Ansul Chemical Company of Marinette, Wisconsin apparently installed dry-chemical fire fighting apparatus on Jeep vehicles for at least ten years.
Ansul Jeeps protected airports, military air bases, oil refineries and chemical plants, particularly small installations or those with narrow access roads. But this picture of an Ansul CJ-3B in service at O'Hare Airport in Chicago shows that they were also in use at large international airports. The picture, taken in September 1962, is from the collection of Ken Little, co-author of the four-volume History of Chicago Fire Houses.
Ken also sent this undated photo of the O'Hare Jeep. It has the distinctive Chicago FD red and green lights port and starboard, but is painted in Civil Defense blue. Ken says, "The rig was known as Jeep Chemical No. 1 and carried Ansul Dry Powder in a container in the back. The main Fire Alarm Office was never notified that this rig was in service so I do not believe we have in service dates, but this Jeep was replaced in 1963 by a Dodge Power Wagon with an Ansul tank."
It's surprising that it wasn't replaced with an Ansul FC-170 Jeep (see below), knowing the CFD's fondness for Jeep FC Units.
An Ansul CJ-3B also protected the Albany NY County Airport for many years. The large copy (120K JPEG) of this 1988 photo reveals the passenger seat raised to clear the nitrogen pressure tank mounted below it. The passenger would have a good view as long as the soft top was removed!
The photo is from the collection of the late Richard M. Adelman of Memphis TN. Thanks to Gary Urbanowicz for spotting the photo.
Firefighter Allen Pinney sent The CJ3B Page another photo. He wrote, "I was a member of the New Salem Fire Dept. in NY, and I love the article on our old Jeep (I drove it more than once to a brush fire or parade.)
I also worked at the Albany Co. Airport as a firefighter and we had an Ansul Dry Chem Jeep there. I only have one photo (from 1988-89) and unfortunately I do not know what became of her. Thanks for bringing back some great memories!"
The Ansul catalogue seen here is dated 1961, and lists the CJ-3B chassis as a standard package, but the illustration shows a CJ-3A (50K JPEG) from 1953 or earlier.
Ansul equipment was available for truck or trailer mounting as required by the customer, and the catalogue states that "Ansul fire trucks of many sizes and descriptions protect civil and military airports, oil fields, refineries, armed forces installations, and large industrial and chemical plants all over the world." Their recommended platform however, was the Willys Jeep. The catalogue listing for the J2-340 package on the CJ-3B, specifies a 300-pound dry-chemical unit with two 50-ft. hoses, and two hand extinguishers.
The illustration also shows a Jeep Forward Control FC-150 (70K JPEG) but the catalogue lists a 1000-pound T-1000-B dry-chemical unit as being normally mounted on the larger FC-170.
See the catalogue's list of specifications (170K JPEG) for the CJ-3B and FC-170 packages. Catalogue from the collection of Thomas D. Engle.
This low-mileage 1962 CJ-3B, in excellent condition and fitted with an original Ansul J2-340 package, surfaced for sale in Pennsylvania in 2004.
The Jeep was purchased to service corporate aircraft. The vehicle was never 'on the road,' shows 5,040 miles on the odometer, and has always been in a hangar. A photo with the rear compartment open (80K JPEG) shows the coil of rubber hose for the foam system.
The right side (50K JPEG) also has a hose compartment, with its own hose line valve.
The Jeep has VIN 57348-88494 (55K JPEG) and according to Kaiser Jeep 1960-67 Serial Numbers it was built in late January 1962. It has been used since then to move corporate aircraft in the hangar and maintenance areas, and it's not clear whether it has ever actually been used to fight an aircraft fire. A front view photo (60K JPEG) shows a front hitch and a piece of PVC pipe attached to the bumper apparently for mounting some piece of equipment.
This rear view shows the foam tank enclosed in the center of the rear cargo area, the clear aircraft warning beacon, and the original fire axe (55K JPEG).
The Jeep has all paperwork beginning when the original corporate owner took delivery in 1962: the original Pennsylvania title, Willy's Owners Service Policy, 5 Year Ansul Warranty Cards, and service records.
The interior photo shows the hood-mounted extinguishers and spotlight, and a nitrogen-filled pressure cylinder below the passenger seat. Other detail photos include the odometer showing 5040 miles (50K JPEG) and a dash tag showing Ansul S.N. 4327 (50K JPEG).
The passenger seat mounts were actually raised about six inches to clear the nitrogen cylinder (left), which apparently extended forward from the tailgate. Tilting up the seat reveals the cylinder and pressure gauges (70K JPEG).
See also the tank piping (50K JPEG) and the control valves (80K JPEG) beside the driver's seat.
The operating instructions (150K JPEG) include blowing out the hoses after use.
Another label shows the applicable patents (70K JPEG).
The engine compartment is clean and complete: see the
engine right side (80K JPEG) and a top view (80K JPEG).
The Jeep was sold in 2004 by D'Ogee Inc., brokers for used industrial equipment.
Here's the Ansul 1000-pound system installed on a Forward Control FC-170. This truck has been restored by the Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation and is displayed with their collection at Goodfellow AFB in Texas. Jim Fairweather told us, "The predecessor to the modern P-13 and P-20 USAF firefighting vehicles, this last-of-its-kind Ansul/Jeep dry chemical vehicle served at Thule AB, Greenland, where its small size enabled it to traverse the narrow tunnels connecting the buildings and nodes of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS)."
See also a front view photo (60K JPEG) and a left side view of the tanks (60K JPEG).
Thanks to Wes Kibble, Ken Little, Allen Pinney, and Helen Stratton of D'Ogee Inc. for photos. Also Thomas D. Engle for the Ansul catalogue. -- Derek Redmond
See a similar dry chemical rig built by Electromagnetic Industries Inc. for the U.S. Marine Corps, in Fire Jeeps in Vietnam.
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