ALL VOLUNTEER • STATE COLLEGE PA
The tasks assigned to the Engine Company are arguably the most important on the fireground. Engine companies are the backbone of the fire service and focus on providing a water supply, locating the seat of the fire, and extinguishing the fire. Engine company duties may consist of stretching a single firehose to extinguish a small nuisance fire to supplying multiple hand lines and large master streams to extinguish residential and commercial building fires. To perform these duties, the officer and firefighters in the engine work as a close knit team.
Alpha operates four engines, each of which is equipped to handle both firefighting and rescue. For firefighting, each engine is equipped with 1500 feet of 5-inch supply line, 750 gallons of onboard water, 30 gallons of Class A foam, a thermal imaging camera, a 5-gas meter, portable radios and SCBA for each position, an electrical generator, fixed and portable lighting, electric PPV fan, vent and forcible entry saws, a 24-ft ground ladder, 14-ft roof ladder, 10-ft attic ladder, and numerous handtools, hoselines, and appliances. All engines are equipped with a rear-facing directional signal for traffic control and highly reflective striping.
Engine 5-1 is a 2005 Pierce Dash, 1500 GPM pump, seating for 6, powered by a Detroit Series 60, 455 horsepower motor. This engine runs out of the College Township Station.
Engine 5-2 is a 2002 Pierce Dash, 1500 GPM pump, seating for 6, powered by a Detroit Series 60, 430 horsepower motor. This engine was completely refurbished in 2016 after it was struck while performing blocking duties at a vehicle crash on I99 in December 2015. This engine runs out of the Borough Station.
Engine 5-3 is a 2002 Pierce Dash, 1500 GPM pump, seating for 6, powered by a Detroit Series 60, 430 horsepower motor. It is equipped to tow the Class B foam trailer and runs out of the Borough Station.
Engine 5-4 is a 2017 Pierce Velocity, 1500 GPM pump, seating for 6, powered by a 525HP Detroit DD-13. The PUC style of this engine provides an increase in compartment space over our other engines. That compartment space is occupied by additional vehicle rescue equipment, including a portable battery powered Amkus iON spreader and cutter set to compliment the reel-supplied Amkus AMK-24 spreader and AMK-21A cutter set common across all engines. This unit runs out of the Patton Township Station.
Alpha operates two water tankers (tenders). Each is equipped with a portable tank accessed from a fold down rack, hard suction, 5-inch supply line, two or more pre-connected hand lines, and seating for 2 with SCBA and portable radios.
Tanker 5-1 is a 2014 Kenworth/Pierce, 3000-gallon unit powered by a Cummins ISX model 500 horsepower motor and is equipped with a 1000 GPM Waterous pump. Tanker 5-1 runs out of the Borough Station.
Tanker 5-2 is a 2005 International/4-Guys, 2100 gallon unit powered by an International DT-570, 330 horsepower motor and is equipped with a 1000 GPM Hale QPAC pump. In addition to the usual water supply equipment, this unit is equipped with an integral Class B foam system with a 60 gallon reservoir and 25, 5-gallon pails of Class B foam in the hose bed. Various foam appliances are carried on this unit which runs out of the Patton Township Station.
