Military Vehicle Spotlight: 530B Pumper
This military fire truck built on a Reo chassis served in Vietnam through Desert Storm
No less than six versions of fire truck were built on the Reo-designed chassis. The first class was the class 530, which was produced in rather small numbers, and had a front-mounted pump. The 530B, shown here, was developed in the late 1950s, using the M44 single rear wheel chassis and a gas engine, as did the 530A. Only now, the pump was at last mid-ships mounted (driven by a transfer case PTO) and the apparatus bed had compartments in which to stow the gear.
By late 1964, the 530B fire trucks were being built on a chassis with single 11.00-20 rear tires and the new Multifuel engine. The first Multifuel trucks were built on the M44A1 chassis, and the apparatus bed builder, Ward LaFrance, assigned the complete rig the manufacturers model designation M44A1WLF.
When the chassis was changed to the M44A2 chassis, the trucks, now built by Fire Trucks Incorporated, carried the manufacturers model designation 530 BAM, and the winterized versions were known as 530 BAWM. Ward LaFrance built some of these winterized trucks too, using their model number M44A2WLF-W. It was at about this time the rear tool compartment below the pintle hook was eliminated.
Later production trucks used the dual rear wheel chassis with the Multifuel engine. Ward LaFrance assigned the manufacturer’s model number M45A2WLF to the units they built, while American Air Filter used the simpler model number FT-500. Because the pump was now mounted midships, the front bumper was then installed normally
With the use of the helicopter becoming widespread in Vietnam, there was a need to add aircraft crash and rescue to the Army firefighters’ responsibilities. To aid in this, the truck was again updated, becoming the 530C. Improvements include replacing the 500 GPM Hale pump with a 750 GPM Waterous, adding a pump and roll feature, and the addition of a Feecon combination water and foam deck gun. Though appearing identical to the 530B, the body also changed slightly, becoming a couple inches taller.
The 530B and 530C saw extensive service in Vietnam, with the latter continuing to be used through Desert Storm.
Military fire service is a Corps of Engineers’ responsibility, so these trucks were crewed by and issued to engineer troops, which were then attached to other units.
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David Doyle's earliest published works were occasional articles in enthusiast publications aimed at the historic military vehicle restoration hobby. This was a natural outlet for a guy whose collection includes several Vietnam-era vehicles such as M62, M123A1C, M35A2, M36A2C, M292A2, M756, and an M764.
By 1999, his writing efforts grew to include regular features in leading periodicals devoted to the hobby both domestically and internationally, appearing regularly in US, English and Polish publications.
In 2003, David received his a commission to write his first book, The Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles. Since then, several outlets have published more than 100 of his works. While most of these concern historic military hardware, including aircraft and warships, his volumes on military vehicles, meticulously researched by David and his wife Denise, remain the genre for which he is most recognized. This recognition earned life-time achievement in June 2015, when he was presented Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) bestowed on him the coveted Bart Vanderveen Award in recognition of “...the individual who has contributed the most to the historic preservation of military vehicles worldwide.”
In addition to all of publishing efforts, David is the editor of the MVPA’s magazine, History in Motion, as well as serving as the organization’s Publications Director. He also maintains a retail outlet for his books online and at shows around the U.S.
