Below is a history of
apparatus that have served the Doylestown Fire
Company Number 1. The fire company has changed quite
a bit over the years and with it so has the
apparatus that have protected the citizens and
businesses of Doylestown and Central Bucks County.
Where available, information on where the apparatus
has been in service and pictures are provided. If
you have any pictures or stories of some of our
apparatus that you wish to share with the fire
company, please contact us
here.
Fire Trucks of Doylestown
1825- First
records show that an Engine is in complete repair
and apparatus of ladders, hooks, etc are ready for
service. We believe the engine was sold in 1867 to
Enoch Wampole and Andrew Rickert.
1868- New
Number 1 Engine built by Cowing & Co. of Seneca
Falls, NY. Purchased for $651. Two wheeled hose cart
also purchased for $75. Both items were purchased by
Borough Council.
1871- Green
Hose carriage (number 1) and 600 feet of hose
purchased by Borough Council for $530.
1885- Red Hose
carriage (number 2) purchased used by Borough
Council. It was built pre-1860 and owned by the
following companies before coming to Doylestown.
Hauley Hose Co., Chester, PA; Independent Hose Co.,
Philadelphia, PA; and McClellan Hose Co., New York
City, NY
The following
Apparatus were purchased by Doylestown Fire Company
No. 1
1894- Rumsey
Ladder Wagon built new for DFC No.1 at a price of
$410. Currently it is housed at the Mercer Museum in
Doylestown Borough.
1903- Hose
Cart with 500 feet of hose capacity. This unit was
paid for by Borough Council
1914-
Auto-Chemical on Simplex Chassis outfitted by John
J. Rufe & Sons in Doylestown
1914-
Auto-Pumping Apparatus also outfitted by Rufe &
Sons. Truck was 80 horsepower, 500 gallon per minute
and had a Gross Vehicle Weight of 6200 pounds. Sold
to Joseph Baker as scrap in 1924.
1923- Used
Fait coverted for hose and outfitted with a 40
gallon chemical tank. Tank and equipment installed
by Hale for a total cost of $850.
1923-
Ahrens-Fox. 1000 gallons per minute and cost
$13,400. Truck is currently in service as Engine
19-3
1926- American
La France-Cosmopolitan type with a 500 gallon per
minute pump. Bought for $6,800.
1927- Hale
Hook and Ladder was purchased for $450.
1938- Hale
with 500 gallon per minute pump. Archives show that
the truck pumped 909 gallons per minute at 1650 rpms
on 10/5/1938. Truck was sold to the Tilley Family
when it was retired from service in 1970
1943-
Purchased a used GMC from Histands for $1037.
Vehicle was donated to Point Pleasant Fire Company
in September of 1956.
1951- Maxim
with 750 gallon per minute pump. Also had a 250
gallon water tank. Purchased for $15,939. Sold to
Clymer Twp. Fire in Tioga County.
Pictures
1953- Maxim 75
foot Ladder Truck with 350 gallon per minute pump.
Purchased for $31,000. Truck was sold to Ottsville
in 1989 and used as their first ladder truck.
Pictures
1956-
Chevrolet Utility Truck. Sold to Central Bucks
Ambulance in 1973 for $2,500.
1953-
Purchased a used 1949 Chevrolet Tank Truck that
hauled 700 gallons of water. Truck purchased from
Charles Brinker for $250 in February of 1953 after
it was retired from service as an oil delivery
truck. After Doylestown was done with the truck, it
was donated to Marshall Creek after an explosion
destroyed all of their trucks in 1963.
Pictures
1958- Maxim
Pumper Model 2357C with a 750 gallon per minute
pump. Cost new was $23,750
1960- New
Ambulance purchased for the O.P. James Ambulance
squad.
1962- Ford
Falcon Van
1963- New
Ambulance purchased for the O.P. James Ambulance
squad.
1964- Ford
F-700 Tank Truck that carried 1200 gallons of water.
Chassis was purchased from JJ Conroy Ford for
$4,092.
1968-
Oldsmobile Ambulwagaon- donated.
