Jeep Converted to Protect Shops Along Boardwalk
Designed primarily for operating on an elevated boardwalk, a police department Jeep has been converted to a fire fighting vehicle by the Wildwood, N.J., Fire Department.
All the work of converting the 1969 Jeep to a quick attack apparatus to fight fires in the many shops, restaurants and amusement enterprises along the 14block boardwalk was done by fire fighters. They painted the blue Jeep red and installed a 500-gpm deck gun behind the cab. An 80-gpm portable pump was mounted over the front bumper, which was extended.
The vehicle carries two 2’/2-gallon pressurized water extinguishers, one 20-pound dry chemical extinguisher, one self-contained breathing apparatus, 300 feet of 1 Vo-inch hose and 200 feet of 2inch hose.
Chief John D’Amico of Wildwood, who came up with the idea for converting the Jeep, now has an apparatus that can travel along the boardwalk, which is not strong enough to support a conventional pumper. A line of hydrants along the Atlantic Ocean side of the boardwalk can be used by the Jeep, and in the event of a large fire, conventional pumpers can be positioned at the foot of entrances to the boardwalk and the Jeep can haul hose and use its deck gun. The apparatus is also useful at auto fires.
