When the Seaside Heights (N.J.) Fire Department needed to make recent apparatus purchases, it chose its longtime apparatus manufacturer, American LaFrance (ALF).
Seaside Heights is primarily a bedroom community with a large tourist area on the Jersey Shore. The population in the winter is roughly 3,000, but that number swells to approximately 50,000 during the summer months. And the town was changing, says Seaside Heights Fire Chief Sam Samarelli. “More than 300 new condos were in the process of being built with heights of 60 to 70 feet, so we knew we had to increase our aerial ladder reach with new apparatus,” he says. “In addition, our older apparatus started having problems, and we knew we had to replace our 1989 Sutphen, as well as add a ladder and eventually a heavy rescue.”
The department decided that a 100′ tower and a 75′ quint would best handle their needs.
The department’s apparatus committee wrote the specs and submitted them, and six or seven apparatus manufacturers bid, Samarelli says. ALF was the winner. “We wanted to keep all of our vehicles the same for training and operability, so ALF gave us that choice,” he says. The first two delivered: a 100′ ALF/LTI platform and an ALF Eagle 75′ quint. A heavy-rescue pumper with an added pump and tank was delivered later.
As to the rescue unit, which can be used as a pumper as well, Samarelli explains that they needed the apparatus to help consolidate all of their rescue equipment that had been stored in an old soda-delivery vehicle and two of their other pumpers. The new space also made it possible for the department to have two sets of rescue tools as well as some additional equipment. “The truck is better organized, and we also added a cascade system for refilling SCBAs,” Samarelli says.
Samarelli says funding for the apparatus came through a major bank. “We also operate a raffle stand on the boardwalk that’s leased to Dunkin Donuts, which helped pay for the vehicles,” he adds.
When time came to purchase the rescue vehicle, ALF was going through their bankruptcy. “We decided to stay with them during this period,” Samarelli says. “We also had to deal with a change in the local dealer because the old dealer went with another manufacturer.” But Samarelli believes this ultimately benefitted the department. “Our original plans called for us to build the vehicle on a commercial Freightliner chassis; however, because of the long delay in build time, we were able to get the rescue built on a custom Eagle chassis as well as have a light tower and a 1,250-gpm Darley pump,” he says. “All that was left over from other departments that cancelled their orders. In addition, they also provided us with a loaner pumper for three years while they were going through this period of turmoil for their company.”
Although waiting a long period of time for an apparatus delivery is not for everyone, Samarelli believes that Seaside Heights benefitted by sticking with ALF. After all, it gained a custom chassis and other options on the rescue build. So while they had to wait longer than most, they got a great deal in return. Perhaps the best takeaway, though: The department took a proactive approach several years ago by planning for their response district’s needs. They knew they had a great deal of expansion in their district and added aerial ladder reach and upgrades for future use. So take a lesson from Seaside Heights and plan for your community’s needs well in advance and write your specs accordingly. You can’t go wrong.
Rescue Specs
- 2010 ALF Eagle chassis
- 1,250 Darley Power Flo single-stage, 300-gallon poly pump
- Cummins ISL 400 engine
- Allison EVS 3000 Transmission
- 6-kW light tower
- Aluminum body
- Front-mounted rescue tool with reels
