After adding several units recently to the site and finding both US Tank and US Tanker on various nameplates, a call was placed to the manufacturer to determine the story. So, for those interested in the difference, the company, which is now called US Tanker, says that between the years of 1989 through 1996 they went by the name US Tank. Since then, they are known as US Tanker. The confusion was renewed recently with Tanker 72 in Woodstock which was manufactured in 1993 and is branded with the name of US Tank. (although it is currently labeled incorrectly on the site as US Tanker and will be updated.)
Posts Tagged US Tanker
US Tanker or US Tank?
Jul 19
Richmond FPD is posted
Jul 16
Along the Illinois/Wisconsin border in McHenry County is the town of Richmond and the Richmond Fire Protection District. They are in Division 5 covering roughly 28 square miles from one fire station which is packed with apparatus. The design of the Richmond fire station is sightly unique in that all of the apparatus bays are in the rear of the ‘L-shaped’ building.
The Richmond FPD station was designed in an 'L-shape' with the apparatus bays around the back of the building. Larry Shapiro photo
The department has a full-time chief and is staffed by 40 part-time firefighters. They run two engines, a truck, a tanker, two ambulances, a brush unit, two AWD ATVs and a pickup which doubles as a chase vehicle for medical runs and a take-home vehicle for the night-time shift commanders. Additionally, they have two beautiful antique engines.
Several years ago, Richmond purchased a 1984 E-ONE, 110′, rear mount, single axle straight truck from Franklin Park. This was an early custom cab/chassis unit from E-ONE with the square cab. Richmond updated the emergency lighting, repainted the black roof white and did various other work to the unit before putting it in service.
One of Richmond’s engines built in 1999 by US Tank with an enclosed top-mount pump panel has a twin unit in neighboring Spring Grove. Both feature the HME 1871 super command cab.
Engine 1844 is a 2010 HME 1871 Spectr/Toyne 1500/3000 pumper tanker. The hydraulic rack seen on this side stores the portable tank. Larry Shapiro photo
The Spring Grove FPD in McHenry County recently took an early delivery of their new pumper/tanker from Toyne out of Breda, IA. Engine 1844 features an HME 1871 Spectr cab and tandem axle chassis with a large extension and raised roof to house the enclosed, top-mount pump panel. This unit is reportedly going to replace a 1985 Ford C-Series Pierce 1250/1000 engine and a 1980 GMC 7000/US Tanker 2,200 gallon tanker.
The top-mounted pump panel is enclosed within the super command cab similar to Spring Grove's 1999 HME/US Tanker pumper. Larry Shapiro photo
This pumper/tanker has a 1,500GPM pump and is listed by the manufacturer as having a 3,000-gallon water tank and a 40-gallon foam tank. Both sides of the long body feature high-side compartments and as such, the ladders on the officer’s side and the portable tank on the driver’s side are both accessible via overhead hydraulic storage racks.
The officer's side of the rig also features high-side compartments and hydraulic ladder rack storage for the ground ladders. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 1844 has extendable chutes on either side to discharge tank water into a portable tank. There is no rear chute. Unlike most tankers, the chutes are located just behind the pump module instead of at the rear of the vehicle.
The extendable discharge chute to dump the water into a portable tank is located just behind the pump module. There is a similar chute on the opossite of the unit. Larry Shapiro photo
The rear of Engine 1844 shows the NFPA compliant chevron striping. Larry Shapiro photo
The new US Tanker in Countryside has a short, single axle, IHC 4400 chassis and carries 2,000 gallons of water. The body is stainless steel. Larry Shapiro photo
The new unit for the Countryside Fire Protection District has been added to the site. Although it is not yet in service, the new Tanker 411 will replace a 1988 Pierce Dash unit with a top mounted pump, open jump seats, a 1,250-GPM pump and a 2,500-gallon water tank. The old unit is going to be housed in Libertyville where it will be available for Libertyville to use or as a backup for Countryside.
The new unit utilizes an IHC 4400 2-door cab on a short chassis with a single rear axle. The pump is 1,000-GPM, the water tank holds 2,000 gallons of water and there is a 30-gallon foam tank with Class-A foam. The 1,000 foot capacity hose bed will have 700 feet of 5″ and roughly 600 feet of 2-1/2″ hose. There will be a 200-foot 1-3/4″ crosslay and somewhere between 200-300′ of 3″ hose as well.
This rear platform is for safe loading of hose. The non-skid surface is open to allow water to drain through it. Underneath the arrow stick is a backup camera. Larry Shapiro photo
Remote controlled chutes are on both sides and the rear. THe side chutes extend out from the body. Larry Shapiro photo
The rear has a ladder to reach the hose loading platform, an arrow stick, backup camera and NFPA chevron striping. Larry Shapiro photo
Tanker 411 has a 30-gallon foam tank and a 1,000-GPM pump. Larry Shapiro photo
Countryside is expecting a new GMC/Horton ambulance and an IHC/Rosenbauer Timberwolf interface engine in August.
The new tanker from US Tank has been delivered to the Countryside Fire Protection District. It’ll be some time yet before the unit goes into service, but HERE is a link to the delivery photos. It is a Heritage Model from US Tanker with a 1,000 GPM Hale pump and a 2,000 gallon water tank on an IHC chassis.
