Not all fire service Jeeps are old. Here are a few examples of more recent Jeeps in use around North America (and the world.)
As of early 2023, Vengeant Apparatus in Pennsylvania has introduced a light brush truck they call "Fire Devil".
The Gladiator is equipped with an 80-gallon Riptide skid tank, and rides on a 3-inch lift.
See also a rear view (370K JPEG).
Reiselt's Machine Works in Radnor, Ohio built this brush truck platform, based on the JT Gladiator, the pickup version of the JL Wrangler. In this case they went with a utility bed rather than a pickup bed, to carry a skid-mounted pump. But the big advantage of the JT is for a department that wants a brush truck ready to carry a crew of five. See a right side view (270K JPEG).
Brush Truck 573 is in service with the Oshtemo Township Fire Department in Michigan. This unit, with 5000-pound front-mounted winch, carries 75 gallons of water and a small pump, plus four portable water backpacks. It responds to all brush/grass fires in the township.
This Wrangler was delivered in early 2015 to North River Valley Volunteer Fire Company in Rio, West Virginia. Under its removable Bestop hardtop is a Marco high pressure brushfire skid unit (240K JPEG) with FoamPro pump, Honda engine and UPF 60-gallon tank.
When German apparatus manufacturer Magirus wanted a small MZF (MehrZweckFahrzeug or "multi-purpose vehicle") to round out its range of state-of-the-art trucks in 2013, they chose the JK Wrangler with a 2.8-liter common-rail diesel. Their MZF is loaded with fire extinguishers, jacks, medical and rescue gear. After using this original MZF as a demonstrator for three years, it was sold to a Slovenian fire brigade in 2016.
Magirus delivered this 2018 JK as a command vehicle and EMS first responder for the Neckar Valley in Germany. Photo courtesy Feuerwehr Neckartailfingen.
Independent Hose Company No. 1 in Frederick, Maryland, is the state's oldest volunteer fire company, officially organized in 1818, when the color green was adopted. Their 2013 Wrangler with the Mopar JK-8 conversion, replaces their old Brush 16 which was a surplus 1967 M-715 (200K JPEG, photo courtesy Duncan Henry.)
Built by Dakota Customs in South Dakota, the Jeep carries 74 gallons of water and 10 gallons of foam, and has a Rosenbauer ultra high pressure pump.
Brush 16 features Smokey on the hood and doors, just like another JK-8 in Minnesota.
Grass Lake, Michigan has this Rubicon as their Truck 2. GrassLakeRon commented in an interesting discussion at JeepForum.com, "It doesn't even slow down over rough terrain. The last time I saw it was cruising across a farmer's field at 40 mph to a brush fire. The Jeep they used before that, was a CJ-6 with the V6."
See also a front view (180K JPEG) of the 2009 JK.
Stockdale PA VFD's Brush 17 is a 2008 Wrangler with a 3" lift kit and 34" tires, 12,000 lb. winch, 60-gallon high pressure skid unit, 100 ft. of hose, and tools including chain saw and backpack pumps. See also a front view.
As of April 2021, Brush 17 has been retired and was raffled (without the skid unit) -- see Facebook.
The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company in Virginia replaced their "Jeep 1" 1977 CJ-7 with a long-wheelbase 2006 TJ Unlimited Rubicon.
The system built by RKO Enterprises includes a 5-gallon Class A foam tank as well as 60-gallon booster tank. The Davey pump delivers 20 gpm @ 144 psi, 120 gpm @ 36 psi, and has a 1-1/2" intake.
As of early 2014, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Dept. in Maryland was selling a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Sport Brush unit, equipped with:
The Jeep has 6,000 miles. See rear view photos with the gate closed, and gate open (80K JPEGs).
Brush 5-1 of the Dexter Area Fire Department in Dexter, Michigan, is a 2001 Wrangler fitted with a Honda pump. It also carries Indian backpacks and an 8000-pound winch.
Jeep 7 of the Hollywood, Maryland VFD is a 1999 Jeep Wrangler graciously donated by the Ladies Auxiliary. The Jeep was supplied by Allsafe Fire Trucks, Inc. in Maryland.
See also a rear view of an Allsafe TJ conversion (50K JPEG), and a photo of the tailgate open (50K JPEG).
This YJ Wrangler serves as Rescue 1 at the Fantasy of Flight airfield in Polk City, Florida. "Fantasy of Flight" is the world's largest private aircraft collection on display, and became the new home for much of owner Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft from the Weeks Air Museum in Tamiami FL after they were damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. As of 2015 a scaled-down version of the amazing museum is open during the winter, while the rest of the facility is upgraded for reopening in a few years.
The only other example I've seen of a spherical pressurized dry chemical system like this, is on a Gendarmerie crash Jeep in France (see Police Service Jeep Toys.)
Winchester Community Fire District in Winchester, Ohio set this YJ up with a 50-gallon tank.
This '94 YJ grass fire Jeep was sold on eBay in 2012 for $6100, rust-free after 113,000 miles of service in Lima, Ohio. It was equipped with a poly water tank, Hannay reel and rear-mount pump (60K JPEG) with a Honda GX 160 5.5HP engine.
Unit 29 of the Hendron, Kentucky VFD is a 1992 YJ, also converted entirely by members of the department. It has an 80-gallon tank and Hypro 12V DC Pump which provides 10 GPM at 65 PSI, through 75 feet of 1/2" hose. Neighboring departments have seen it in action and been impressed, so maybe it will start a trend. The Hendron VFD also has a surplus 1968 Kaiser Jeep M715 as a brush truck.
This Wrangler was turned into a brushfire truck serving Calvert County, Maryland, by the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department, whose funding sources include an annual vintage Corvette raffle.
Lieutenant Jon Riffe comments, "We had two other Jeeps before this one. One was from the 40's but did not run anymore. The other one was from the 50's and was solid as a rock. Its time had passed and we decided to replace it. We bought the 1990 Jeep from a guy in Pennsylvania, and at the time it was a regular blue Jeep. We lifted it, bought new tires, did some engine work, sprayed the interior with a bed liner, hooked up lights, bought a small water tank with an electric pump, and painted it yellow (like our other apparatus.)
"We placed it in service in the summer of 2001, and it has been very busy with all the woods fires we have had. It is excellent in the woods because of the small size. We have saved several acres in the County because of it and are pleased."
Photo courtesy Virginia Reinecke.
Thanks to Randy Harris of the Hendron VFD, Jon Riffe of Huntingtown, Steve Facini of Hollywood, Kyd Dieterich of Allsafe, and Dale Jonas for spotting fire Jeeps on the web. -- Derek Redmond
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