Code 3 Kentland, MD Aerialscope Tower Ladder 33 (12734)

Code 3 Kentland, MD Aerialscope Tower Ladder 33 (12734)

This is Item #12734

Scale: 1/64
Release: January 2001
Edition Quantity: 3,000

The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1951 just east of Washington D.C in Prince Georges County, Maryland by Bob Baeschlin and John Wilding. The station was a parking space in front of Bob's house. They moved to its present building in 1959. With the tremendous growth east of Kentland, the second station was opened in 1970 (Company 46).

With the increase of calls and Prince George County having formed a career force, Kentland Company 33 was supplemented during the day with a staff of 4 career firefighters.

For the past 12 years Kentland Company 33 has been the busiest volunteer Engine Company in the Nation and the busiest Truck Company in Prince Georges County.

6 years ago Prince Georges County elected to remove the career force, and today Kentland Company 33 is running well above 7,000 runs a year with the Engine and over 1,400 with the Tower. And in this day and age it is unheard of with this call load to still maintain 100% Volunteer staffing 24 hours a day without failing to respond on any incident.

At present there are 65 active volunteers, 3 Chief Officers, 3 Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 2 Sergeants. These volunteers operate 3 Class 'A' Engines, 1 Mini-Pumper, 2 Chief Buggies, and The 1994 FWD/Baker Aerialscope 75' Tower Ladder.

The original tower ladder was a 1978 CF Mack 75' Aerialscope assigned to Ladder 17 (Any time baby) in the Bronx - FDNY, and was purchased by Kentland on May 1, 1987 for the sum of $35,000. The members themselves refurbished the unit. Placed in-service, the first run was a working fire. After thousands of runs, and being called to assist in extinguishments of large stubborn fires through out the Metro D.C. area. Being the only Tower Ladder in the county, this rig was worth every cent invested. The impression was set. 'Often Imitated, Never Duplicated', ironically the last run the 1978 Mack Tower made was also a working fire.

Refurbished in 1994 based on an innovative design by Captain Mick McKenzie, Tower 33 was placed on a FWD chassis. The only remaining parts from the old tower are the main boom frame, the superstructure, the turntable, all the jacks and outriggers, stang gun in the bucket, and two Mack bulldogs.

To date, Tower Ladder 33 (or as we call her 'Sally') still remains the busiest truck/tower in Prince Georges County, and is still snuffing out the 'Red Devil' all over.