1968- Hahn
pumper with 1000 gallon per minute pump. Served most
recently as Engine 79-2 and retired in 2008. Truck
was bought by Alexander DeAngelis of Bristol, PA.
Pictures
1972-
International Loadstar All Wheel Drive. This truck
originally came with a Boyd Rescue Body for $19,150.
At some point the rescue body was cut off and a flat
bed with pump was installed and the truck was turned
into a field unit. The truck currently serves as
Field 79 with a 200 gallon per minute pump.
Pictures
1974-
Chevrolet Step Van used as a Canteen Truck. Replaced
in 1999 and sold to Trevose Fire Copmpany in 2000.
1974- New
Ambulance for the O.P. James Ambulance squad.
1976- R Model
Mack with 1000 gallon per minute pump. Truck also
had 3000 feet of 5" supply hose and a 500 gallon
water tank. Original cost of $49,925 and was later
replaced in 1992.
Pictures
1976- Cobra
equipped with a 103 foot platform. The truck was
equipped with a 1250 gallon per minute pump.
1982- Pierce
Pumper built on a Ford Chassis. This truck had a
1000 gallon per minute pump and 1000 gallon water
tank. The truck was affectionately referred to as
the square bear. Retired in 1998.
Pictures
1983- GMC Van.
Retired from service in 1999 when traded in on the
purchase of a new Chief's vehicle.
1984- Pierce
Arrow Pumper equipped with a 1250 gallon per minute
pump. Truck was sold in 1999 and exported to Canada.
1986-
Chevrolet/Grumman Van purchased and replaced the 74
step van as Canteen 19. Truck is still currently in
service.
1987- Duplex
Rescue truck with walk in cab and hydraulic tools
purchased. Truck is in service today as Rescue 19.
1990- Pierce
Lance 105 foot aerial. Truck operated as Ladder 79
until 2009 when purchased by the Indian River
Volunteer Fire Company in Delaware.
Pictures
1992- Pierce
Lance 2000 gallon per minute pumper. Cost of the
truck was approximately $350,000 and currently
serves as Engine 19-1
1994- Ford
F-350 Crew Cab Pickup Truck purchased and serves as
Utility 79.
1998- Pierce
Dash 2000 gallon per minute pumper. Cost of the
truck was approximately $390,000 and currently
serves as Engine 19.
Pictures
2000- Pierce
Quantum 2000 gallon per minute pumper. Currently
serves as Engine 79.
2007- Chevy
Silverado Pickup Truck purchased and serves
currently as Utility 19.
Pictures
2009- Pierce
Quantum 100 foot Ladder with 1250 gallon per minute
pump. Truck currently serves as Ladder 79.
CHIEFS
VEHICLES
Chevrolet
Station Wagon- retired.
1989- GMC
Suburban. Served as Utility 19 prior to being sold.
Sold in 2007 to John Cope.
1989-
Chevrolet Caprice- sold in 1997
1991-
Chevrolet Caprice- sold in 2001
1993- Ford
Crown Victoria- sold in 1997
1997-
Chevrolet Tahoe. Served as a Chiefs Vehicle until
2009 when it was converted in a traffic safety unit
and operated by the fire police.
1999-
Chevrolet Tahoe. Currently assigned to Battalion 79.
2000- Ford
Crown Victoria- sold in 2007 to Second Alarmers
Rescue Squad, Montgomery County, PA.
Pictures
2004-
Chevrolet Tahoe. Currently assigned to Deputy 19.
Pictures
2007-
Chevrolet Tahoe. Currently assigned to Chief 19.
2010-
Chevrolet Tahoe. Currently assigned to Battalion 19.
MISCELLANEOUS
VEHICLES
1987- Pace
Tri-Axle Flatbed Trailer. Used to move around Engine
19-3 1923 Ahrens-Fox.
1994- Utility
trailer with Onan 17Kw Generator. Used for portable
power and assigned to Station 79.
1995- Scotty
RV set up as a fire safety house used at
demonstrations and fire prevention expos.
2005- Carmate
enclosed trailer. Owned by Bucks County but housed
at Station 79. Contains hazmat response materials
and mass decontamination equipment.
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