I had the good fortune to take a recent trip to the far northeast early this autumn. My spouse and I went on a fall leaf adventure. There is even a term for this: leaf peepers.
I had no idea this was so popular. Yet, it happens every year without fail — leaves change and peepers peep.
On this foliage adventure, naturally, my predictable condition manifested itself and we visited a few fire stations. There are some really grand firehouses in that region.
I love the old brick and stone fire stations. Some even had hose towers. I looked like Rodney Dangerfield’s picture-taking friend in “Caddyshack.”
The best part was that some of these old, living firehouses had vintage fire apparatus in them. I was nearly in heaven.
For example in Lincoln, N.H., I saw a Hahn aerial platform. I’ve seen a few Hahns, but I have never seen a Hahn platform.
Old stations, old trucks
Inside the Southbridge, Mass. fire station, which was built in 1899, were some great trucks — an old Maxim tiller and several Hahn pumpers. However, up the road in Wilbraham, Mass. I crashed at the fire department’s fire prevention open house and found a 1984 LTI aerial still in service. This one really impressed me.
I do like that era of fire trucks. It is a tremendous credit to these departments that these trucks are still serviceable.
They don’t take care of themselves. These trucks have been meticulously cared for to be in such great shape after all these years.
I should give out a Golden Wrench award annually for maintenance and upkeep of a fire apparatus. We are on a limited budget, so it would probably have to be a regular wrench spray painted gold with some glue-on gold glitter.
As fate would have it I found a fire truck controversy up in that part of the country. You know how I love small town uproars over replacing the town fire truck.
Follow the drips
The local life savers in Wilmot, N.H. wanted to replace an aging pumper and tanker with one new pumper. That sounds like a financially sound idea to me. However, it descended into a “how we are going to pay for this” debate.
This story was reported on in a March edition of the Concord Monitor. The fire department says the pumper can’t pass a pump test. The tanker leaks, doesn’t have seat belts and has brake problems.
Maybe the town hall’s not full of drips after all. Let’s look at these problems the Wilmot Volunteer Fire Department alleges.
First, this pumper is first on scene at a structure fires and can’t pump water. I’m reasonably sure the second-due pumper probably has pumping capabilities. This will allow time for the first in crew to reassure the homeowner that a fire truck with pumping capabilities is on the way.
A leaking water tank has its advantages.
Here’s a true story. A department I was once involved with blazed out on a mutual-aid assignment. This neighboring subdivision was very confusing with circular streets, which stopped and started.
The neighboring department had a 1,000-gallon tanker/pumper. Our driver followed a Hansel and Gretel trail of water through the streets to the fire. Now had it been a rainy day we would have had to consult a map book, delaying the response and possibly landing us at a delicious candy-covered house.
Be thankful
Finally, I was always taught to pull past the fire to allow aerial access and to permit the officer to see three sides for their size up. What better way to ensure that than to not be able to stop in front of the house because there are no brakes?
Seriously? I wouldn’t take this truck to the corner store for a jug of maple syrup. But they want the local fire department to use these trucks and bet their lives on them. I’m not even getting into the seat belt issue.
The good folks at the Wilmot VFD get out of bed and leave their dinner tables to help the public. Let’s get a truck that at least has seat belts.
I don’t know how this turned out in Wilmot; somebody let me know. We followed a similar situation a while back in Revelstoke, British Columbia. The life savers there wanted a new aerial. Despite the same cost objections, they finally got their new aerial.
Speaking of it being fall, Thanksgiving approaches. I’m working again this year. Yes, amateur hour in the kitchen. Last year I had the fan running at a cooking mishap by 10 a.m.
It’s the traditional time when many of us will attend a turkey fire or other holiday delicacy in flames. Please be careful.
In the end, there are a few constants in life. Leaves will fall, I’ll stop at every old fire station, I and others will scorch Thanksgiving dinner and municipal officials will turnover every rock to find an excuse not to buy fire apparatus. It’s nice to know some things don’t change.
Let me hear from you.
