Retired Tower 343 is a 1991 Sutphen 95 foot Aerial Tower. This Unit was placed out of Service in June of 2019 in preparation for the delivery of it's replacement, a 2019 Pierce Ascendant 110' Single Axle Tower. Retired 343 is currently Serving a Department in Western Pennsylvania.
-- The Tower was purchased through Sutphen in 1991 as a replacement for a Pirsch Open Cab Ladder Truck. The Tower is the first aerial platform that the Borough had purchased.
Tower 343 has seating for 7, including 5 pack seats (one for the officer and four in the jump seats). The piece is a multifunction vehicle and can perform operations for fires, rescues, small vehicle crashes (as well as aiding on larger crashes) and various other tasks.
The truck is outfitted with a 95 foot tower that can be controlled from the top in the bucket, as well as through the platform on the chassis itself.
While the primary purpose of this piece of apparatus is for aerial operations, it is also equipped with a 300 gallon water tank and can pump directly from a hydrant. Generally, an engine will be between the hydrant and the tower to help push water through, but the tower can flow using two nozzles mounted to the bucket at a maximum rate of about 1500 gallons per minute.
Other tools that can be found on the tower are various chain saws, the K-12 saw, fans for ventilation (bolth gas and electric powered), hand tools, ground ladders and the stokes basket.
