Fire Engines Photos

In 1962,American La France deputed their entry into the elavating platform business at the Toronto convention of the International Assosiation of Fire Chiefs.In keeping with their"Chief"line of fire apparatus,American La France named this new addition the Aero-Chief.
Deliveries of Aero-Chief apparatus commenced in 1963,with the production models differing slightly from the original demonstrator.
The Aero-Chief was offered in three boom sizes;70',80',and 90'.They were available with open or closed cabs,with single or tandem rear axles,and with custom or commercial chassis.
The first apparatus(Aero-Chief)1-1-8867 went to the Rome Fire Dept,GA in 1963 and had 70'booms,the last,C-12-3660 went to the Shreveport Fire Dept,LA in 1974,this having 80'booms.
Very few changes took place during the thirteen years that the ALF Aero-Chief was in production,and virtually all of the Aero-Chief units were built on the 900 and 1000 series custom chassis,with the exception of one unit that was built on a Pacemaker chassis,and five that were mounted on commercial chassis.
The photograph actually shows the model that went to the Shelby Fire Dept,OH in 1969.The apparatus was registered No-8-1-1617 and the booms were actually on this model 80'Q.The'Q'-quintuble meaning the apparatus required a tandem rear axle because of the weight carried.
A total of 120 ALF Aero-Chiefs came off the production line between 1963 and 1974,many remaining in service for some twenty or thirty years with no changes,but many in later life had the booms removed and replaced with aerial ladders.The Aero-Chief chassis,in fact,provided the basis for the American La France's first rear mount aerial ladder introduced during 1968,but thats another story.

Added by Pete Matten on 15 April 2010.

Just recently I traveled through a city in North Carolina,US, and their sole ladder truck is an Aero-Chief 90' Snorkel. Of course I didn't get a photo. Should be going back up that way in a few months.

Added by David L on 16 April 2010.

Records show that in the state of North Carolina,3 such ALF Aero-Chief units operated.These being with the Charlotte F.D.who operated a 1969 80'(7-1-1306)snorkel,the Sanford F.D.who operated also a 1969 80'(7-1-1637)snorkel,and last the Greensborro F.D.who operated a 1972 80'(13-1-2785)snorkel.
I cannot find details of a 90'snorkel originally being delivered to a department in N.C.,but there were 92 ALF Aero-Chief 90'Snorkels actually manufactured,the first in 1964 going to Poughkeepsie,NY,and the last in 1974 going to Gadsden,AL.
If there is actually a 90'Aero-Chief still operational in Northern Carolina today then its now more then thirty-five years old,and could be originally from another fire department.
David,lets hope you have your camera ready on your next visit to that city,and can get a picture of it and some detailed(serial number) information to share with us.Pete.

Added by Pete Matten on 16 April 2010.

This truck I don't think has ever been to Ohio, If you notice this truck belongs to Shelby, Indiana's fire dept. It began its life at a department in Illinois, then sold to another department in the 1980's, then it was sold to Shelby in 2006.

Added by Joe Usselman on 16 April 2010.

Sorry,I thought this ALF Aero-Chief was new to this Fire (Shelby FD) Department and so thats where the confusion started.The only Shelby FD recorded to have recieved from new an Aero-Chief was the one in Ohio back in 1969.
There is also no recorded details of any Illinois Fire Dept in 1972 having recieved one of these 90'Aero-Chiefs,but there was three in 1971.
The departments in Illinois were Westmount, Libertyville, and last, the Zion FD. This apparatus may well be originally from one of those ILLinois Fire Departments before it finally found its present home in 2006 in Shelby, Indiana.

Added by Pete Matten on 17 April 2010.

Its ok, anyways digging around on the net shows that this truck is Reg.# 14-1-2733 owned by Matoon, IL from 1972 to 1987, then St. John Indiana from then until late 2005.

Added by Joe Usselman on 18 April 2010.

The truck was originally in Matton, IL in 1972 until 1987(I remember it being there when I was younger.) Then it went to the dept in St John, IN and then Shelby, IN. That info can be found on the Indiana Fire Trucks website.

Added by Bob Leach on 16 May 2010.

Hello Pete,

I went by City of Franklin today and I have more information for you about that Aero Chief. It was originally own by the city of Greenesboro. I wasn't given a date of when the Fire Dept. acquired it. I am sending Marcel 3 photos of it with a little more information about it.


Added by David L on 11 June 2010.

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