1982 Seagrave Pumpers
In early 1981 the fire company started looking into the replacement of the 1960’s era Seagraves. The 1967 Seagrave was due for replacement that year and the 1969 Seagrave would be due the following year. In November of 1981 the committee was entertaining the idea of replacing both pumpers at the same time. In February of 1982 the committee came before the company with the bids and its recommendation that we buy two pumpers. The committee felt that since the second pumper was due for replacement in a year, that it made sense to purchase two now at a lower cost and also the fact that the older two pumpers had gasoline engines that were showing a lot of wear and tear. There was much discussion but the company accepted the engine committee’s recommendation and accepted a bid from Fire Equipment Supply Company for two new Seagrave pumpers. They were delivered to Bel Air on November 1, 1982 and placed in service in April of 1983.
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The pumpers were equipped with the following: Detroit Diesel 8V92 445 HP engine, Jacobs engine brake, Allison HT-740 automatic transmission, Waterous two stage 1250 GPM pump, 750 gallon booster tank, Onan 6 KW diesel generator, pressure governor, a potable monitor mounted over the pump that was supplied by a short section of 3 inch hose when mounted on the pumper, a hose bed that contained 1600 feet of 3 inch hose that was divided in half for two 800 foot lays, two 150 foot 1 ¾ preconnects, one 200 foot 1 ¾ preconnect, and one 250 foot 1 ¾ preconnect. In addition the pumpers carried an aluminum 3 section 35 foot extension ladder, an aluminum 14 foot roof ladder and a 10 foot folding ladder. The standard complement of tools, hooks, extinguishers, smoke ejectors, hand lights and appliances were also carried.
They were delivered in late 1983 and after being outfitted, were placed in service in April of 1983. Engine 314 answered its first alarm on April 16, 1983 for a building fire on Main Street and Engine 316 answered its first alarm on April 17, 1983 for an investigation at the Harford Mall.
These pumpers served the fire company for many years until they were placed out of service and eventually sold in July of 1998. One went to Hawaii and one went to Michigan.