PETER PIRSCH AERIALS

Peter T. Pirsch (March 2, 1866 – July 14, 1954) was a manufacturer who founded Pirsch and Sons, Incorporated, a Kenosha, WI –based manufacturer of fire apparatus. He patented a compound trussed extension ladder in 1899 and went on to make hand- and horsedrawn ladder trucks. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s a wide range of fire engines, including articulated ladder trucks were made, with power coming mostly from Hercules or Waukesha engines. All these had their engines under hoods, and the first cab forward model came in 1961. Pirsch and Sons discontinued production of their trucks in the early 1980s after reorganization of the company, with the last truck coming off the line in 1987.

From 1929 until 1952 Paterson used Ahrens Fox aerials in its three Truck Companies. 1952 saw the arrival of one FWD aerial and in 1954 two more FWD cabs were purchased for two of the Ahrens Fox trailers.

In June 1962 Paterson purchased an open cab, tillered 100' aerial from Peter Pirsch (Model 2557) It was assigned to Truck Company 2 at 115 Van Houten Street. It had no horn and had manual steering-front & back and mechanical brakes. It had a manual transmission, 4 forward & reverse gears. Drivers started out in second gear because first gear was too low. There were windshield wipers outside & inside. It had a rear view mirror so the driver could check how the tillerman was doing. Ultimately the original gas engine was replaced with a diesel.

June 14, 1962 Morning Call courtesy Dennis Morrison

Shown here across street from quarters at 115 Van Houten Street

Drill on River Street

Across from 115 Van Houten Street

Dayspring Collection

May 24, 1962: Preparation of new Pirsch aerial

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

Mid 1960s drill on Van Houten Street: Tour 4 F/F Al Gallagher, F/F Vic Diddio (on turntable) and F/F Tommy Coppo (on ground)

Diddio collection

Flood scene at Molly Ann's Brook

Molly Anns Brook rescue: George Dugan Dept PW, Victim, DC Comer

1968: Like most of the Paterson fire trucks it received a plywood riot roof cab and tiller) and the tiller roof had to be split apart to be able to raise the aerial. One side of the roof had a channel running the length. The other side had a ridge that ran the length. You had to fit the edge in the channel to close the roof. There were 2 pins, one in the front & one in the back and there were holes in the front & back of the frame that the pins went in. This mechanism kept the two halves of the roof together. To open the roof you had to pull the pins first and then jostle the 2 halves till they separated. You also had to release the catch on the windshield & swing it out of the way. Next, one had to step on the release so the seat would flip out of the away. Lastly, the column of the steering wheel had to be pulled up so as to release it and place it in the holder out of the way. The two photos below at the 1968 Mid-Town Hotel fire show the raised aerial an the split tiller cab

In 1969 it was transferred to Truck Company 1 at Lakeview Firehouse.

Front view of Lakeview FH with Engine 13 and gig

1972 photo of Vito Mangani and Captain Ray Allex in cab of the Pirsch aerial. To the right of Vito's head is a rearview mirror, to view the tillerman

Photo below is a photo of the 1962 Pirsch aerial at Southside Firehouse. In the late 1970s the department had no spare aerial truck. The 1952 FWD aerial was old and dangerous and fewer and fewer firemen were familiar with the snorkels anymore. So if Truck 2 or Truck 3 went down for any length of time, Truck 1's 1962 Pirsch was assigned to that Truck company. Truck 1 was also assigned a spare 1957 FWD pumper. Engine 7 became Truck 1 and Truck 1 became Engine 7. At his time Truck1/Engine 7 did not respond on 2nd alarms. If the Truck did not go on the first, the company waited for a general or detail.

Note riot roofs over cab and tilller

Note that compared to the above photo, in the photo below (at Lakeview Firehouse) the "riot" roof over the tiller is missing being lost in an in-quarters accident as the apparatus was operating as a spare Truck 3. A bunch of fly-by-nighters" (roofers were guys with no license or insurance) were doing a roof job on a house: ? Harrison St., between Graham Ave. & Jelsma Pl. In the course of their work they lost control of one of their ladders which fell and hit the main electrical service and since was grounded to the house it created a fire in the house and blowing the electrical service for that grid, which included the Riverside Firehouse. The EVRS System worked because it operated through the phone lines and thus Riverside Firehouse gets the alarm. Firemen knew something was wrong, but they soon recognize the problem when the overhead doors did not work. Despite the enormous weight of those doors, collectively all of the firemen first disengaged Car 73's door and raised it. They then did Engine 3's next and then Truck 3's. Meanwhile, when this is all going they hear on the radio's "heavy smoke in the area" adding to the tension about responding! The chief exits and then Engine 3 leaves quarters and finally Truck 3 ('62 Pirsch) starts to leave.

