What does the color of your fire company or department's trucks say? Traditionalist? Unique? Deviant? "Red means go fast!"
Let's take a look at just some of the colors different departments in the North Jersey area have adorned their trucks with.
The truck you see above is one my fire company's engines. We've been around since 1936 when our part of Jefferson, NJ was still a few mines, woods and a cow pasture here or there. And in all that time the fire company has always had red fire trucks. What can I say? Red is standard, but it sure does look cool when it goes blaring down the road with lights and siren.
Classy and immaculate, that's how I would describe Boonton Fire Department's fleet of cream and blue trim fire trucks. They're trucks better look good since every year they host a major Labor Day parade that brings in departments from all over competing against each other for trophies. Also, I can personally attest the color scheme goes all the way to the inside of the cabinets and the chassis of the truck.
Here comes Big Bird, or at least that's what it looks like when you see Roxbury Fire Company 1 rolling down the road. The hard to miss paint job does actually come with a backstory and explanation. According to Past Chief Charlie Alpaugh and my great uncle Clarence Clark, in the 1970s the federal government was working towards all fire service apparatus having to be painted lime green or yellow in order to be supposedly more visible. Roxbury Co. 1 thought they would get ahead of the forthcoming regulation when getting their new truck by having it delivered in yellow. Unfortunately the feds back off implementing the regulation and the fire company decided just to keep the color going froward.
blue? Blue? BLUE! Who the hell has a blue fire truck? The answer, Hampton Township Fire & Rescue in Sussex County, NJ. I guess when your fire department isn't old enough to order a beer you need to stand out. Hampton Township Fire & Rescue was established on the precipice of the new century in 1999. I may not be a fan of blue fire trucks but Hampton has embraced their blueness with Smurf decals, and their engine motto and decal of "First Due in Blue."
Like the saying goes "it's better to be lucky than good" and firefighters will take all the luck they can get. Apparently Port Jervis Fire Department Company 5 in Orange County, NY has the luck of the Irish on their side with their green fire truck and shamrock decal on the roof. Port Jervis seems to be the home for peculiar painted fire trucks with another company in the city having a blue truck.
It's Halloween everyday for Middletown Fire Department Engine 2 with their orange and black apparatus. I mean, how do you even end up with an orange and black engine? Was the thought process "What colors do you never see on a fire truck together?" Now all I'm thinking about is are there any other holiday themed fire trucks out there? Red and green for Christmas?
See you at the big one.
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