An island fire department in New York has honored its former chief and a pioneer for women firefighters by naming its new custom mini-pumper in her honor.
The Cherry Grove Fire Department on Fire Island has dedicated this truly "mini" pumper—uniquely built for navigating the tight corridors of a boardwalk beach community with no paved roads—in honor of former Fire Chief Lyn Hutton.
Hutton, a Cherry Grove resident since 1972, was on hand for the Sept. 25 wet-down and dedication ceremony.
The former chief joined the Cherry Grove FD in 1976 and was one of a handful of women in the fire service at that time. She rose through the ranks until being named fire chief in 1980, a position she held until 1994.
She is believed to be the first female fire chief in New York State and remained a training officer for the CGFD until her recent retirement. The first of three female chiefs in the department's history, she was the spearhead for a culture in which half the personnel are women.
"She was Chief when I first joined the Board of Fire Commissioners and she understood the importance of the collaborative relationship that allowed us to build one of the best and most effective departments in the state despite our size and beach location."
The Cherry Grove Fire Department partnered with Neville Fleet Service in New Hyde Park on Long Island to custom fabricate the new Engine 526-1.
Here are some of the specs on the rig courtesy of Neville Fleet:
- Custom slide aluminum body
- Custom equipment storage solutions
- Taylor-Dunn G1-50 chassis
- Darley HE64R 500-gpm pump
- 4” master intake
- (3) 1.5” discharges
- (1) 1.5” pre-connect
- Little giant ladder storage
- Whelen/Tomar lighting package
- ROM roll up door
- Storage for 4 pike poles
