Jeeps have often been modified as fire apparatus by individual fire departments; frequently the work is done by firefighters on a volunteer basis. This produces a vehicle that suits the department's particular needs, and usually on a low budget. Many of these Jeeps from the 1960's and later are still in service, and even some CJ-2A's (1946-49) are still around:
Here's an unusual one, in Queluz, Portugal, a small city on the outskirts of Lisbon, famous by its Royal Palace. The Jeep is equipped as an auxiliary lighting unit, with a generator in the back to power the lights. José Lucena sent this photo, and says "It's the only one of its kind in Portugal, to my knowledge. The original vehicle was built in
1946 and was put in service by the Fire Dept, after an in-house full
conversion, in 1956. 'A.P. No.1' stands for Auto Projectores (meaning Floodlight Vehicle) No.1. On the front fender there is a collapsible tripod for placing an extra searchlight on the ground. Cable reels (130K JPEG) were carried in the open rear box). Two CO2 fire extinguishers were also carried."
The business end of this 1948 CJ-2A brush fire unit rides on dual rear wheels (see a rear view photo, 40K JPEG.) The Jeep is owned and operated by the North Sewickley Volunteer Fire Department in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. See also a right side photo (50K JPEG.)
This 1947 Jeep CJ-2A was previously in service with the Day Heights, Ohio FD, who added the booster tank and used it as a grass fire rig. This department no longer exists, and the Jeep is now owned by the Cincinnati Fire Museum. (Photo by Steve Hagy.)
This CJ-2A, now retired by the Boles Fire Protection District in Franklin County, Missouri, was equipped by the department for brush fire use.
Thanks to Brian Burkhardt for the Boles FPD photo. Also Josˇ Lucena, Alfred Heibert, Adriaan Kriek, Brian Gough, and John Hudson of the NSVFD. -- Derek Redmond
See also the New Salem, NY CJ-2A Attack Engine.
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