Apparatus
APPARATUS ROSTER
Port Monmouth Fire Company has been home to wide variety of apparatus over the years. Currently the company operates 4 active apparatus, with a fifth unit used for community outreach and parades. Learn more about our current apparatus below.
Quint 160
Quint 160 was purchased in 2017 to help accommodate the raised houses of Port Monmouth and surrounding bay shore area. Unlike 160, traditional ladder trucks do not have a pump and are unable to directly put out a fire. Thus, the term "quint" is used to describe an apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck.
Key Features:
- 2017 KME Panther-Predator
- 79 Ft. AerialCat Ladder
- 400 Gallon Tank
Engine 164
Engine 164 was purchased in 1998 to replace our open cab Seagrave. Larger than all of our previous apparatus, 164 was the reason our building had to be extended with two larger engine bays. Today it is notably still smaller than it's two predecessors and has already passed 20 years of service.
Key Features:
- 1998 Pierce Sabre
- 750 Gallon Tank
- 1500 GPM Pump
"The Fox"
Our 1947 Ahrens Fox is the oldest piece of apparatus in the Middletown Township Fire Department and was in service up until the 1970's. While she is now retired from answering fire calls, she is still used for community outreach, ceremonies and parades.
Key Features:
- 1947 Ahrens Fox Model HT
- 1000 GPM Piston Pump
Fox Facts
Our Ahrens Fox is a true Port Monmouth icon. Here are some fascinating tidbits about this piece of firefighting history:
- The original proposal submitted by Ahrens Fox was for a closed cab pumper model. However, for reasons unknown, the proposal was later revised, and the apparatus was delivered just eight months after the change.
- Before its delivery, our Ahrens Fox was reportedly showcased at the International Chiefs Convention at the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. The only known record of this comes from the fire company's meeting minutes, dated one month before its arrival.
- The Fox was delivered by rail to Port Monmouth Fire Company.
- During the 1970s or 1980s, the fire company became part of a group of Ahrens Fox enthusiasts known as the “Flying Foxes.” This group proudly took their Ahrens apparatus across the Tri-State area to participate in parades. While numerous photos of the Flying Foxes leading parades can still be found online, it remains uncertain how many events our Ahrens Fox attended.
- The Fox has narrowly escaped destruction twice. In the early 1960s, a fire ravaged the firehouse, but the Fox was pulled from the building just in time, avoiding damage. Then, in October 2012, while undergoing maintenance, the Fox was caught in Hurricane Sandy’s devastation. With no way to be relocated, it was left behind and submerged in four feet of floodwater. The following morning, it was cleaned, underwent several months of restoration, and triumphantly returned to the road in the spring of 2013.