US Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department

== Area Served ==
United States Air Force Plant 42 is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant owned by the United States Air Force. It is located in Palmdale in the Antelope Valley region of northern Los Angeles County, Southern California. Plant 42 has 3.2 million square feet of industrial space, and is operated as a component of the 412th Test Wing located at Edwards Air Force Base 23 miles to the northeast. Most of its facilities are operated by private contractors to build and maintain military aircraft and their components for the United States and its allies. The airfield is also used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and shares a runway with Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD).
==Department Profile==
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF), structure firefighting, emergency medical services, technical rescue, fire prevention and inspection for Plant 42 is provided by the United States Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department, comprised of civilian contract firefighters.  
==History==
The origins of Plant 42 go back to the early 1930s, when a small airstrip was built in the desert. It was listed in 1935 documentation as CAA Intermediate #5. It was established by the Bureau of Air Commerce (later the Civil Aeronautics Administration) who maintained a network of emergency landing fields. It provided a pilot in distress with a better alternative than landing on a public road or a farmer's field. In 1940, Palmdale Army Airfield was activated as a United States Army Air Corps (later Air Forces) airfield for use as an emergency landing strip and for B-25 Mitchell medium bomber support training during World War II. Palmdale Army Airfield was declared a surplus facility in 1946 and was purchased by Los Angeles County for use as a municipal airport, becoming Palmdale Airport. In 1951, the US Air Force purchased the land back from the county in order to construct a manufacturing plant and awarded a contract to Lockheed Aircraft to develop the master plan for the site. Following approval of the Master Plan in 1953, the Palmdale Airport officially became Air Force Plant 42. Lockheed's famed "Skunk Works" (a corporate division tasked with clandestine development of black projects), which developed such aircraft as the U-2, SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Nighthawk, is at Site 10 of the complex (actually private property with secure access to Plant 42's airfield), near Sierra Highway. 
==Apparatus Roster==
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
===Fire Station 1 - 2501 East Avenue P / South Field===
:Chief 1 -
:Crash 4 -
:Crash 5 - 1990 Oshkosh T-1500 4x4 ARFF (1250/1585/205F)
:Crash 7 -
:Medic 10 -
:Crash 10 -
:Engine 11 -
===Fire Station 2 - 20th Street East @ Avenue M (Bldg. 554) / North Field ===
:Chief 2 -
:Crash 3 - 1990 Oshkosh T-1500 4x4 ARFF (1250/1585/205F)
:Crash 6 - Oshkosh T-3000 6x6 ARFF (1500/3000/420F/500 lbs. DC)
:Tender 8 -
:Crash 9 - 2001 Colet Jaguar K-15 P-32 4x4 ARFF (750/1500/100F/96B)
:Engine 12 - E-One Cyclone (1500/500)
:Patrol 15 -
:Rescue 17- 2008 Pierce Saber 4x4 P-28 walk-around (SN#20080)
== Retired Apparatus==
:1992 Ford 1-ton van (Ex-rescue 14)
:1992 Chevrolet S-10 (Ex-Chief 2)
:1989 Chevrolet Suburban (Ex-Chief 1)
:1988 Ford Type II ambulance (Ex-Medic 10)
:1987 Ford 1-ton long bed TAU skid (?/200F/) (Ex-Patrol 15)
:1987 Oshkosh T-3000 6x6 crash tender (1800/3000/420F/500 lbs. DC) (Ex-Crash 7)
: 1986 Oshkosh T-1500 4x4 crash tender (1250/1585/205F) (Ex-Crash 6)
:1986 Oshkosh T-1500 4x4 crash tender (1250/1585/205F) (Ex-Crash 4)
:1979 Ford C-series / FMC pumper (750/500/40) (Ex-Engine 12)
:1979 Ford C-series / FMC pumper (750/500/40) (Ex-Engine 11)
:1973 Chevrolet / Gibson tanker (1000/5000/800F) (Ex-Tender 8)
==Station Map==
Category:Los Angeles County
Plant 42 Fire Department
Category:Military Fire Departments (California)
Category:Departments operating Colet apparatus
Category:Military departments operating E-One apparatus (United States)
Category:Military departments operating Oshkosh apparatus (United States)
Category:Former operators of FMC / Bean apparatus