ARFF	CapeCodFD.com  Special Feature AIRPORT RESCUE FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS	ARFF
	Crash Trucks Protecting Our Airports
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Runway 5/23 (NE/SW)
8000' x 200'

Runway 14/32 (SE/NW)
9500' x 200

Otis Airport Tower
121.0
Otis Airport Ground
121.6

Cape Approach
118.2

Military Airport
Originally Camp Edwards and Otis Air Force Base
ARFF originally by Military and civilian personnel
of Otis Fire Department, presently civilian personnel.
(Became Massachusetts Military Reservation 2008)
(Became Joint Base Cape Cod 2014)


About Airport

Otis Air Force Base
The Otis Air Force Base was first built in the 1940s. 
It quickly grew during World War II into one of the finest bases with some of the best runways.
It was home to many aircraft and many military personnel.
The base was protected by the Otis Fire Department that operated
both crash and structural equipment on the base.
This was the crash station as it was in the 1950s.
Apparatus includes L-R
1944 Diamond T brush breaker 1000 gallons
1954 Ward LaFrance 750A pumper
1946 O-1 Cardox Truck
1952 O-10 American LaFrance Crash Truck 500 gallons
1953 O-11A American LaFrance Crash Truck 1000 gallons
1952 O-10 American LaFrance Crash Truck 500 gallons

Otis Fire Department 1950s

Otis Fire Department 1950s

Otis Fire Department 1950s

Fire Prevention at the base 1956

Fire Prevention Otis

Barracks fire at Otis

Structural pumper, 1940's American LaFrance, at Otis shown laying a line.

1940's Mack pumper Engine 8 at Camp Edwards

Mack Engine 8

The Otis Air Force Base was one of the largest, most active air defense
bases in the world during the 'Cold War' years. A new crash station was
built on the east side of the base, next to the control tower, in 1960.
Structural and crash apparatus are shown.

The Cardox (Carbon Dioxide) nozzle

Fire prevention training at Otis

Single roof nozzle O-10 crash truck Otis

Twin roof nozzles on O-11A crash truck
One of the O-11A crash trucks at Otis.

Pit fire training at Otis

Otis training 1950s

1951 Armed Forces Display at Otis showing crash trucks fighting fuel fire.

750A Crash Truck operating

Crash crew at Otis AFB c.1950s

Scale model of Otis 750A crash truck.

1953 American LaFrance O-11-A

An Otis O-11A can be seen on the left.  Otis sent a crash truck and crew
to Hyannis each time President Kennedy came to Hyannisport.

Crash apparatus at Otis early 1960s

A "Connie" reconnaissance aircraft incident at Otis.
These aircraft helped protect our country and were based at Otis.

Plane down in sand pit off base in Sandwich

Crash in the Sandwich sand pit.  Otis crash trucks as well as local
fire department apparatus responded.

Photo of plane crash showing a mix of Otis and Sandwich apparatus.

Photos of another incident at the Forestdale sand pit asphalt plant in early 1960's.

Fire truck shown was originally a military crash truck.
It had served as a brush truck in Centerville.
Shown here, it was the first fire truck in the Forestdale
area of Sandwich.

A variety of apparatus from Otis responded to Sandwich

A Sandwich Engine, brush breaker, and white rescue truck,
along with a Mashpee brush breaker.

The Otis 750A rolled over while responding to an incident off base
in a Sandwich sand pit.

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