New Caisson

[BCR]

Don't think that will ever happen, it was flooded during Sandy and auctioned off on copart I bilieve

 

[ORFD 12-19]

First off let me introduce myself.  My name is Jason and I'm from Charlotte MI.  A volunteer for a small paid on call department and an employee of Spartan Chassis for many, many years.  I joined this forum specifically for the Caisson being discussed.  Some of you may be members of groups on facebook and have seen the inquiries I've had about this rig.

Here is a brief history.

After the tragic events of 9/11, Spartan employees wanted to do something to help the City of New York and FDNY.  Employees persuaded management to build an engine and donate it to FDNY.  So vendors jumped on board, employees donated hundreds of hours and the engine was built and delivered December of 2001.  An extraordinary feet if you know how long a typical build takes.  Sadly, from what I'm finding out the pump did not meet FDNY specifications and was never put in service.  The water tank was removed, the pump was disabled and the hose bed was modified to carry a casket in caisson.  The engine was built with an unspeakable amount of pride.  In fact all employees signed the inside of the cab while it was raw aluminum, inside of one of the doors it says "F**k Bin Laden".

Through the years I've followed the engine from images you would see on line and new it was primarily used for Caisson.  Then the rig just disappeared.  Well recently I found out why.  It was in a building that flooded during hurricane Sandy and suffered extensive damage.  It was decommissioned and sold to Copart. 

While at copart, somebody from Georgia bought the engine with the intent of refurbishing it.  They got the engine running again but the rig wouldn't move.  So they called up to Spartan looking for direction.  That got the wheels turning.  When employees found out about the rigs condition and location, employees that were apart of the original build had a sit down with the new CEO and told him we want this truck back.  He didn't bat and eye and said "go get it".

So the engine is back where it was created.  The engine needs extensive work and our end goal is to get it moving and stopping under it's own power again.  It's going to be kept at spartan as a reminder of what we do and honor those it was built for.

If you have any information about the engine through out it's life, pictures or names of those it carried in caisson please let me know.  One of the ideas that keeps getting brought up is to put "Rebuilt In Honor Of" on the back doors with the names of those it carried home.  So far I have only been able to identify

Christian Engeldrum    Iraq, 11/29/04
Lt. Richard Nappi  LODD  4/16/12

If you have information that you don't want to make public online please let me know and I'll give you my email address.

Thank you in advance and thank you for the ad!

 

[Nasibova]

l am just a long time fan of FDNY and FDNY  apparatus ...  l like your story and what you are doing and what you want to do with that piece...

i sort of wish it met specs. w/FDNY  and was used in service...  esp. think would of been nice as engine 70 with the spartan rebuild of tower  53.

See  fdnytrucks.com    then  Bronx    then  engine 70  /  truck 53.

Either way l like the story...

 

[Bulldog]

Great story ORFD.  Hopefully you will be able to get the names of all that the rig carried!  It would certainly be a nice tribute to all involved.

 

[RPM3311]

ORFD I PMed you

 

[tbendick]

FYI:

It was just went back to bid with a updated spec.

 

[Joebud2006]

I have couple of questions about the recently awarded contract for the new Caisson truck.  First am I correct in reading that Seagrave won the bid even though they had the higher bid. Second, is this a one unit order for roughly 1,950,000.00?  That's a huge price tag for a new Caisson truck. just my two cents on the matter.

 

[raybrag]

I was watching the funeral for Deputy Chief Fahy this afternoon.  His caisson appeared to be a KME, and was obviously outfitted as a caisson, with a significantly modified hose bed and a casket platform which raised and lowered (sounded like a hydraulic motor to me), with rollers to allow for the casket to be more easily loaded and unloaded.

My question is this:  was there ever a contract issued for a new caisson, or did the shops modify a KME (or Seagrave, if my eyes deceived me) for use as a caisson?

 

[FDNYSTATENISLAND]

I was watching the funeral for Deputy Chief Fahy this afternoon.  His caisson appeared to be a KME, and was obviously outfitted as a caisson, with a significantly modified hose bed and a casket platform which raised and lowered (sounded like a hydraulic motor to me), with rollers to allow for the casket to be more easily loaded and unloaded.

My question is this:  was there ever a contract issued for a new caisson, or did the shops modify a KME (or Seagrave, if my eyes deceived me) for use as a caisson?

I noticed it was a KME too. Was wondering the same thing.

 

[baileyjeff]

Curious now!!

 

[BCR]

The shops awhile back made a slide in unit to handle caskets, it had been used several times on the BOT Seagrave. The hose bed dividers are removed and handler is bolted in

 

[raybrag]

Thanks, BCR.  I assume, then, that this was the BOT KME.  Anyone know for sure?

BTW:  Here's the Majesterium's video of the procession.  Interesting to note that it was a 4-striper on the right rear step of the caisson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OryOyMKmKrQ

 

[raybrag]

A post on Facebook today says that the "new" FDNY caisson will be a Mack CF donated by the Demarest FD in Demarest, NJ.  Don't know if there's any truth to it or not, but it's an interesting idea.

Photos from Patrick E. Pogan's post on Facebook group "NYC Fire Buffs"

 

[In2theJob]

I saw this rig in the shops a month or so ago. nice old mack.  One of the mechanics was saying he had to find someone who knew how to drive it to bring it somewhere the next day to start getting referbed.