Sutphen apparatus

[pefroymson]

It appears that FDNY evaluated Sutphen aerial towers.  With the integrated ladder, I wondered why FDNY went with AierialScope.  was it just because of Mack apparatus or something else?  they had both been in the business a long time,  I was just curious....

 

[Bulldog]

My guess is it started out being because of the Aerialscope being mounted on a Mack chassis and they have you stuck with them ever since. I also wonder if the issue with Sutphen may be along the same lines as the reason that Pierce won't bid on FDNY equipment contracts.

 

[turk132]

I believe the Sutphen was tested because the tower was 100ft. At the time FDNY TL's were 75'(later the 95' tower became available)

 

[1261Truckie]

I always thought the reason that FDNY went with Aerialscope was the construction of the boom as opposed to placing a bucket on the end of a ladder.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Boston had 2 Sutphen towers, 1 @ 75' and 1 @ 85'. Pictured is one in the 80's.

 

[raybrag]

Lots of folks had them, Grump. Many still do . . . and are still buying them.  Newport News had 2, also . . . both 100 feet.




And here's what a 2019 version looks like:

 

[kidfrmqns]

I always thought the reason that FDNY went with Aerialscope was the construction of the boom as opposed to placing a bucket on the end of a ladder.

This was my understanding as well. An Aerialscope is the closest thing you can get to a crane mounted on a fire truck. In other words there isn't anything stronger than their box beam design.

 

[columbusfire]

All of my departments tower ladders are Sutphens. They are not very well liked by most, but since they are local, that's what Columbus buys. Since they have pumps, very little compartment space. I was always assigned to a 110 ft tiller, and there was plenty of space on them. The newer ones are 5 sections and that last section is scary narrow!

 

[Sfdc111]

Boston had 2 Sutphen towers, 1 @ 75' and 1 @ 85'. Pictured is one in the 80's.

As well as 2 engines and a 67? aerial.

 

[68jk09]

ONE OF THE TWO FDNY SUTPHEN's....Originally LAD*14 & LAD*119..after awhile 119 had both in their Qtrs with one as their Primary Rig & the other as their dedicated Spare no other LAD was to use it as a Spare.

 

[DaveReinstein]

ONE OF THE TWO FDNY SUTPHEN's....Originally LAD*14 & LAD*119..after awhile 119 had both in their Qtrs with one as their Primary Rig & the other as their dedicated Spare no other LAD was to use it as a spare

They used them till the early 1990’s I believe. I have a video of it working at a factory fire off of Bogart and Mckibbens. It was a 3 building warehouse with a lot that took up the block. They set it up on exposure 3 which became exposure 1 eventually.