About Chief Glenn Usdin

Glenn D. Usdin is the President of Command Fire Apparatus, a Lancaster, Penn., based firm that provides used fire and rescue vehicles to fire departments across the United States, Canada and for export. Mr. Usdin has been involved in fire apparatus since 1974, when he began working for the salesman who handled Mack fire trucks in the NY metropolitan area. His company buys and sells approximately 100 units per year, and he specializes in newer units that still have many years of service left for their customers.

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Prior to that, he was the President of American LaFrance Used Fire Apparatus, the used fire apparatus division of the American LaFrance division of Freightliner, LLC. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in the fire apparatus purchase, specification, and lifespan and maintenance areas. Usdin formed the company in 1987 with 2 employees and when he sold it to Freightliner in 2002, there were 40 employees and sales of approx $12 million and approximately 100 units throughout the United States and various international markets.

Chief Usdin was the volunteer fire chief in Lancaster Township, Penn., from 1991-2006, a suburban community of 15,000 residents served from 2 stations by 65 firefighters who staff 3 engines, an aerial platform, and heavy rescue-air support unit and water rescue team. The department responds to approximately 600 alarms annually.

Glenn also served as the Associate Publisher of Fire Engineering magazine, New York, NY, in the 1980’s, and was formerly a company officer in the busy Massapequa, NY, Fire department on Long Island.

Chief Usdin has been an active firefighter, fire officer and chief officer since 1974. He has lectured at the Incident management Symposium of the Phoenix Fire department and developed the course material for the popular Command School seminars that were run around the USA for 8 years. He was also a columnist for “Fire Chief Magazine,” writing about fire command and safety issues.