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Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 71F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Engines get set to roll out of the Fire Station on Market Street. While no longer housing Derby Fire & Rescue, it remains in use by the city of Derby.

Former Derby firefighter Chuck Fields is shown ringing the bell on Hose 1 – one of the department’s earliest fire engines.

As needs arose, the department sought out vehicles with additional gear – like a ladder truck (or quint, shown) with the ability to extend out over 100 feet.

Engines get set to roll out of the Fire Station on Market Street. While no longer housing Derby Fire & Rescue, it remains in use by the city of Derby.

Former Derby firefighter Chuck Fields is shown ringing the bell on Hose 1 – one of the department’s earliest fire engines.

As needs arose, the department sought out vehicles with additional gear – like a ladder truck (or quint, shown) with the ability to extend out over 100 feet.

Derby’s history of fire-fighting equipment is marked by innovation, repurposing, and critical needs assessments. That may be most notable when looking at the department’s fleet, a brief history of which is listed below:

• 1952-1954: Derby Volunteer Fire Department members loaded a Civil Defense-provided portable water pump, hoses, nozzles, and tools – stored on a trailer – into a pickup truck when responding to emergencies.

• 1954: The city of Derby purchased a 1947 dump truck and the DVFD, using funds raised from community events, purchased parts to convert it to the department’s first fire truck. It had a 400-gallon water tank, ladder racks, hose beds, tool storage, 250 gallon-per-minute (GPM) pump and served as a front-line engine until 1977 and as a reserve engine until about 1990.

• 1956: The city purchased a 1956 Ford fire pumper manufactured by American Fire Equipment with a 500-gallon tank, 75 GPM pump, built-in storage, side ladder storage, and top hose storage beds. It served as a pumper until 1995, then as a converted utility/rescue vehicle until 2006.

• 1959: Derby #13, designed by DVFD members and built by General Fire Apparatus in Minnesota, had unique features for fighting fires in rural areas and wheat fields. It carried 1,000 gallons of water with a 759 GPM pump for areas with no hydrants, and a power take-off pump that allowed it to “roll and pump” in fields. It was retired in 2008 and given to Derby’s Public Works Department (park maintenance) for use as water truck.

• 1954-1970s: A 1954 Jeep with a small tank and pump that could go offroad to fight fires was loaned to the DVFD by the State Forestry Department.

• 1977: A 1976 Ford demonstrator model fire truck purchased from Pierce Manufacturing – painted bright lemon-lime – became the frontline flagship of the fleet. It had a 35-foot elevated water tower boom called a Tele-Squirt that could discharge 1,000 GPM through the nozzle, a useful feature as a water curtain when suppressing flying embers from a fire or applying water on top of a burning roof. It was retired in 2008.

• 1981: A 1981 fire pumper able to roll and pump and equipped with a high-volume discharge nozzle that could be placed into service with the touch of a button was purchased. It was used for wheat field fires as well as in-town calls until retired in 2012.

• 1995: Purchased a Quint with a 100-foot aerial ladder, 1,000 GPM pump and a full crew cab so no crew had to ride on the tailboard.

Today, the DFD’s engine inventory comprises of a 2001 Pierce engine with a 1,000 GPM midship pump, two Pierce engines with 2,000 GPM mid-ship pumps and full crew cabs purchased in 2006 and 2019, and the Quint.

Recently, the department had a contractor conduct a study of all aspects of the fleet and make recommendations including configurations, storage and replacement schedules.

“What’s important to know about fire apparatus is it’s much different than your personal vehicle or construction equipment as far as when you replace it,” Derby Fire Chief John Turner explained. “With a personal vehicle you often look at mileage, and with construction equipment you look at hours of use. Fire equipment gets both mileage and hours, but we can’t afford to have downtime – it always has to be ready to go out the door. As it ages, the repairs become more frequent and more complex, parts are harder to get and the downtime increases.”

The replacement plan is 15 years for an engine – 12 frontline and three in reserve – and 20 years for the ladder truck, which carries other essential equipment including saws, a generator, rescue tools and shoring equipment.

Part of the fleet study recommendation was to move from the Quint model that carries both water and ladders. A new ladder truck is on order for delivery next summer, and the Quint will be given to another fire department, Chief Turner said.

A new engine has been approved for purchase in January, and when it arrives around 2024 the 2006 Pierce will go into reserve and the 2001 Pierce will be retired.