Fire Apparatus - Ladders

The Ladder section has now grown to three pages. At the bottom of the first page click "More Ladders" to go to page two. This section covers "Ladders" that includes towers, tele-squrts, snorkels, aerials, platforms, quints, and true ladder trucks. You can easily spot ladder apparatus from other apparatus because a ladder is normally the largest piece of equipment and in most cases its equipped with an extendable ladder on the top surface of the vehicle body. Some ladders are equipped with a platform (towers) and water nozzles, while others are just equipped with a water nozzle at the end of a boom. Ladder trucks originally were a means of transporting long extension ladders to an emergency scene and have progressed to the point now where a spray nozzle on the end of the ladder can be extended over obstructions to spray water into a fire from overhead. They can even be used as an observation platform, if needed. Last updated December 10, 2002

Aetna Hose Fire Company is located in Newark (pronounced New Ark), Delaware, home to Delaware State University. This 1987 100' Seagrave ladder is stationed in the downtown area of Newark. It is located across from, what some firemen have nicknamed "skid row", a very old house that has been turned into student appartments.
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Anne Arundel county, Maryland, Glen Bernie station is the home for this 1989 E-One with a 95' tower. Glen Bernie station is near BWI (Baltimore/Washington International) airport.

Located on the U. S. Naval Academy is this 1990 Pierce Arrow with a 65' squrt. The US Naval Academy has two stations, one on campus where this apparatus is assigned and another station next to the naval station near the academy.

I was sort of surprised to see this quint at BWI (Baltimore/Washington International) airport, but there are building there like anywhere else. Q-50 is a 1994 E-One with a 75' ladder.

Belvedere Volunteer Fire Company has some very sharp looking "Chicago" style apparatus tucked away at their station house near Wilmington, Delaware. Don't blink because their station is hard to find. This 55' Squrt is a 1993 model Pierce.
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Bethany Beach's (DE) 2000 Pierce 100' articulated tower was featured on the 2000 Pierce calendar. Articulated means that the ladder can be extended over the front of the cab and then the basket section can be tilted downward (or in any direction) for easy access. To give you an idea of the cost of equipment like this, the pricetag on this one piece was $850,000.
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Birdsboro, PA is located between Reading and Philadelphia. They are in the transition of painting their equipment into a Chicago style paint scheme. Can't wait to see this 1979 Mack CF tower painted into the new colors. To see the new color scheme, check out the pumper or miscellaneous pages.

Bryn Mawr (pronounced Brin Mar)Fire Company is located just outside of Philadelphia, PA. This sharp looking 1994 E-One 100' ladder was recently sold. Check out their even sharper pumper on the "Pumper" page.

Bryn Mawr, PA's new 2002 E-One 100' ladder is very similar to the older 94, but I find the paint on the new one is matching their beautiful pumpers green color better.

A very large 100' tower from Cambridge, Maryland seen here at a fire truck parade in Federalsburg, MD.

Camden, SC is only the second city in the state of South Carolina where I have found a snorkel. L-11 is a huge 1967 FMC/Young 85' snorkel assigned to the main station in downtown Camden.

Carlisle Fire Company Ladder 42 from Milford, Delaware lends a hand at the Harrington, DE fire house.
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Sorry to say, Chester, PA is not on the tourist maps as a place to visit, but the guys at the station were very friendly and kind enough to bring out engine 81-1, a 1990 Pierce with a 50' telesqurt.

This is a 1996 E-One 80' ladder assigned to Station 13 in Claymont, DE. When you are headed for Pennsylvania from Delaware, Station 13 is the very near the PA/DE stateline. Checkout Claymont's super heavy duty rescue on the Rescue page.
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Ladder 8 is a Simon-Duplex/LTI 100' ladder assigned to the Columbia, South Carolina fire department as seen here downtown near the Five Points area.
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Ladder 9 of the Columbia, South Carolina fire department on a call in the Five Points area of downtown. Five Points is the local college(s) hangout area.
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What a combination, Columbia, South Carolina's Ladder 51 is a 1971 Seagrave referbed by Pemfab/Imperial in 1994. L-51 is equipped with a 100' ladder and can be found at just about any of the stations in downtown Columbia.
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Ladder 52 of the Columbia (SC) Fire Department is a 1976 Mack CF with a 100' Thibault ladder. The reserve engine is assigned to the main station near the downtown area of Columbia.
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Columbia-Richland (county) Ladder 14 is located a stones throw from I-20 to the north of Columbia, South Carolina. Station 14 also has a pumper assigned to the second bay. As you can see, L-14 has a very long rear overhang that drags the pavement from time to time. L-14 is a 1992 American LaFrance with a 105' ladder.
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Conway, SC is located about 15 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. This 1990 Simon/LTI 100' ladder is the only ladder in Conway and is housed at the central station. Check out the Miscellaneous and Pumper section for other Conway, SC equipment.

This 1998 Pierce Quantum 75' ladder matches the 1998 Pierce Quantum pumper Croft, SC has at their station just outside of Spartanburg, SC.

Crossett, Arkansas's tallest building is probably 5 stories tall, but Ladder 1 can be called upon to respond to emergencies in the huge Georgia-Pacific Paper Mill located in town where the additional reach may be needed.

Station 15, Delaware City Volunteer Fire Department's E-One ladder.
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Delmar is located in Sussex country Delaware on the Delaware and Maryland stateline. This is a 1994 Pierce Lance with a 75' ladder. It is one of several very nice pieces operated by the Delmar Volunteer Fire Company.
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Denton (MD) Volunteer Fire Company's great looking ladder seen here in Federalsburg, MD.

Assigned to the main station (Station 1) in downtown Dover, DE is this very nice example of a tractor drawn ladder truck.
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The new replacement for the former L-1 Mack tiller is this new Spartan/LTI 100' ladder seen here in Dover, Delaware and identified as L-1. The Mack it replaces is for sale.
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Another view of Dover's (Robbins Hose) Volunteer Fire Company's 2001 Spartan/LTI 100' tiller.
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Robbin's Hose Company in Dover, DE also has a second ladder truck, Ladder 2 (L-2) that is assigned to Station 2 on the northeast side of downtown. Also assigned to this station are two 80's era Macks.
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One of several Macks operated by the Robbin's Hose Company in Dover, Delaware This squrt is assigned to the main station in downtown Dover.
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Singerly Fire Company of Elkton, Maryland is the proud owner of the partially hidden squrt. Engine 314 is a 2001 HME/M&W Fire Apparatus piece.

Elsmere (DE) Volunteer Fire Company is the operator of this 105' Pierce Quantum ladder seen here in Middletown, Delaware.
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Another beauty from Elsmere Fire Company located just outside Wilmington, DE in Elsmere, DE. There 1986 Pierce Arrow with a 54' squrt is seen here outside their beautiful station.
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Five Points Fire Company has this beautiful tiller which is a 1991 Pierce Maxim. The ladder is 100' in length. The rear tiller was enclosed during the ladder's upgrade.
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Those of you who were in the US Army will recognize the name Fort Jackson (SC), home to the US Army's boot camp or recruit training command. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, the army base is protected by L-1 a 1997 E-One 100' ladder that is assigned to the central station on base. Check out the Miscellaneous page for a view of the chief's vehicle.

This is a 1971 Mack with a Baker Aeroscope ladder operated by the Georgetown (DE) Volunteer Fire Company. A lot of the newer ladders and towers have the "business end" of the apparatus facing forware, but on rear mounted platform the monitors are stored aft.
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Good Will Volunteer Fire Company is located in New Castle, Delaware along Delaware Bay. This is a 1996 Pierce Dash 105' ladder.
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