Note that to disengage the door the men had to release a piece of metal from the chain that raises/lowers the door. One cannot raise the door with that piece of metal connected to the chain. The piece of metal was shaped like the letter J (a hook) and is connected to the top of the door. When disconnected the J hangs down and the open end faces away from the door. The "riot" roof over the tiller was snagged as the aerial left quarters! The door is pulled down onto the aerial in front of the tiller roof. Truck 3 obviously could not respond. The bottom of the overhead door is blown out and sort of wrapped around the tiller roof which is now at a 45 degree slant. The fire goes to a 2nd alarm. The buzzer for the tillerman on the 1969 Seagrave that the men of truck 3 normally used was on the floor, like the old high beam switch in a car. The buzzer on the '62 Pirsch was on the right side of the windshield. So with an unfamiliar apparatus the tillerman could not rapidly locate the button and there was no communication between tillerman and driver. The driver had no idea of the situation.

The roof was taken off and the apparatus was out of service. Ultimately it was repaired by manually being banged back into shape and then put back on. It never worked properly after that.

Aerial with the tiller roof removed

Peter Pirsch 1962 aerial at front doors of Lakeview Firehouse with Engine Company 13

Another story re the 1962 Pirsch aerial: The Lakeview firehouse was the only Paterson firehouse that had rear overhead doors, one for the engine bay and the other for the truck bay. The standing order was that no one could park their private vehicle in front of those doors.
When returning to quarters, the truck would normally pull into their bay through the rear door, instead of backing in like any other company.

~ late spring 1977-78: On a bright and sunny day, Truck Company 1, using the 1962 Pirsch aerial, was returning to quarters after an early morning run. As usual they pulled into the back of the firehouse from the 23rd Ave side. They stopped and waited until someone opened the door for them. While waiting, the tillerman had put his head down on his arms, on the steering wheel, to rest. When the door finally opened, the driver accelerated, the tillerman raised his head and tried to straighten the wheels, but it was too late and the aerial trailer hit the column (between the doors) taking it out.

Shortly afterwards as the Tours were changing, incoming firemen noted lots of ongoing activity at the firehouse. PFD and city vehicles were all over the place. Engine Company 13 was parked on the apron and on first glance the firehouse appeared empty. But on closer inspection it became obvious that the Pirsch aerial of Truck Company 1 was only half in the firehouse. The column separating the two rear doors was resting on the aerial. The city engineers responded and the DPW delivered large dimensional lumber. The mechanic & carpenter shops worked on the apparatus and shored up the roof which had sagged when the column was taken out. Fortunately, the structural integrity of the building was not compromised. The truck suffered a few scratches, dings and about 2' of the edge of the diamond plate was bent. Nobody lost any time.

1983 River Street Fire

December 19, 1979 4th alarm at 200 Railroad Avenue (Paterson Ribbon) Alex Credidio is on turntable, Vic LaRegina in foreground. Notice the tiller cage is missing

The 1962 Pirsch at Chief Comer's command was rebuilt in 1986 and a roof was put on cab creating an enclosed tractor. Joe Guerrieri, Jim Tasca & to a lesser degree Charlie Coleman worked on the conversion. Two firemen who have driven it, described it as a piece of junk and both hated it.

June 24, 1975: Truck Company 2 receives a new Pirsch 100' Aerial (serial #3111) painted yellow. Unlike the 1961 Pirsch aerial, this truck had automatic transmission & power steering front & back.

115 Van Houten Street quarters

Exiting 115 Van Houten Street

Tiller area at 115 Van Houten Street ~1980 - Assistant Chief Dayspring

Mark Ripley as the tiller

At Hillcrest Firehouse on Union Avenue

Truck 2 and Engine 8 at Hillcrest FH

Northside Firehouse Temple Street

Rear view of Ladder 3 (and tiller area) at fire scene

M McLean photo

Rebuilt 1962 Pirsch at November 1992 General Alarm -- Bill Tompkins Photo

Ultimately the career of the 1975 Pirsch ended on August 16, 1993 when the tractor collapsed at Governor and East 16th Streets. Ladder 3 was on inspection when the box came in. EMS reported a working fire on Broadway. Steve Hatfield was the driver, Joe Murray (the elder) was the captain & Lynn Tolbert was the tiller. Ladder 1 replaced Ladder 3 at the fire.