By Mike Sanders mnsand@visuallink.com
Christiansburg, Virginia is located in Montgomery County just off of Interstate 81 in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Christiansburg is the 4th largest town in Virginia with a population of approximately 20,000. Their motto is “progressive small town living at its best”. Well, there is nothing small about the Christiansburg Fire Department, which is 100% volunteer and operates from one station.
The fire department’s roster includes an impressive apparatus roster in addition to a very nice facility. Pierce is the manufacturer of choice, however a variety of other manufacturers make up the apparatus roster at Christiansburg.
Engine Company duties are handled by a variety of Pierce engines, all with top mount pump panels. The oldest in the fleet is Engine 9, a 1988 Pierce Lance with a 1000 gpm pump and 750 gallon water tank. Engine 9 was ordered with Tanker 8, also a 1988 Lance with a 1000gpm pump and a 2500 gallon water tank. Engine 9 and Tanker 8 came off the Pierce assembly line together. Tanker 8 will be replaced later this year with a 2009 Pierce Quantum tanker equipped with a 2000/2500/50.
Other engine companies include Engine 2, 4, and Rescue Engine 7. Engine 2 is a 1993 Pierce Dash 1500/750. Engine 4 is a 2000 Pierce Quantum 2000/750 and holds 100 gallons of foam. Finally, Rescue Engine 7 is a 2005 Pierce Dash equipped with a 1500/700/40 and rescue tools.
Ladder truck operations are handled by Ladder 1, a 1988 Grumman Aerial Cat with a 102’ platform and equipped with a 1500/300. The Grumman is still running strong and there are no immediate plans for replacement.
Brush fire duties and “Quick Attack” duties are handled by Brush 6 and Attack 3. Brush 6 is a 1991 GMC 3500 that was built by Grumman and is equipped with a 250/250. The “Quick Attack” unit is Attack 3, a 2004 Ford F550/Pierce Contender with a 300/400/20. The department also operates Truck 11 as a utility vehicle, a 1980 Chevrolet Scottsdale pick up truck that was once a brush truck for Christiansburg.
Truck 5 is the department’s equipment truck, and is a 1993 Chevrolet Cheyenne that was built by RSQ Special Duty Vehicles. Safety 3 is an interesting 1985 Ford F that is used to tow the safety trailer. Prior to its Safety 3 designation, it was formally the “Quick Attack” unit with an E-One body equipped with a 250/300.
Other apparatus on the Christiansburg roster include a 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, a 1996 Chevrolet Caprice, two Ford Crown Victoria’s (2004 and 2007), and a 1993 Chevrolet Blazer. Although not officially owned by the Christiansburg Fire Department, there are two privately owned antique trucks in the area that once ran at Christiansburg – a 1930 American LaFrance 500/200 and a 1941 Dodge/Oren 500/400.
I want to thank Forest Redd and Barry Simmons for taking the time to move all of the apparatus around for photographs.
