Sutphen

2008 fire engine

Sutphen is an emergency services manufacturer and marketer based in Amlin, Ohio.

History

Sutphen was founded in 1890 by C.H. Sutphen and now has 4 manufacturing plants in Amlin, Hilliard, Springfield Ohio and White Lake, New York.

Products

Sutphen produces all types of fire related vehicles on their own chassis including the usual engines, ladders, and rescues but also provides bodies for commercial chassis applications. The company still produces mid-mount aerials as either a tower ladder platform (with a bucket/basket) or in a ladder tower form (no bucket) plus industrial application aerials today. On April 21,2016 the company revealed its first ever rear-mount aerial with the Sutphen SLR 75 as the debut rear mounted aerial. Previously, Sutphen had produced tillers in the 1990s including a unique tiller-tower concept where the bucket of the tiller aerial also acted as the tillerman's cab. The concept never made it to production.^[1] All Sutphen aerials are made of Aluminum alloys and fastened with aircraft-type Huck Bolts.^[2] The hydraulics are custom designed and built by the company for their applications.^[3]

Sutphen introduced its tower ladder in 1964^[4] mounted on a Ford C chassis but production models were mounted on larger chassis including Duplex and GMC.^[5] Models were 65, 75, or 85 foot models using three boom sections. Ground ladders were stored in the rear of the vehicle plus additional ladders on one or both sides of the body above compartments. The later addition of a 100-foot model used four boom sections and even later the Magnum 110 foot model used five. The SPH-100 model was introduced in 2004 originally on the short-lived Imperial chassis with production on the Monarch chassis. This model uses five boom sections to reduce overall length and raised a much larger bucket/basket above the chassis body. All ground ladders are stored at the rear of the vehicle to increase compartment space.

Aerial platforms

Mid-mount aerial platforms utilizing Cummins, Caterpillar, and Detroit Diesel engines, Allison transmissions, Hale pumps and Waterous pumps.

• SP70
• SP90
• SP95
• SP100 (former 100+ model)
• SP110
• SPH100

Aerial ladders

• SA75
• SL75
• SL100
• SLR75

Pumpers

1987 fire engine

Detail of control panel on 1987 fire engine

Sutphen had 2 heavy duty pumpers and 3 "Shield Series" pumpers. These have been consolidated to a custom pumper built on a Monarch Chassis.

• Rescue style
• Traditional
• S1 Aluminum
• S1 Stainless
• S2 Aluminum

Heavy rescue

A 6 to 10 man truck capable of carrying generators, air tanks, lighting, ladders, pike poles, crowbars, dive equipment, and other specialized firefighting tools for use as heavy rescue apparatus, a HazMat vehicle, an Urban Search and Rescue, or Mobile Command Center.

Petrochemical and industrial

• Petrochemical and Industrial SAI110 (aerial) or SPI112 (platform) with 6 to 10 man cabs. Available with pump outputs from 1500 to 1,500 to 5,000 US gallons (5,700 to 18,900 L) per minute.
• Petrochemical and Industrial Pumper designed specifically for the rigors of industrial and petrochemical firefighting.

Extreme Duty Chassis

Sutphen's heavy duty chassis series included the Ambassador, Imperial, Monarch, and "S" Series.

Fire Departments

• Norwalk, Ohio bought the first Sutphen tower ladder on a Ford chassis after being used as a demo unit.^[6]
• Boston Fire Department purchased some of the first modern Sutphen tower ladders in 1970. The first was a 75-foot model which replaced Ladder 3 as Aerial Tower 1 and the second was an 85-foot model which replaced Ladder 26 as Aerial Tower 2. The vehicles were moved around the city as needed. After both aerial units were disbanded in the early 1980s, the second unit re-emerged in 1983 as Boston Fire Department's Tower Unit and served until replacement in 1985.^[7] In the late 1970s Sutphen built engine bodies on Ford and GMC chassis for the department. In the early 1980s full Sutphen engines were bought including at least one with a shorter aerial device.^[8]
• Detroit, Michigan has used Sutphen tower ladders from 1970^[9] to recent times.
• The Fire Department of New York purchased two Sutphen 100+ tower ladder quints in 1981. They were the tallest tower ladders in the city^[10] until they were taken out of service. Aerialscope only sold 75 foot towers until they developed 95 foot versions in 1985. The patch of Ladder 119 in Brooklyn still has an image of their Sutphen.
• Camden, New Jersey has a Sutphen tower ladder assigned to Ladder 1.
• Hartford, Connecticut has Sutphen tower ladders
• Orlando, Florida has purchased numerous Sutphen engines, ladders, and rescues in recent years and continues to purchase more.
• Plain City's Fire Department owns 3 Sutphen custom engines, a 1987, 1990, and 2008.
• Portsmouth, Ohio Fire Department ran an all Sutphen Fleet up until the 2008 year when the department bought a new Mid Mount Aerial Ladder and Pumper from Pierce.
• Syracuse, New York Fire Department has run an all Sutphen Fleet of Ladder trucks for 30+ years. The newest unit being at Truck 3 on the city's West Side. The current roster is 5. As of 2010 this will also include 3 First ever Engines with no aerial ladders also built by Sutphen.
• Liverpool, New York Volunteer Fire Department has recently taken delivery of twin SL 75 aerial ladders (Engines 2 and 3) as well as an SPH 100 aerial platform which serves as Truck 2. These apparatus are featured in the photo for the month of February 2010 in the Sutphen calendar.
• Kenosha, Wisconsin Fire Department maintains an all Sutphen fleet of 7 Engines and 3 Ladder trucks. The newest piece of apparatus is Ladder 7, a 2007 110' Tower.
• Gwinnett County, Georgia Fire Service has exclusively used Sutphen aerials since 1986. The current fleet consists of 4 SPH100 aerials, 8 SP95 aerials, 2 SP90 aerials, and 2 SA75 aerials. The department ordered their first Sutphen pumper in 2012 after ordering nothing but Sutphen pumpers in the 1980s and early 1990s.
• Middleport, Ohio Fire Department has an all Sutphen fleet, including the SP70 tower ladder.

References

External links

• Sutphen Online