"Coffee Wagon"

[Vinny Del Giudice]

Does your fire buff club operate a canteen unit? How many runs a year? How many people staff it? What type of vehicle are you using? How are you dispatched? Where is the unit housed? Thanks!

[SNOWMAN]

We don't have a firebuff's club but we do have a mobile canteen. It is run by the local Salvation Army. Manned by a husband/wife team and dispatched through our county 911 center. The volunteer fire departments try to make an annual donation to help offset operating expenses. It is a Chevy "big cube" van type truck with cooking facilities. Kinda nice to see it (even though the food isn't that great) on those long, drawn out incidents!! It probably makes 20-30 runs a year and is housed at the Salvation Army.

[DED1645]

Yes our county has a canteen unit. It is run by volunteers like any other department in the county. The vehicle is similar to a typical lunch truck set up. The vehicle is housed at various locations around the county. I'm not aware of the call volume of the canteen.

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David DeCant
firefighter/NREMT-B
Originally Mantua,NJ
Presently Lindenwold,NJ(I'm not a member of any of this District's dept's.)

[Vinny Del Giudice]

Thank you gentlemen!

[This message has been edited by Vinny Del Giudice (edited December 03, 1999).]

[mtlfirebuff]

In Montreal Canada the canteen for the Montreal Fire Department ( excludes suburbs) is operated by the Pompiers Auxiliaires de Montreal / The Montreal Auxiliary Firemen. They operate a walkin type van and serve coffee, gatorade, hot chocolate, soup, soft drinks and cookies. They also operate an ambulance for the firefighters and are currently being trained as first responders. They respond to all third alarms or greater and also on special calls as requested. The "Buffalos" as they are called are volunteers. In the summer they setup showers for the firefighters at the scene. They also run the fire museum in Montreal and collect, restore and exhibit antique apparatus.

[Vinny Del Giudice]

Thanks Montreal ... The Buffalos have a good website too! I think it can be contacted via Firehouse.com. Cheers.

[Box2565]

Cincinnati operated an official Coffee Wagon that was a department owned vehicle during the late 1920's and into the 1930's. Other than the fact that it was a Ford I have no information about the rig. Anyone out there with a picture or other information about this CFD piece, drop me a line!

[MFD]

the only time like we get canteen to come is if it's a SUPER long fire(like 9-13 hours on the scene)(and i've only been to like 2 of those) but those normal fires like 3-4 hours (from the time we leave station till the time we get back at station) we're lucky if EMTs provide us with water.(and you have to be sweating buckets before you get water) so if your just on the pump and have a "go for" go after water they say whos the water for. acting like they're giving you 100 dollar a bottle water. come on give me a break. <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

[CollegeBuff]

The Providence Fire Department Canteen unit (both of them) are run, to my understanding, by the Special Signal Fire Association, which is basically a partnership of the Salvation Army and Providence Citywide, a Providence buff club whose members have helped staff the canteens. They are dispatched to working fires and above in Providence, and to other communities in Southern New England as requested. Disptach orders come from Providence Fire Alarm. The units are housed at a former volunteer station in my city of Cranston.

Disclaimer- I only recently joined Providence Citywide, and still don't have a complete understanding of how the Canteen operates. The information above is based on my understandings as a recent member (and 8 years of listening to Providence on the Bearcat). <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[holtonfb]

Here in Baltimore. Box 414 Assoiaction, runs the coffee wagon .. it responds on all multiple alarm fires in the city .. it also responds on "protracted" single alarms and specials .. where units are tied up for hours .. fires such as dump fires, box cars full of paper .. brush fires ... we also respond to assist police when they are tied up on hostage/barricade insidents... also ... we have mutual aid agreements with the two bordering counoies ..if we are tied up at a fire .. and another comes in... they respond according to geographical location ... Anne Arundel alarmers in Anne Arundel County take the south ... from Baltimore county, The Central Alarmers take the east side of the city and Box 234 takes the westside .. all personnel are volunteers and work according to previously designated shifts, 24-7 ... Box 414 also operates a fire museum at club quarters, in old Engine Six, a former firehouse at Gay and Ensor streets.... Engine Six was the oldest continuously operating firehouse from 1853 until 1976 ... when it moved to new quarters a block away .. There has been a fire house at Gay and Ensor since 1799 ,,