Mount Tabor VFD Apparatus Over the Years

The Mount Tabor Volunteer Department has now been serving the citizens of Parsippany for 102 years. Hundreds of members have come through this department and have served their community by dedicating thousands of hours of services to ensure the lives and safety of the town.  

Not only has the department seen many faces, but several pieces of apparatus that have been instrumental in the success of the department. Starting with the original hose carts in 1910, which were pulled by the members to the scene of a fire. These were the only "mechanical" apparatus used by the MTVFD until a motorized vehicle was purchased in 1936. It was a "Buffalo Pumper" and at the time, was one of only two "engines" in the entire county of Morris. It would respond to fires in Denville, Morristown, Dover, Hanover Township, Parsippany and Rockaway. Many departments during this time had seen the effectiveness of the engine and quickly had purchased their own.  

Following World War II, the MTVFD had received an old Army Surplus truck which its main purpose was to transport manpower and equipment to the scene. Ladders were mounted on it like the Buffalo Pumper, but it lacked a pump of its own. That truck was quickly retired once the new 1952 TASC Pumper was purchased. The TASC was much faster and was more practical for the growing occupancy for the district. Its pump was designed for higher pressure and volume and could produce more water at a faster rate. 

In 1964, it was apparent that the 1936 Buffalo needed to be retired. A "Young Pumper" was purchased and also came with tires for more "off road" fires to help assist in brush fires, the farm lands and more difficult terrain. This truck was now know as 613. The six represented the town code, the one represented the district and the three was the truck number. The Buffalo, which was more of a reserve truck, became 612, the Tasc was 611 and the Young, 613. As Route 10 developed more and more both residentially and commercially, the highway became very populated.  The lanes had widened and motorists were traveling faster. Serious accidents were becoming a routine for the MTVFD to respond too and a rescue truck, with specialized tools, was purchased in 1967. This was the first ever designated "rescue" for the department and was labeled 614. It carried no water, just tools for extrication and search.  The jaws of life were placed on this truck and became very helpful for these terrible accidents.

In 1970, the department purchased another Young Pumper. This was a single stage pumper with a deck gun mounted on the top of the truck for large scale fires. This became 615 and was stationed at the Tarn Drive Firehouse. Water could be pumped from one engine to 615 to help supply larger quantites of water to assist in putting out large occupancy fires. 1980 rolled around and a new Mack Pumper was purchased. Unlike the other trucks, this one was "safety green" in color. No one to this date can exactly say for sure why this color was chosen over the standard "fire engine red", but it wasn't the color that mattered, rather the power in the truck itself. This replaced the old 612 and was stationed at Simpson Ave in Mount Tabor. It was specifically designed to fit in the smaller building and assist in brush fires. Its smaller chassis helped navigate tough areas and still turn tight through Mount Tabor. It had two pre-connected booster reels and ample auxiliary lighting to illuminate the area during night calls.

In 1988 the small resuce truck was replaced with a new 614, designed by Ford. It had large stand alone lights, a generator built into the truck and held more extrication tools. It was a three man cab and could fit six in the back (though not very comfortably). 1993 brought large and modern changes to the MTVFD and Engine 613 was designed and purchased. This was the first truck bought from Pierce for the MTVFD. Its 1251 GPM pump was the largest the department had ever worked with and operating multiple handlines was now significantly easier, and safer. This truck could hold 10 firefighters in it and underwent a refurb in 2010 to update lighting, electrical work, adding a deck gun and foam to it. Engine 613, though 19 years old, is still the first truck out the door today.

Engine 613 proved to be quite effective, and due to this and the overwhelming population growth, Tower 611 was acquired in 1995 and with its 100 foot tower, could access the top of each building within the district. It was very similar to 613 with the exception of the ladder and length, and that it could pump 2000 gallons per minute. This was stationed at the new Powder Mill Firehouse once it was built in the mid 90s. In 2000, the old 615 had run its course and put in a solid 30 years of service to the department. The old truck was donated to the fire department in Chile and a new Pierce CAFS Pumper was purchased. This truck had a new Compressed Air Foam System and allowed it to "suffocate" the fire much quicker than water. This was placed in the Simpson Ave Firehouse and 612 was moved to Powder Mill. In 2004, Mini Pumper 616 was purchased to primarily fight vehicle and brush fires. It was built off of a Ford F550 chassis and carries only 250 gallons of water, but also has the CAFS in it.  

In 2007, the growing need for a new rescue was great and a new Pierce Enforcer Heavy Rescue was purchased. This truck was significantly larger than the old 614 and barely fit into the Tarn Drive Firehouse. Its PTO driven generator made operating extircation tools and providing extra lighting a breeze. Its design also permitted it to make tighter turns and carry 8 firefighters. This truck is actively used for Mutual Aid RIC calls to surrounding towns. 

Pictures of these trucks can been found on our website in the apparatus gallery at www.MountTaborFD.com/apparatus.html