Dayton Fire Dept Circa 1970

[FAO25]

Weird Question Dept.
Would anyone be able and willing to give me an idea about the size of the Dayton Fire Dept back in 1970. My parents stopped there back then on the way back from the IFBA Convention so we could go to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patt. I dug out some old Fire Engineerings recently that have articles or pics from that era. It made me curious about how big the department was. The number of stations, engines, trucks, rescues and chiefs. Rough idea of company manning. There were two articles in particular, an abandoned envelope company and a big fire at NCR if I remember right. Quite impressive. Any input appreciated and thanks in advance.

                                                     signed, About to be wet and snowy where the clams swim in real chowdah not tomato soup.   

[Buckeye 53]

I went to work at the Troy, OH FD in 1974 and this info dates around 1975 - 1976.

Sta. 2  East 3rd & Keowee
E-2  Tr. 2  East Chief  Unit 2 ( air )   Foam Truck  Amb 2 Amb 5

Sta. 3  W. 5th & Wilkinson
E-3  Snorkel 1

Sta.4  Main & Monument
E-4  Central Chief  Unit 1 ( rescue )

Sta. 8  E. Stanley & Farr
E-8  Medic 8

Sta. 9  Salem & Oxford
E-9

Sta. 10  S. Broadway & Williams
E-10  L-10  Medic 10   Amb 6

Sta. 11  Brown & Park
E-11

Sta. 13  W. 3rd & Euclid
E-13  L-13  West Chief

Sta. 14  N. Main & Forest
E-14  L-14

Sta. 15  Wayne & Medford
E-15  L-15

Sta. 16  Gettysburg & Kings Highway
E-16  L-16  Medic 16  Amb 7

Sta. 17  W. 3rd & Gettysburg
E-17

Sta. 18  Smithville & Burkhardt
E-18  L-18  M-18

Sta. 19  Wayne & Fauver
E-19

Sta. 20  Fairview & Catalpa
E-20

I believe that they ran 4 on all co.s  Medis ran with 2.  The Ambulances ran with 2 from the companys that they were housed at.  I am not 100% sure about where Amb 6 & 7 ran out of. The units were staffed the same way.  My dad worked at NCR & yes it was the biggest fire I ever saw in Dayton.  I made it to the Dayton Envelope fire and it was pretty good too.  Maybe tomorrow I'll post what each company ran with.

[FAO25]

So with cross manning the ambulance it would be one from each leaving three on the fire company? And the medic had dedicated manning?
Many thanks to you for the info.

[Buckeye 53]

Yes, the 4 medics were always staffed.  I don't know how the ambulance staffing changed the number of members on the other apparatus.  I don't know if they went out of service or they ran short. 

[Buckeye 53]

Due to " Old Timers " or just a brain freeze, I forgot to list the Foam Truck at Sta. 2.  It was not a staffed apparatus.  I revised the earlier post.  I saw it used once at a fire at 3rd & Garfield. 

[Buckeye 53]

I thought that this would be a relatively easy task to list all the apparatus that the Dayton, OH FD used in the early 1970's.  My memory is not what it used to be and neither were the notes I thought I'd recorded.  It makes me sad to see the rigs I let slip away with no info or poor info.  Some of my pics weren't that good either.  Since they are all 35mm slides you might not ever see some of them.  For the most part, the ones I shot with Box 2565 back in the day are posted on this site.
So with apologies in advance for my errors & the thanks of those who pulled out the rigs and let me take notes, here we go.

E-2 1967 Mack C95FD1626 1000/300
Tr. 2 1955 Seagrave 900T H.7340 100'
Foam Truck  1965 Kidde/GMC 13,500 CFM  #110
E-3  70th Anniversary Seagrave
Snorkel 1966 PIerce/FWD 7925-C 75'
E-4  70th Anniversary Seagrave
E-8 1968 Mack CF  SN most likely 1015 or 1017
E-9 1971 Hahn 1000/500
E-10 1962 Seagrave 900B M.9025  1000/150
Tr. 10 Thibault / GMC 85'  Unsure of year
E-11 1961 Seagrave 900B M.1075 1000/150
E-13 1965 Pirsch / GMC PI-89  1000/300
Tr. 13 Thibault / GMC 85'  Unsure of year
E-14 70th Anniversary Seagrave
Tr. 14 1971 Thibault / Duplex # 450 250/250/75' - This rig is posted in the Thibault thread in red!!
E-15 1962 Seagrave 900B M.9026
Tr. 15 1968 CF Mack # 1024 / Maxim 75'
E-16 1971 Hahn 1000/500
Tr. 16 1955 Segrave 900A H.7335
E-17 1965 Mack B951240 1000/100
E-18 1968 Mack CF685F10-1016 1000/500
Tr. 18 1968 CF Mack # 1025 / Maxim 75'
E-19 1966 Mack C951429 1000/
E-20 1967 Mack C951563 1000/

I have no info on the medics or ambulances.  Unit 1 was an IH Metro step van.  No info on the unit 2 the air truck.  No info on the chief's cars.

I believe that all the rigs delivered prior to 1976 were eventually repainted to Lime Green.

Tomorrow, the spares!

