FDNY Chief Officer Cars and Vehicles
- Thread starter firebuffkevin
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This looks like a 1950's Staten Island job where I see E163's 1938 Ahrens-Fox 500gpm wagon, Rescue 5's converted 1940's WLF hosewagon/rescue and L80's 1953 ALF 85ft. aerial up with a wooden aerial behind it. L80 was the only metal aerial on Staten Island until 1960, when L77 got a 1960 Mack C/Maxim 85ft. The next metal aerial was the 1948 Pirsch 85ft. that went to L85 in 1962 then in 1968, L78 & L83 got "hand-me-down" metal aerials. L78 got a 1953 ALF 85ft. that served 15 yrs. as L17 and L83 got the first 100ft. aerial on S.I., a 1962 Seagrave that was formerly assigned to L27.mack said:
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Oops, how did I forget that? :-[68jk09 said:
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Is that a '51 Chevy Chiefs Rig?
guitarman314 said:This looks like a 1950's Staten Island job where I see E163's 1938 Ahrens-Fox 500gpm wagon, Rescue 5's converted 1940's WLF hosewagon/rescue and L80's 1953 ALF 85ft. aerial up with a wooden aerial behind it. L80 was the only metal aerial on Staten Island until 1960, when L77 got a 1960 Mack C/Maxim 85ft. The next metal aerial was the 1948 Pirsch 85ft. that went to L85 in 1962 then in 1968, L78 & L83 got "hand-me-down" metal aerials. L78 got a 1953 ALF 85ft. that served 15 yrs. as L17 and L83 got the first 100ft. aerial on S.I., a 1962 Seagrave that was formerly assigned to L27.mack said:
Great, Gman. Richmond (now Staten Island) Box 3-3-1393 on September 24, 1957. 3rd alarm was on Victory Blvd. Engine 163's Ahrens Fox was purchased for the 1939 NY World's Fair and used by a special FDNY 55th Battalion with three Battalion Chiefs, fourteen company officers, and seventy FDNY firemen manning one double and two single engine companies (http://www.1939nyworldsfair.com/worlds_fair/wf_tour/misc/NYFD_01.htm). Rescue 5, as the Chief pointed out, would have responded on the 2nd alarm and would be staffed by Ladder 78 members. You can see the "78" frontpieces as they put on their masks. Their rig was "after conversion" when members built an enclosed body for their shop-converted hose wagon rig. Ladder 78 staffed Rescue 5 until the VN Bridge was built in early 1960s when the SI rescue was disbanded. Rescue 2 covered Brooklyn and all of SI until 1984 when Rescue 5 was re-organized at Engine 160.
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Yes, box 1393 @ Victory & Jewett in 1957 would've had a 1st alarm response of E163, E157, L83 & L80. E166/L86 who are 2nd due today were organized in 1963 so E163/L83 and L80 had a lot of real estate to cover back then. 
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With the push button transmission selector on the dash to the left of the steering wheel.
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If you worked in certain late '60s early '70s FDNY FHs you tried to avoid bringing a late model car to park at the FH during your work hours.....many had a Ghetto Cruiser just for that purpose.... when i was on Siegel St in 108 mine was a high mileage '64 Dodge Coronet Wagon which had an Automatic Transmission controlled by a push button selector on the dash alongside the steering wheel ....the Forward gears as well as Reverse were pushbuttons & to place it in Park there was a slide switch lever (sort of like the old heater adjusting levers) underneath the buttons.....it had Power Steering that was effortless as well as a smooth overall ride....i once lent it to a friend to do some moving & afterward he related how it was an even smoother car to drive than his late model Caddy.
