Engine 1 (1950s)

American LaFrance 800 Series – Engine 1 (1956–1977 | Tanker Conversion into 1980s)

On or around November 16, 1956, the department placed into service Engine 1, an American LaFrance “800 Series” fire engine. The apparatus featured an open cab-forward design with jump seats, representing a major advancement in apparatus layout and firefighter access.

Engine 1 was equipped with a 1,000 GPM fire pump, significantly increasing the department’s fire flow capability and improving effectiveness at both structural and rural fire incidents. The cab-forward configuration enhanced visibility and maneuverability, and this apparatus is believed to have been the first cab-forward fire engine in the county, marking a notable milestone in local fire service history.

The engine served as a front-line suppression unit for more than two decades and remained in service until 1977, when it was retired from primary engine duty as newer apparatus entered the fleet. Engine 1 represents a key step in the department’s modernization, bridging the gap between earlier open-cab pumpers and the fully enclosed, higher-capacity apparatus that followed.

Following its retirement as a first-line engine, the apparatus was repurposed as the company’s first dedicated tanker when a 2,000-gallon steel tank was mounted on the house bed. This converted tanker continued to serve well after the acquisition of the Ford-4 Guys 3,500-gallon tanker, with at least one member recalling it remaining in active service through the early to mid-1980s.

After being fully retired from fire service, the former Engine 1 was transferred to the City, where it was used for maintenance work, primarily as a watering truck. After reaching the end of its useful life, it sat for several years in the back yard at Tapman’s Truck Repair before ultimately disappearing, bringing to a close the long service history of one of the department’s most significant pieces of apparatus.

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