Buffalo Fire - Alarm on Chippewa St

I ran into this one on the way to get some food after work. Looks like an alarm at the Root Building that resulted in a box alarm or something. The Division Chief had left the scene just after I had left the DD with a smoothie.

But the trucks remained, and it was nice to see both Engine 3 and 2 - they are both 99 Pierce Sabres. Engine 1, which is a new American LaFrance, was apparently out on assignment.


But the big surprise was Ladder 2's spare rig. This has to be the first time I've ever seen an E-One rig in Buffalo, and this one looks like an old one too. I didn't even see this rig in the online BFD galleries, so I wonder where it came from.

In fact, this may be the first time I've seen an E-One in person. It looks like the distinctive cab from the 80s and 90s (big tilted windshield and those trapezoidal windows).

Anyone have any more information, please comment!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• buffalo
• fire
• response
• engine
• one
• two
• ladder

[Skankpronger]

buffalo isnt a very big city do they have a good fire dept?

[sethtriggs]

I think it's a great department. They respond quickly, and are a brave group. They also use an aggressive interior attack strategy that tends to reduce the spread of the fire.

[BassmanII]

Cont.

Now, Ladder 7 got a Pierce Dash with a 100' tower that is now Ladder 10's permanent rig after Ladder 7 got the ALF midship. If you recall also, Ladders 1 and 2 had 100 foot Simon-Duplex LTI towers on low profile rigs.

[sethtriggs]

Whoa, thanks for the info Bassman! That's really interesting. So was the Simon/Duplex the last ever rig for Ladder 11?

[Merritt72]

That E-One has a little history. It was bought along with several other Demo's to help replace the aging fleet. She was first put in place as Ladder 13's replacment for the old Lackawana ladder they had then she went to Ladder 10 after the accident with their tiller. She is now used as a spare throughout the Dept.

[Merritt72]

Truck 10's Tiller was a total loss after the accident. As for Truck 2's ALF I believe it is still OOS at the moment. If you need any picture,s of this truck let me know.

[BassmanII]

@sethtriggs That it was. I believe BC Lombardo was the last Captain of Ladder 11 also :(

[BassmanII]

The old flat panel cab ALFs were Pioneer II and III.  The Pioneer III had the wider cabs and the black trim around the forward warning/turn signal lights.

[BassmanII]

So you know, back in 1996, Buffalo was going to try the "Quint-Midi" firefighting system, and purchased five quint demostraters that year. Two Pierces, the E-One pictured, and a Simon-Duplex/LTI tower. The Pierces (One Dash, and one Lance) went to Ladders 15 and 9 respectively (Ladder 9's Pierce is now at Ladder 13), the E-One went to Ladder 13 and subsequently to Ladder 10, and the Simon-Duplex/LTI tower went to Ladder 11 (Refurbished, now at Ladder 14.

[umbergerstew]

too bad american LaFrance is goin outta buisness they made nice trucks

[sethtriggs]

I never got to see a Ward LaFrance truck in Buffalo, sadly. The earliest trucks I can remember seeing (at least distinctively recognizing) were the old Pirschs (like with Engine 18) and some old tilt-windshield ALF (century?) trucks. I know Ladder 14 frequently had one of those, and at one point Engine 13 downtown had one with the Telesquirt. I did not get a chance to see Engine 13's old ALF truck though.

[Wa3ypx]

Great stuff. I call that the "golden years" of firefighting. I was fortunate enough to get hired on right at the tail end of that era! They ran some Ward LaFrance stuff then. My dad knew George Blackstone the Ward dealer in that area.