The Story Of Truck Cos. 13 & 14

And so the question is asked... was there ever really a Truck 13?? Well, it's a bit of a long story so I'd better get started.

At one time, the National Board of Fire Underwriters (NBFU) were viewed as gods by the U.S. fire service. They went around to each city and town doing surveys on the municipal fire service, and what they reported was gospel, as what they found affected the fire insurance rates for that particular town. They would make recommendations during their visit, and if their recommendations weren't implemented by their next visit a couple of years later, the municipality would suffer demerits. Sooooo, being every fire chief's wish to get the coveted top rating and be second to none, the NBFU recommendations were taken very seriously.

Back in the '20s, an NBFU visit to the Newark, NJ Fire Department resulted in several recommendations, two of which were to place two additional ladder companies in service, in addition to the dozen ladder companies already in the department. They recommended that a new firehouse be built in the lower end of the rapidly booming Vailsburg section of the city and that Engines 21 and 26 be split up, with one of them being placed in the new house with a new ladder company. The new house would then be able to afford faster responses to the lower end of Vailsburg and to the westernmost portion of the Central Ward.

The other new ladder company was to be placed with Engine 19, providing the Waverly section of the city with a much needed ladder company. The NBFU felt that Trucks 10 and 5 took far too much time to make responses into that area of the city.

So, the powers that were made the following plans; a new firehouse was to be built on 18th Avenue, in the vicinity of Melrose Avenue, and it would house Engine 21 and Truck 13. Truck 14 would be placed in service with Engine 19. So sure were these major changes that new alarm assignment schedule books were prepared and printed showing the changes, but, alas, even the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. The city came into the grips of the Depression and all plans for the additional firehouse and ladder companies were scrapped.

During the next few decades, the NBFU made additional inspections of the Newark FD and the recommendation for a new firehouse was dropped. However, they still always made the recommendation for a ladder company to be placed with Engine 19.

In the early '60s, it was decided that a new ladder company would be placed in service with Engine 19. You guessed it - Truck 13!! Also at this time, the department was getting away from the huge running assignment books and going to issue each firehouse a set of brand-new running assignment cards. And, once again, so sure was the move to place Truck 13 in service, they were placed on the new running cards. And, once again, the plans to put Truck 13 in service were scrapped, for one reason or another. But, the never-to-exist company lived on for decades on the running assignment cards.

Now some of you NFD dinosaurs may say, but I have seen pictures of Truck 13!! It really DID exist!!! I even drove it!! Well, it did kinda. It was decided that the spare apparatus were to be assigned numbers. The pumpers, mostly American LaFrance "bathtubs," were started at Engine 40, and two spare ladder companies were assigned Trucks 13 and 14.

So, while the dreams of Truck 13 were high, the reality is that it never existed. And this plagued many a new dispatcher, and new firefighters in Trucks 5 and 10 doing their very first night watch. An alarm would come in and the new dispatcher looks to call Truck 13, but it isn't there!! And the firefighters in Trucks 5 and 10 would say, "Nah, we don't get that.... that's Truck 13's box." And they don't turn out their company! But then the captain comes down and says, "Don't we get that box?? There isn't any Truck 13!!" And the new guy, trying to justify his error quickly opens the running cards drawer and says, "But it's on the running card, Cap!!!"