THTRTY-SEVEN ALL-WHITE 1999 CHEVROLET Lumina four-door sedans have been delivered. These will be used for department personnel who do not normally respond to fires or emergencies. A second order for twelve additional Luminas has been delivered as well, making a total of forty-nine. The last twelve are to be painted blue.

Eleven 1999 Ford four-door Crown Victoria sedans have been ordered, all painted in the standard white-over-red color scheme. Nine are going to the nine firefighting divisions to replace older Chevrolet Caprice sedans. The other two are to be assigned to the on-duty medical officers.

Twenty-four new 1999 GMC four-door diesel powered Suburbans have been delivered, with all being assigned to EMS as Condition Cars, operated by EMS supervisors. These have replaced a fleet of 1987 Chevrolet Blazers, all with heavy mileage and usage. Sixteen additional four-door Suburbans are being ordered from an existing city contract. These will be Chevrolets, instead of GMC, and will he assigned to battalions, replacing older Suburbans.

The last six Seagrave 1000 gpm pumpers, from the add-on contract of twenty-four, have been delivered for assignment to Engine Companies 16,74,315, and 328, as well as Squad Companies 18 and 61. The two assigned to the Squads have been equipped with several top-mounted equipment boxes, similar to those on Squads 252,270 and 288.

Ten new 1000 gpm Seagrave pumpers, with an approved add-on of ten additional, will not be in until the end of the year. This total order of twenty will be similar to the last twenty-four. Bidding for a new order of twelve 1000 gpm pumpers and another order for five 2000 gpm pumpers should have taken place by the time this is in print. The five 2000 gpm models are being ordered with Hale rather than Waterous pumps as are on all other existing FDNY pumpers.

Another contract which should have been bid on is for a large vehicle for Hazardous Materials Company 1, which will replace that unit's 1989 Mack/Saulsbury. Bidding is also expected soon for a field communications vehicle which will replace the 1985 Mack/Saulsbury.

Two unusual support vehicles have entered the fleet. Built on 1998 Freightliner Model FL80 chassis, they are diesel powered with four-wheeldrive. Ordered as rack trucks, they are also equipped with removable Wausau 10-foot power angle snow plows and a removable stainless steel

materials spreader that can carry 6.8 cubic yards of either sand or rock salt. They also have a power lift gate in the rear. These two vehicles can be used for multiple purposes including snow removal, cargo carriers, and illegal cylinder confiscation. Built by the Central Truck Company, both are currently assigned to the Fleet Services Division.

Pending the bidding and order of a new Major Emergency Response Vehicle for the Bureau of EMS, plans are to convert the 1986 GMC/Carpenter personnel carrier, which had been assigned to the Bureau of Training, to operate as a MERV. This will involve removal of the bus seats to make the interior into a mobile emergency room. It has been replaced at the Fire Academy with one of the two 1996 International Genesis buses, that had been purchased by EMS prior to the merger.

Al l of the 1982 and 1983 American LaFrance pumpers have now been disposed of and replaced with 1984 and 1985 Mack pumpers. Reserve pumpers 503, 505, 508, 509, 510, 513, 516, 517, 518, 519, 521, 522, 523, and 525 have been assigned the 1984 Mack pumpers. Reserve pumpers 500, 507, 511, 512, 514, 520, and 524 have the similar 1985 models. There are currently twenty-one of these fully equipped pumpers in reserve status. There are currently no reserve units designated 501, 502, 504, 506, or 515.

The nine Foam apparatus will also soon be assigned modified 1985 and 1986 Mack pumpers to replace their 1978 and 1979 Mack apparatus.

Ladder Companies 14 and 164 have swapped tower-ladders due to the need for a 95-foot tower in upper Manhattan. Ladder 14 now has the 1991 Mack/Baker 95-foot tower originally assigned to Ladder 164, with that Queens unit getting Ladder 14's 1995 FWD/Aerialscope 75foot tower.

Finally, the decommissioned fireboat John J. Harvey, which had been tied up in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for some time, has been sold to a group of investors who would like to restore it and turn it into a bar, restaurant, and tourist attraction in Manhattan.

In other apparatus news within New York City, the New York Fire Patrol has signed a contract with Ferrara for three new salvage trucks. These will be built on two-door GMC Kodiak 7500 Series chassis and will have forward facing crew seating inside the aluminum body.

The U.S. Coat Guard Base on Governor's Island, which is in the process of being phased out and is currently operated in caretaker status, recently received two 1984 Walter pumpers which were reassigned from other military bases. These replaced the two 1992 KME pumpers which have been reassigned to other Coast Guard facilities. Other apparatus still in service on Governor's Island includes a 1993 Pierce tower and a 1982 Ford/FireTech attack unit.

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