Latest news with #AmericanLaFrance
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Humane and Phoenix stations merge into Pottsville Fire Co. No. 1
POTTSVILLE — Andrew Jackson was president and David G. Yuengling founded Eagle Brewery when Phoenix Hook and Ladder and Humane Fire Co. No. 1 were formed in 1829. Founded when the Borough of Pottsville was only one year old, their tenure paralleled the growth of the community, which became the City of Pottsville in 1911. Phoenix, originally Schuylkill Hydraulian, would use horse-drawn equipment for 90 years before getting its first motorized fire truck, a 75-foot long American LaFrance aerial ladder truck in 1919. Humane got its first truck, a Knox hose and chemical truck, from Buffalo Fire Appliance Corp. in 1911. Four years short of their 200th anniversary, Phoenix and Humane are merging as Pottsville Fire Co. No. 1 to be housed in Humane's station at 3rd and Laurel streets. Their consolidation reduces the number of volunteer fire companies to six in the city. Fire Chief James Misstishin, who endorsed the merger, said it comes as volunteer fire companies face new challenges in the 21st Century. 'In this day and age, when it's increasingly tough to find volunteers and the price of equipment is escalating, mergers need to take place more often,' Misstishin said Tuesday when members of both companies gathered at Humane. Members of both companies came together to kick off a capital campaign to raise $500,000 to underwrite the merger. Phoenix's 100-foot long tractor-pulled aerial truck, or tiller, is too long to fit into the bay at Humane. The building must be reconfigured to accommodate the truck, the city's tallest ladder truck. In a cost-cutting move, Humane is selling its 2017 Pierce Enforcer pumper for $550,000. President A. J. Alves said the company has had an offer on the truck. The merger, Alves said, is a good financial move for both companies. It comes as the Phoenix building is in need of major upgrades. 'The building is 130 years old and it can no longer accommodate the size and weight of modern fire apparatus,' said Mike Glore, a Phoenix trustee. 'To stabilize the building would be cost prohibitive,' Glore said. The merger received the support of city officials, including Mayor Mark Atkinson, councilman William Messaros and administrator Ian Mahal. 'We survived for nearly 200 years,' said Atkinson, a former instructor at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. 'The only way we're going to survive the next 200 years is by doing this.' With the two stations only minutes apart, officials felt confident that the merger would not increase response time to the city's East Side, where Phoenix is located. County Commissioner Gary J. Hess characterized the move as an older generation passing the baton of leadership to younger leaders. 'This is two great firefighting companies coming together to make one,' he said. 'What it does is make you stronger.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
America's Firefighting History Is Restored And Celebrated In This Unassuming Barn
We might disagree on which supercar is the prettiest, what hatch is the hottest or what racing livery is the most iconic, but I'm sure there's one automotive opinion that we can all agree on: fire trucks are cool. Whether they're electric ones, enormous American engines or ones that fly, fire trucks are pretty amazing and one Maine shop is dedicated to preserving all this awesomeness. Maine workshop the Firefly Restoration Co has spent four decades collecting and restoring vintage fire engines. Andy Swift, founded the shop, which is set in an old chicken coop, and he's now given Hagarty a tour of his facility in a new video posted over on YouTube. The full film, which is available to watch below, delves into the history of American firefighting machinery, including old trucks, pumps, ladders and even some horse-drawn fire engines. Swift, who used to work as a professional firefighter, starts off showcasing a steam-powered fire truck from the 1800s that he's currently working on. The gargantuan engine, which looks more like a steam locomotive than a fire truck, was capable of covering about two miles and features an enormous boiler and pumps to direct water where it's needed most. On a walk around the site, Swift then highlights a Safety Sedan, which was a simple fire truck from the early 1900s, and a vintage ladder truck that can still raise and lower its steps with just one hand, despite the encroaching rust. Other trucks are slowly succumbing to Swift's growing 'lichen collection,' as he puts it, but it's clear that every one of them means something to him, 'they're royalty,' he says. 'They've worked hard for their communities and they've saved their communities.' Back inside the chicken coop, there's a meticulously finished engine that's nearly 100 years old. The 1927 American LaFrance truck served until the 1960s and Swift is now trying to keep it in the same condition it was when it left active duty as 'that's the way I like it,' he adds. As a result, the truck still runs and Swift says his boys even drove it to their high school proms. Swift has a few other trucks in the repair stands when Hagarty comes through, including one that's in need of some new cylinders for the engine. Once the repairs are complete, this one will also be preserved as it was when it last fought fires, which means it'll get a clean down and clearcoat to preserve the patina in its paintwork. While Swift explains that his shop can restore the trucks and make them look as though they've just left the factory, he adds that 'when you leave them like this, you keep the soul intact.' It's a fascinating walk through the early days of America's fire service. 'The fire engine really has saved us all,' Swift finishes, and after the start to the year that America is having with wildfires raging, I'm inclined to agree with him on this one. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
