Dufek worked out of this building when it acted as the department’s headquarters. So Dufek wanted to add a new display that once operated out of the building... the 1960s fire truck he spent much of his time in.
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For months, Dufek traced the truck from department to department, until learning it was last used at a small department in Kinniconick, Kentucky. The fire chief there remembered an old fire truck in a nearby salvage yard. The chief sent a picture to Dufek. The truck read "Kinniconick" all over it, with no mention of Carmel. Still, Dufek was convinced.
"I was 80% sure it was our truck, but I wasn't totally sure,” Dufek said.
Dufek then traveled to Kentucky to see the truck himself. When he opened up the door, the first thing he saw was that small metal "City of Carmel" tag.