Pictured to the right is Salisbury's brand new 1973 American LaFrance series 1000, "Ladder Chief". Deputy Chief Bill Taylor (left) and Chief of Department Fred Williams (right) accepted delivery of this vehicle in the early months of 1973. This was pretty much a state of the art vehicle for the time and features a 100 foot hydraulic aerial ladder and a full complement of ground ladders and hand tools. It was also fitted with a generator for electricity on the fire ground. In 1973 it was the only aerial truck in Wicomico County and it's service to neighboring departments was not entirely uncommon. The price tag for this truck was $70,000. Just a few months prior to delivery of this truck two matching engines were also delivered. All three vehicles were ordered at the same time but the ladder truck was delivered late due to the complexity of construction.
I don't have a date when D/C Taylor left the department but Chief Williams retired in 1980. Both men are now deceased.In the second photo Captain George Sullivan puts the new ladder truck through it's paces during a training exercise. Captain Sullivan was later promoted to Assistant Chief and retired from the department in 1983.
He is also deceased.
5 comments:
Bill Taylor, could make some mean spagetti. He'd make it and invite the whole neighborhood. He and his family lived next door to me when we were all kids. After he died his wife Peggy married another man name Bill who looked like a twin. Bill was a piece of work to say the least! LOL!
Engine 101 is for sale in DE. There is an interested group from sby looking into its purchase
Engine 101 is for sale in DE.
So I have heard. It would be good to see it restored but I have to say from personal experience the body was in bad shape when it left Salisbury. Of course some work may have been done already so it may not be so bad now.
Good luck with this project if you go ahead with it. Let me know if you do and I wil do a feature on this BLOG.
It would be nice to see ladder one again. It was a good ladder.
I think Ladder one is for sale. From what I hear it's pretty much stripped of everything. I'll try to find out more.
Glad you figured out how to post haligan---Welcome to the soapbox.
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