent will be published this week on our website.

The new Chemical 17

At 31 years old, Chemical 17 is well beyond its 25 year scheduled replacement.  Built in 1979, the R-model Mack has served tirelessly to provide much needed compressed breathing air, electricity, chemical firefighting agents, and hazmat support at thousands of emergencies.

Built in 1990, the 20-year-old Utility 17 pickup truck tows the 22-year-old hazmat trailer to hazardous materials emergencies; the combination carrying the designation of Hazmat 17.
The time has come to replace Chemical 17.  Beginning two years ago, a committee was formed to design the replacement truck and the decision was made to combine the equipment on the current Chemical 17 with the equipment on Hazmat 17.  In order to so, the committee chose Spartan Motor Corporation’s largest heavy rescue chassis on which to build a custom-designed body.

Lots of room to combine equipment

The new Chemical 17 will carry equipment for many roles, including filling SCBA cylinders with breathing air, generating electricity, lighting and ventilation, hazmat and spill control, decontamination, chemical fire supression, trapped firefighter rescue – known as rapid intervention, vehicle rescue support, and of course structure fire support.

Completion of the new truck is expected to be mid-summer.

New Chemical stats:

• 2009 Spartan heavy rescue chassis
• 500 HP Cummins Diesel motor
• 6-speed Allison transmission
• 40′ 3″ overall length
• Dual rear axle with air-ride suspension and switchable axle interlock
• Custom-designed Swab aluminum body
• Seating for 6 firefighters
• 75 kW PTO generator
• On-board air compressor with supplied air reels and high-pressure reel for filling other cascade trucks
• 4-cylinder 6000 psi cascade system
• Over 15,000 watts of lighting

More pictures here

The Quakertown Fire Company Auxiliary is selling Basket & Cash Calendars for the month of December.  Calendars are $15 each or two for $20.

To purchase, call (215)-696-1973 or (267)-374-0156.

Squirt 18 and Engine 17 were dispatched at 13:07 to a roofing material plant on Pacific Drive for a smoke investigation.  The incident was quickly upgraded to a building fire which went to two alarms.  A large saturation machine on the side of the building was burning.  Companies in service with copious amounts of high expansion and AFFF foam.