FIRST DUE FIREHOUSE REPLICAS

Website by Andrew Benzie Creative Design.

About the Owner/Designer/Builder/Author

Andrew Benzie began collecting model emergency vehicles in the 1970s when his grandparents gave him his first Corgi and Dinky toy fire engines. He has an extensive collection and knowledge of Code 3 models, and has published three books on Conrad, Siku, and Tomica emergency vehicles. Andrew currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he runs a design and book publishing company, and plays bass and drums with several local bands.

First Due Firehouse Replicas

Release #23:

FDNY Squad 288/HazMat 1

“Fortuna Favet Fortibus”

The twenty-third release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

FDNY Squad 288/HazMat 1

In the early 2000s Code 3 produced replicas of FDNY’s Squad 288 (as part of a seven piece set) along with three different units belonging to FDNY’s largest company—HazMat 1. These two highly-specialized companies have been quartered together in the Maspeth neighborhood of Queens since 1984—the twenty-third release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

Squad 288/HazMat 1’s firehouse is located at 56-29 68th Street, Queens, New York City. The building was designed by architects Morgan & Trainer and was constructed between 1912 and 1914. Firehouse design began to change toward mechanized apparatus around 1912—this firehouse was one of the new designs. This structure is nearly identical to E287/L136 (also in Queens) and E153/L77 (on Staten Island).

Engine Company 288 was established on September 1, 1913 and was quartered in their new firehouse October 1, 1914. Engine 288 was disbanded to form Squad 288 on July 1, 1998. Squad 288 responds in its first, second, and third due response areas as an engine—and outside those areas as a truck company. They are trained in high angle rescue, building collapse, auto extrication, and swift water rescue.

FDNY’s HazMat 1 responds to all major citywide hazardous materials incidents, building collapses, contamination-related incidents, terrorism-related disasters, major emergencies, and a variety of other incidents in which their services may be needed.

Like the rescue and squad companies of the FDNY, members of HazMat Company 1 are experienced and specially trained to deal with numerous hazardous situations. The company operates a HazMat truck similar to a rescue truck which carries a variety of equipment to deal with hazardous situations. HazMat 1 also operates a smaller rescue truck which carries extra equipment not carried on the company’s main piece of apparatus.

About the Replica

First Due Firehouse Replicas goes to great lengths to capture as much accuracy and detail as possible within each model we produce. Once the research is completed and a firehouse is chosen to replicate, the process involves taking photographs, creating an architectural building plan, assembling and editing the photos to digital 1:64 scale artwork, printing the artwork on glossy poster-quality paper and mounting the prints to foam-core board. Next the walls are cut out using a professional-quality mat cutter (to achieve 45° angle cuts for joins), and each model is then assembled by hand. Additional exterior details are added including air conditioning units, railings, exhaust vents, etc. Finally, remaining small details are hand-painted, the custom-built apparatus bay doors are installed and the raising of the flag completes each firehouse replica.

Fore more information about this product, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page. If have any further questions, please Contact Us.

Code 3 produced a replica of FDNY’s Squad 288 as part of a special seven-piece set (with wooden display case) in 2003.

Squad 288:

•Seagrave (#12651, from FDNY Squad Seven Piece Set, #16015, 2003)

About the Apparatus

How to Order

You may Place an Order for any of our products online. Once we receive your order we will contact you via email with more information about availability, payment, shipping costs, etc.

About Us Firehouse Replicas Custom Models Fleet Services FAQ Contact/Order

Join our Facebook Group where you can learn about upcoming releases and share photos of your own models.

About Us Firehouse Replicas Custom Models Fleet Services FAQ Contact/Order

HazMat 1:

•Mack MR/Saulsbury (#12555, 2007)

HazMat 1:

•Saulsbury (#12705, 2003)

Release Date:

• August 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 10.5 inches

• Base depth: 12.5 inches

• Building width: 10.5 inches

• Building depth: 10.5 inches

• Building height: 8 inches

Features Included:

•Black base with 2 inch apron in front
•Removable roof
•Working apparatus bay doors (slide them into any position with the touch of a finger)
•Flag/Flagpole
•Printed firehouse fact sheet booklet

Pricing:

Our introductory price for this firehouse replica is $339 plus shipping (Note: the models of the apparatus are not included). The price covers the cost of the photo-quality prints (starting at about $50), the building materials (various paper, foam, plastic, wood and metal products), and around eight hours of time to construct (not including the many hours of preparatory research and design time spent to create each prototype model). Note: We create each or our replicas by hand—this is NOT a 3D printed or laser cut model.

Location:

56-29 68th Street

Queens, New York, NY

Years in Service:

1914-present

Companies Quartered:

•Squad 288 (organized as Engine 288 in 1913, quartered 1914–present)
•HazMat 1 (organized 1984, quartered 1984-present)

Videos:

Spotlight on Squad 288 (firehouse tour, 2019)

FDNY HazMat 1 & 2nd Piece Go on a Run (code 3 response, 2017)

Code 3 released three replicas of units used by FDNY’s busy HazMat 1. These trucks have often led other lives as rescue units prior to becoming HazMat vehicles.

HazMat 1: