Boardman Fire Apparatus, 1929-1995 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 1995-1999 - Clinton, Oklahoma


 

Boardman built fire apparatus in Oklahoma City from 1929-1995 and from 1995-1999 in Clinton, OK.  We were bought out by Freightliner and turned into an ALF facility in August, 1998.  ALF nameplates started appearing on our rigs in April, 1999.  Production was continued at the Clinton facility until October, 2002 when our product line was moved to ALF's main facility in Charleston, SC.

There were approximately 2,100 Boardman rigs built between 1929-1999.  Preliminary research shows that about 70% of these were on Ford chassis, with roughly 70% of those being C Series tilt cabs.  We built almost every conceivable type of apparatus (except a tiller) including pumpers, tankers, hose wagons, brush rigs, rescue and salvage units, airport crash rigs, quads, quints, midship as well as rearmount aerials and platforms, Squrts, Telesqurts, Snorkels, Snozzles, and so forth on custom as well as commercial chassis.  We bought the Readi-Tower aerial line from Reading Techmatic in 1984.  We built that product until it was absorbed by ALF and offered as part of the Aerial Innovations portfolio.  Boardman also produced many industrial rigs over the years.   

Boardman apparatus was purchased by all of the major cities in this part of the country including Amarillo, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, Tucson, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Little Rock, Wichita, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City.  Tulsa and Oklahoma City purchased the most over the years having 39 and 50 pieces, respectively.  None were delivered to Canada; however, many were exported to Mexico and other countries on several continents.

I have photos of around 1,100 Boardmans (factory photos as well as shots taken by me and other buffs) in my collection.  That number is growing slowly; I shoot more of them each year as I travel.  

There was a fire at the plant in 1949 which destroyed all previous records.  I have at my disposal all records from 1949-1999.  If you need information about a Boardman rig, please contact me.

I am trying to keep track of where all of our rigs go.  If you know of a Boardman rig that has been sold or is in the hands of a subsequent owner, please let me know.  I’ll  need the Boardman serial number (F-xxxx), which will be on a data plate on the pump panel.

If you have any photos of Boardman apparatus (factory or otherwise), please let me know...you may have one that I don't.

Contact Steve Loftin stevenbloftin@yahoo.com

 

  For more information please read:

Peter D. West - Buffalo Fire Appliance Corp. - An Illustrated History

Walter M.P. McCall & George H. Dammann - American Fire Engines Since 1900

Fred W. Crismon - Fire Engines

Bob Dubbert - Encyclopedia of Canadian Fire Apparatus

Donal M. Baird - A Canadian History of Fire Engines

Phil DaCosta - One Hundred Years of America's Fire Fighting Apparatus

Bill Hass - History of the American Water Towers

Hans Halberstadt - The American Fire Engine

Hans Halberstadt - Fire Engines

T.A. Jacobs - A History of Fire Engines

Matthew Lee - A Pictorial History of the Fire Engine

M.W. Goodman MD - Inventing the American Fire Engine: An Illustrated History of Fire Engine Patents

Consumer's Guide - The Complete Book of Fire Engines: A colorful Review of Today's Fire Apparatus

Sheila Buff - Fire Engines in North America

Sheila Buff - Fire Engines: Motorized Apparatus Since 1900

Neil Wallington - World Encyclopedia of Fire Engines: an illustrated guide to fire trucks around the world

Keith Ryan & Neil Wallington - The Illustrated History of Fire Engines

Paul Barrett - Heavy Rescue Trucks: 1931 - 2000 Photo Gallery

Larry Shapiro - Aerial Fire Trucks

Larry Shapiro - Fighting Fire Trucks

Larry Shapiro - Hooks and Ladders

Larry Shapiro - Pumpers: Workhorse Fire Engines

Donald F. Wood - American Volunteer Fire Trucks

Donald F. Wood - Big City Fire Truck 1900-1950

Donald F. Wood & Wayne Sorensen - Big City Fire Trucks: 1951-1996

Donald F. Wood & Wayne Sorenson - Motorized Fire Apparatus of the West, 1900-1960

Donald F. Wood & Wayne Sorensen - New York City Fire Trucks

Donald F. Wood & Wayne Sorenson - Volunteer & Rural Fire Apparatus Photo Gallery

Kenneth Little - Chicago Fire Department engines: Sixty years of motorized pumpers, 1912-1972

Kenneth Little - Chicago Fire Department hook & ladder tractors, 1914-1971

Ron Jeffers - The apparatus of the Jersey City Fire Department: Yesterday and today

John Rieth - Jersey Shore Fire Apparatus: Classic Thru the 60's

Philip R. Lincoln - Massachusetts fire apparatus: A pictorial Collection

Charles Madderom - Los Angeles City Fire Apparatus: 1953 Through 1999 Photo Archive

George Klass - Fire apparatus: A pictorial history of the Los Angeles Fire Department

John A. Calderone - Wheels of the bravest: A history of FDNY fire apparatus, 1865-1992

Peter Aloisi - Apparatus and fires across America: Featuring former FDNY apparatus

Scott Schimpf - Fire Apparatus of Philadelphia

Harrold Shell - Past and present: A history of Phoenix fire trucks

Leo E. Duliba - Industrial & Private Fire Apparatus: 1925 Through 2001 Photo Archive

G.N. Georgano & G. Marshall Naul - The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles

Albert Mroz - Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Daniel D. Hutchins - Wheels Across America: Carriage Art & Craftsmanship

George W. Green - Special-Use Vehicles: An Illustrated History of Unconventional Cars and Trucks

William T. King - History of the American Steam Fire-Engine

John M. Peckham - Fighting fire with fire: A pictorial volume of steam fire-fighting apparatus

Ed Hass - The Dean of Steam Fire Engine Builders 




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