Sanford Fire Apparatus
ON THE BOOK SHELF
By John M. Malecky June, 2022
Sanford Fire Apparatus
By Joe Raymond, Jr.
Available from:
FSP Books & Videos
433 Main Street
Hudson, MA 01749
1-800-522-8528
E-mail: support@fire-police-ems.com
www.fire-police-ems.com
Price: $14.95
This is a soft cover book measuring 8 ½ inches by 11 inches. It has 104 pages, and was composed in 1986. There may be all black and white photos, but the history is very colorful, brought to us in detail by the author!
Sanford Fire Apparatus built nearly 200 trucks ending in 1985. They had been located in the Syracuse, NY area and started out as a motor truck company. It later started building fire apparatus, and even built its own chassis. These apparatus for the most part were sold to smaller fire departments. They were attractive looking trucks built on both commercial and custom chassis. To me, they resembled another brand of apparatus but I am not suggesting that this was on purpose, it is only my observation.
There are eight chapters: 1909-1924, The Industrial Revolution Creates a New Business; 1925-1932, Fire Apparatus Division Takes Charge; 1933-1939, Motor Trucks Depart as Streamlining Arrives; 1940-1947, The New Corporate Identity as Sanford Goes to War; 1948-1959, Filling the Needs of Loyal Customers; 1960-1964, Revitalizing a Proud Name; 1965-1985, Building for the Future and 1925-1946, Sanford Delivery Lists.
Sanford was a localized company that sold mostly in New York State, with a few sold in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From 1943 to 1945 they also had a contract with the U.S. Navy, delivering 10 units to different parts of the country. There are well over 100 photos of commercial trucks and all types of apparatus, including besides pumpers, mini pumpers, tankers an in-plant fire truck, and three aerials.
I remember twin custom pumpers with large water tanks at the DeCou Hose Company in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, NJ, that I photographed when they were new, and they were two of my favorites because they were attractive. Unfortunately, they are not among the photos in this book, but nevertheless there are many others that the reader will enjoy. If you are a person that enjoys history and apparatus, this book is a must for you if you don’t already have it!
No information from the author.
