In late 2002 the fire company formed a committee to come up with a spec for a new engine to replace our 1987 Ford L9000/4-Guys 1250 GPM pump with 1000 gallons of water engine we had.

A new engine was ordered in the summer of 2003 from Glick Fire Equipment of Bird-In-Hand, PA and built by Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, WI and delivered on April 24, 2004, a Pierce Dash with a 2000 GPM pump, 750 gallons of water, and 30 gallon foam cell at a cost of $412,720 which at the time was the most expensive piece of apparatus purchased by the fire company.

It was placed into service on 06/30/2004. It did not see its first fire until 10/11/2004 – a van fire in the Indian Run Mobile Home Park (West Brandywine Twp.).

I want to commend the men on that committee who had the vision to come up with a spec that met what the company needed on day one, and in it’s last days even though it was busting at the seams with all of the specialized rescue equipment we crammed into it.

Bruce W. Anderson – Committee Chairman/Safety Officer
Jim Witmer – Fire Chief
Everett Carpenter Jr. – Deputy Chief
Brian Arters – Lieutenant
Jeffery McCarty – Chief Engineer
Todd Shaffer – Firefighter
Kevin Shaffer - Firefighter

From 2004 to 2018, it responded to about 95% of the company's fire calls – a real workhorse. It started it’s life as a structural engine, then became, over time, an engine-rescue with the fire company purchasing rescue equipment and getting into the rescue business and not having to rely on our mutual aid partners. With the purchase of the new structural engine in 2018, it was converted to a rescue-engine, adding more rescue equipment to it. We actually ran out of room.

It ran its last call on 07/21/2025 to a call on the 800 block of Horseshoe Pike (East Brandywine Twp.) for a minor auto accident. I find it ironic that I drove the rescue to its last call.

It was placed OOS for the last time on 08/12/2025 and was sold to the Red Hill Fire Company (Montgomery County, PA) on 08/20/2025

In a final thought, this engine was dedicated to Asa “Skip” Van Lew Jr. years ago because of over the course of time we had it, he drove it the most. Skip recently passed away.

As the head of the committee that brought this engine to life, I will miss her. But you must always look ahead. Our new rescue should be completed next month, and our new engine will be here around Christmas.

Bruce W. Anderson