[Buckeye 53]

Dark Day for Dayton, OH Fire Department in 1976

Engine 3's 70th Anniversary Seagrave was replaced with a
1976 WLF 80-1379 1500/500.  The 1st rig delivered Lime Green :'(

This 1976 WLF eventually became E-12 when Sta. 12 was opened on Brandt PIke & Needmore Rd.
I don't remember what year that was for sure. 

[Buckeye 53]

New Aerial for Dayton, OH FD in 1978

Truck 2
1978 WLF
1500/250/100' LTI
Box 2565 posted this in the WLF Thread.

This rig replaced 2 aerials that were running out of Sta.2  The 1968 Mack Maxim from Tr. 18 had moved down to Sta. 2.  It responded to the residential areas on the East side while the Seagrave 100' TT responded downtown & the target hazards.  The Seagrave became a spare & was later surplussed.  It survives and is owned by the Dayton FF's.  The Mack Maxim went to the West side & became Tr. 16, replacing their 65' Seagrave.

The WLF was wrecked in the 1990's and was rebuilt in 1994.
It is currently used at the Training Center and should disappear soon.

1994 Simon Duplex / LTI
1500/200/100'
# 40994
John Denney Photo

[FAO25]

WOW! This is more than I could ask for and all that I could have hoped for.
 I know what you mean about keeping details. As I go through almost 30 years of slides I took and digitize them remembering what is what is a problem. The things you thought you wouldn't forget become dim. And the rigs I wish I'd shot... If it makes you feel any better, not only am I doing my stuff, but also what my father shot. He's been gone more than 20 years and had been a buff starting about 1950. He was also a news photographer. Trying to figure out the info for his pics and movies is like an archeological dig. Match this broken piece of pottery to that one.
I was fortunate to grow up in an area with quite a variety of fire departments when there were a lot of fires. But the Northeast gets most of the spotlight it seems. Ohio and all it's industrial cities has as many stories I am sure.
Thanks for increasing my knowledge and understanding of a place fondly remembered from a while ago.
PS. We had dinner in an Italian restaurant. Don't remember the name but the food was good too.

[Buckeye 53]

In the mid to late 1970's, mini pumpers were all the rage.  Dayton took delivery of a
1977 Saulsbury / Dodge 300/250 and assigned it as Attack Pumper 3.  It was the 2nd rig to be delivered in LIme Green.  I remember watching evolutions at the Training Center where AP-3 would pull up and dump its tank through the deck gun and then lay out the 5" hose to the engine.  I can't quite recall if they reversed or did a forward lay.  It kicked around a little and ended up at Sta. 8 as BT-8 for Brush Truck 8. 

I'm guessing that your Italian Restaurant was either Anarino's or Anticcoli's.  Anarino's was on N. Keowee just over the river.  Anticcoli's was on Salem Ave. not too far from Good Samaritan Hospital.  Both, like the mini, are Long Gone :'(

[Buckeye 53]

I seem to recall that in the 1970's Dayton had 7 spare engines numbered 21 to 27 and 3 spare trucks numbered 31 to 33.  I wish I could remember where each was housed.  I remember E-11 had a spare engine for sure.  Truck 31 was at the 16's.  E-21 eventually became a 1st line company when the Dayton FIre Department established a new engine company in the late 70's or early 80's.
I always wondered why they chose that number instead of using one from a previously disbanded station. Station 21 was located on Frederick Pike just North of Needmore Rd.  Dayton was thought as being pretty progressive at that time for leasing the building instead of buying it.  I don't know if that idea ever really caught on any where else.  Their 1st engine was a 1959 Seagrave 900B
# L.1201.  E-21 is no more, so I guess they were smart to lease the building after all.
Here are the serial #'s for the few spares that I managed to record.
1952 Seagrave 900B F.6935 - E-27
1955 Seagrave 900B H.7330
1957 Seagrave 900B J.9671
1946 Seagrave 12JA 65' C.7835 - Tr. 31
1951 Seagrave 12JA 65' F.2400 - Tr. 33

I am sure sorry that I can't tell you more.  You know what they say, "If I only knew then what I know now", I surely would have taken more photos & way better notes!!

[FAO25]

Apology completely unwarranted. I greatly appreciate your time and effort. The hows and whys of departments are the stimulus for many discussions over coffee and other beverages. It is fascinating.

[Buckeye 53]

I will wrap this up with the last 2 deliveries for the 1970's.  In 1978 Dayton placed 2 Hahn engines at E-4 and E-11.  Box 2565 posted a photo of E-11 on page 2 of the Hahn thread.  A lot has happened in these 32 intervening years.  The DFD is a shell of its former self as are many other departments across the US.  I am awaiting the month of May as Dayton is expecting 2 new HME engines.  Maybe E-4 will get one   The other good news is they have returned to red apparatus
Now, where are my notes from the 1980's?

[franksansev]

Interesting topic FAO25. And many thanks to Buckeye for his most informative info.

FAO25 are you perhaps from a major metro area in the Northeast or perhaps the New England area?


Thanks again for the post.

[Buckeye 53]

I dusted off the scanner and here we go.

Dayton, OH E-2
1967 Mack C95FD1626
1000/300
John Denney Photo - May 1982

Note the 2 MARS Lights on the roof of this and all Dayton rigs from this era.
They had clear lenses and I always thought that they were pretty effective.