Equipment
Past and Present
History Equipment; Past and Present The photo to the right is of the first tanker truck ever used by the Escanaba Township Fire Department. The 1982 picture was taken in the new fire hall.
The Township Board approved the purchase of a new pumper truck and building to house the fire department in 1982. The building was erected adjacent to the Township Hall by a contractor and all concrete work, plumping, electrical and heating were installed by the volunteers. The pumper truck was a 1000 gallon per minute FDM on a Ford chassis and was lime green in color. At that time lime green was considered much more visible and was decided to be used by a majority vote of the firefighters. The pumper truck cost $70,000 at the time of purchase and was put into service on Jan. 1st of 1983. To the left is a picture of the fire departments #1 truck for 20 years.
The next addition to the fleet of vehicles was a five quarter ton weapons carrier that was acquired from the Department of Conservation to be used as a grass fire unit. Even though this vehicle had no roof on it was used for grass fires and to plow snow around the Township buildings for about 10 years, though it was very slow and took several hundred feet to make a circle.
The photo to the right shows this vehicle with its lime green paint and volunteer built water tank, pump and roll bars.
In 1986 a new Ford chassis was purchased and an 1800 gallon stainless steel tank was installed to be used as the first tanker to go to most fire, which allowed the fire department to shuttle water with its two tankers providing a more constant water supply to the pumper trunk at a fire scene. This truck in the photo below is equipt with a portable pump to fill itself or pump water out of a
1 1/2 “ fire hose.
In 1989 another new Ford chassis was purchased, this time being a large tandem axle with a 3500 gallon milk tank to be used as the second tanker. This truck is used to shuttle water to the pumper truck in large quantities for large or prolonged fires. It carries a portable drop tank and is pictured below. Once the large tanker was put into service the first tanker (1968 International) was sold to the Deerton Vol. Fire Department. With the addition of the large tanker the Escanaba Township Fire Department became one of the largest moving water departments in the Upper Peninsula. The department had at this point (1989) 6200 gallons of moving water between the pumper, two tankers and grass fire trucks.
The improvement and replacement of vehicles continued in 1994 with the purchase on an F-350 Ford chassis to replace the roofless DNR vehicle. The new truck was purchased without a box and the volunteers built and installed a flat rear bed with stainless steel water tank, front bumper, and roll bars as well as aluminum cabinets and deck. This multi use vehicle is used for car and grass fires, lighting up fires scenes and to plow snow around the Fire and Township Halls. The volunteer firemen of the department did such an outstanding job in the fabrication of this vehicl that the department was invited to show it a auto show. It is shown above with its lime green cab and shiny aluminum and stainless steel rear section. The old DNR vehicle was returned when the new truck went into service.
The addition of a 1956 American Lafrance pumper truck was not only used as a parade vehicle as its original intent but became a valued tanker fill truck used at the many water sources in the Township. This vehicle was completely reconditioned and painted by the volunteer and it is shown in the photo to the right.
In 2005 the Township purchased a new 1250 gallon per minute pumper truck with a 6 man cab. It was manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, WI and has proved very convenient for the fire fighters to get into their turnout gear.
The Township fire department currently operates the new pumper, 1989 & 1986 tankers, 1994 grass rig, and 1982 pumper from the fire station in Flat Rock adjacent to the Township Hall. It is important to note that the whole fire department was built over the years by no extra voted millage and thousands of hours of volunteer help.
The current roster of volunteers is listed below and they meet on the third Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. at the fire hall.
Ken Brunette – Fire Chief
Brad Barron – asst. Fire Chief
Brian Hughes – Secretary
Brad Trombley – Treasurer
Current Equipment
The Fire Department currently operates with the 1982 Pumper, 1994 grass fire truck, 1986 Tanker, 1989 Tanker and 2005 Pumper.
The Escanaba Township Volunteer Fire Depratment currently has 32 volunteers and operates out of one building located at 4618 Cty 416 20th Rd.
The number one truck is a 2005 Pierce Contender with a six man cab. It pumps 1250 gallons of water per minute, has a small foam tank and carries turnout gear, air packs, lodders, fans etc.
The number two truck is a 1986 Ford tanker truck that can pump or shuttle 1800 gallons of water. It carries a floating pump and a dop tank to put the water in.
The number three truck is a 1989 Ford tanker truck that is used to shuttle large quantities of water. This tandem axle truck carries 3500 gallons of water, a drop tank and a floatiing pump.
The number four truck is a 1994 F-350 Ford used primarily for fighting brush and grass fires. It is also used for snow removal at the fire and township halls
Truck number five is the original fire department pumper truck from 1982. It can pump 1000 gallons of water per minute and is used primarily to fill the tanker trucks from one of the departments dry hydrants or the river.
The photo to the right is of the first tanker truck ever used by the Escanaba Township Fire Department. The 1982 picture was taken in the new fire hall.
The next addition to the fleet of vehicles was a five quarter ton weapons carrier that was acquired from the Department of Conservation to be used as a grass fire unit. Even though this vehicle had no roof on it was used for grass fires and to plow snow around the Township buildings for about 10 years, though it was very slow and took several hundred feet to make a circle.
The new truck was purchased without a box and the volunteers built and installed a flat rear bed with stainless steel water tank, front bumper, and roll bars as well as aluminum cabinets and deck. This multi use vehicle is used for car and grass fires, lighting up fires scenes and to plow snow around the Fire and Township Halls. The volunteer firemen of the department did such an outstanding job in the fabrication of this vehicl that the department was invited to show it a auto show. It is shown above with its lime green cab and shiny aluminum and stainless steel rear section. The old DNR vehicle was returned when the new truck went into service.
The addition of a 1956 American Lafrance pumper truck was not only used as a parade vehicle as its original intent but became a valued tanker fill truck used at the many water sources in the Township. This vehicle was completely reconditioned and painted by the volunteer and it is shown in the photo to the right. 
