Quakertown Fire Co. No. 1

Twenty two years is the standard age at which a Quakertown Fire Department engine is replaced.  Engine 17-1, a 1986 Mack CF, is now 23.  Despite its age, it’s still going strong, serving as the first-out piece on structure fires.  While time hasn’t taken a toll on Engine 17-1, new safety regulations and equipment have come about which Engine 17-1 does not comply with or have room to carry.  Mechanical parts are also becoming scarce for Mack CFs.

Heavy items such as saws will be placed on low slide-out shelves.

Over a year and a half ago a truck committee was formed to design a replacement engine.  The committee took numerous trips to fire companies far and wide to inspect their newest trucks and decide on a chassis manufacturer.  A final decision was made to go with Spartan, the manufacturer of the chassis of Engine 17, now 10 years old.  A decision was also made to use Swab to build the body.  Engine 17, Engine 17-1, and Chemical 17 all have Swab bodies.

Countless hours and much thought was put into the design of the new truck.  Designed from the ground up, the new engine is packed with features that were chosen to fulfill specific needs.

Upper shelves will tilt down for access by shorter firefighters.

“We designed the engine with a limited daytime crew in mind,” said Lieutenant David Erwin, chairman of the design committee.  Heavy equipment such as fans and saws will be placed low on roll-out shelves to allow individual firefighters to lift them without unecessary effort or possible injury.  The cross-lays have been lowered to allow shorter firefighters to pull them with less effort.  The pump has a computerized throttle that will maintain a set pressure, and the deck gun can be remotely controlled from the ground, allowing the driver to operate a master stream while the crew concentrates on preparing to place handlines in service.

The engine will carry 750 gallons of water in its booster tank, as opposed to the 1000 gallons currently carried by both Engine 17 and Engine 17-1.  This allowed for 24″ deep compartments, greatly increasing the storage capacity of the truck.  Roll-up doors will allow compartments to be opened in tight areas where swinging doors would not fit.

Another truck with the same seat type found in the new engine.

An inline inductor system with a 30-gallon foam tank is also included, allowing crews to operate foam lines immediately without the need to manually set up an inductor and foam buckets.  Crew seating has been fitted with an easier release mechanism for the airpacks, addressing a common complaint among the firefighters riding the current engines.

Delivery is expected in July of 2009.