Pumpers: Workhorse Fire Engines (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Long after motorized fire apparatus was commonplace, each of the prominent companies that produced these vehicles had its own proprietary designs and styles..." (more)
Key Phrases: galvanneal steel, custom fire truck chassis, commercial pumpers, Detroit Diesel, Emergency One, Metro Star (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In addition to offering an overview of pumper evolution from 1950 to present, the book is bursting with archival imagery and Shapiro's trademark live-action photography capturing trucks built by such past and present manufacturers as American LaFrance, Pierce, Mack, Grumman, FMC, and others.

About the Author

Freelance writer and photographer Larry Shapiro is the author of the recent MBI titles Tow Trucks in Action and Fighting Fire Trucks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: MBI (December 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760306729
• ISBN-13: 978-0760306727
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,338,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Manufacturer's Menu, March 2, 2001

By	Peter (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews

Although I bought and read nearly all of Motorbooks on modern fire apparatus, I didn't read this book completely for reasons the previous review stated.

It IS a five-star book in terms of research, photos, details, and information. As the below post stated, it's all very technical with a lot of abbreviations that made it pretty slow reading at times. It makes a great reference guide.

The book describes most of the American fire pumper makers past and present and the models of each. Great exterior color photos accompany many company entries. Another section describes the major parts of the pumper: cab, pump panel, body and cab. Great information and some detail photos. Other sections talk about how pumpers are used at fires (hose hookup/ pump panel procedures, tools, placement, medical response, etc.).

The last section talks about a few future designs of fire pumpers.

Although probably not very politically-correct, one aspect I wished the book talked about was what made one manufacturer preferred over another. For example, why does a city buy just Emergency-One and another just Spartan? I also wished there were some opinions from firefighters about the pumpers they ride to working fires. How this 1990s brand compared to that different 1980s brand? What they saw as improvements made over the years? Missing is the human element in the book from the users of such vehicles so this book is mostly facts and specs on pumpers but no way to know if the users like the equipment they're using.

Recommended for the major fire pumper buff who wants photos and to learn the intricate details of the pumper. Great for someone who wants to build a model of a scale fire pumper. This book will be 5-stars to them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like details...., October 23, 2000

By A Customer

This is the book for the true fire engine/pumper enthusiast. It provides a level of detail that far exceeds other books on the subject. Shapiro looks at each make/model of pumper and explains all the variations. The photos are execellent. The "uncommitted" might be turned off by all the information packed into this book.