Welcome to today's edition of the LFC Blog! Today, we are joined by my good friend Tim J, the creator of Washington Heights Fire-Rescue-EMS and several other regional fire departments including Studington Fire & Rescue Station 14. Enjoy the interview below!
LFC Blog: Welcome to the Blog, Tim! Tell us about yourself. When and why did you start building Lego fire trucks? TJ: My name is Tim Joseph, I’m 22 and I’m Connecticut where I work full-time as a Firefighter/EMT in my hometown and dispatch 911 part-time elsewhere. I started building Lego apparatus like most when I was very young. My family has been involved in the fire service for many years, and the passion just spilled over to me, which I introduced into my hobby of building with all of our favorite plastic bricks. I have always enjoyed building Lego since you have the ability to create just about anything YOU want, as opposed to a model or display where you don’t have as much freedom to alter it. LFC Blog: That's exactly why I prefer Legos over the Hotwheels/Matchbox fire trucks. Who/what inspires you to build? TJ: I’m inspired by many of the builders involved in the community, new and old. I love seeing new designs and different ways to do things, as well as incident set ups and other dire department related displays. It reminds me that this community is still alive and well, AND growing continuously despite some of our well known veterans taking a step back. LFC Blog: Indeed, there are a group of fantastic up-and-coming builders who look to be the fire of the LFC. What's in the name Washington Heights Fire-Rescue-EMS and why did you settle on the current color scheme? TJ: I settled on my main department’s current name because when I first came into the community back in 2008, it was a struggle to try and find a name with “Brick”, “Lego”, or “Stud” that hadn’t already been used or that sounded original. I have always liked the Heights portion for city names, and Washington Heights sounded like a New England city to me! Currently the Heights runs two color schemes, the first and original was loosely based off of Palmyra, Pa, and the second and newer was based off of Palmer, MA. I loved the uniqueness of the color scheme, as no one had built an entire fleet out using either of these schemes. LFC Blog: Having a unique name is what sets one apart from the rest! I absolutely love the color scheme WHFD utilizes! What is the most challenging rig you've ever built? TJ: In all honesty, the rigs I have spent the most time, days and weeks on end, trying to get the right look and proportions for would have to be my Sutphen SPH100 and SP70. The look of the cab and the proper layout and height of the fire body to pair well with the aerial device took some time, as well as enlisting the help of James K for his spot on aerial device design. LFC Blog: A Sutphen tower is a difficult rig to capture in the Lego scale. That's why you don't see too many of them floating around. That being said, you and James did an excellent job in nailing not only the cab and body, but also the aerial device! What is your most favorite rig and why? TJ: Choosing a favorite rig for me has always been tough. Almost all of my rigs have been through countless redesigns and rebuilds before they are even posted online or for others to see, sometimes five plus times a week, so I can get it perfect in my eyes. However, if I had to choose one rig out of them all, it would have to be Washington Heights Engine 1-12. It has the classic Heights scheme and down and dirty war wagon look, and on top of all that, she is one of my original WHFD rigs from 2011. LFC Blog: E1-12 is a beautiful rig! That is one one of my favorites too! What is one Lego piece you wish were manufactured and why? TJ: I think one piece I would really like, because I feel it would help add to the sleek look of a classic piece of apparatus, would have to be the gold bars available in trans-red and trans-clear to mimic the old school Code 3 light bars that were on apparatus across the country. LFC Blog: Yes! That would be fantastic too! Let's hope that more colors would be available soon! What are your future plans for your department? TJ: The future of Washington Heights actually includes some downsizing. I recently scaled back from ten stations to five, and eliminated many frontline and support apparatus. I decided to make Washington Heights a “Central Hub” type full-time city fire department and then build out several outlying volunteer/combination and industrial fire departments (Ashborne Mill, Abington, and Exeter. Etc.). Currently, I have a couple more minor changes for the city, and a couple smaller volunteer departments to finish. LFC Blog: That's an interesting concept! I'll bet it'll be easier to run a mutual aid incident since you have multiple outlying departments :) What is the best part of the Lego Fire Community? TJ: One of the best parts of the community is the overall respect and pride we have for each other and our work. I have seen many people lend a helping hand to those in need of design help, take the younger, newer builders under their wing, and show them the ropes of this great hobby. I love to watch younger builders come into their own and make a name and style for themselves, the strength and bonds of this large group never cease to amaze me. LFC Blog: Agreed! I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for the countless people that have assisted me in various ways. How would you like to see the LFC grow better? TJ: Although above I just rattled off everything great about the LFC, there will always be a few bad eggs in every group, in this hobby and everyday life. Like I said before, respect and understanding go a long way. Treat others the way you in return want to be treated. Pick and choose your battles, know when to stand up and speak out, and know when to bite your tongue. All of this applies to your everyday life and your futures in the fire service. LFC Blog: Respect is something that people think they have from the get go, but as with anything, respect is earned. Like you said, perhaps the best policy is to treat others the way you yourself want to be treated. Any tips or advice for new builders? TJ: I think if you follow what I said above, you’ll be just fine. Don’t be afraid to seek out and ask for help. As always, have fun with it, inspire others to come into this great hobby and ignite that same spark you got when you first took that dive into building Lego apparatus. It’ll be rewarding to watch, I promise. LFC Blog: Well, thank you for your time, Tim! I'm so glad you agreed to do this interview! To all those reading this blog, thank you for reading this week's edition of the LFC Blog. 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1 Comment
Josh
3/8/2018 10:00:57 am
Engine 1-12 is an awesome truck, my favorite in your department! I used to live in CT but now I live a few states further up :) your rigs are great! Nice job on this blog Michael and Tim!
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~Committed to presenting outstanding LEGO firefighting MOCs from around the world!~
Blog Updated: 10/28/22
PurposeWelcome to the Lego Fire Community Blog! Presented here are outstanding builders who captivate their audience with their MOCs (My Own Creation). The purpose of this blog is to educate others of exemplary builders both past and present. DedicationThis blog is dedicated to Eric S. McDonald, the Fire Chief of the original Lego City Fire Department who died unexpectedly on Aug. 21, 2002. His vision is what started the whole LFC, and for that we are eternally grateful. About the moderating teamChief editor - Michael P. - Founder of Castle Beach Fire Department and Los Angelego County Fire Department Archives
October 2022
DisclaimerThis website is not affiliated with The Lego Company, or any real life fire department for that matter. All builds presented here are original works by the respective builders who gave strict permission to utilize the photos on this website. None of the photos were/are kept for personal use. |