The building’s upcoming owner has plans to open a brewery inside the building located at 754 Randolph Ave.

Emily Northey, executive director and community organizer of the Fort Road Federation, said a historic designation for the fire station is important because of the social impact it had on St. Paul through its integration.

“Keeping [the fire station] as a living fabric of the city is part of … keeping our neighborhood unique,” Northey said. She added it’s also a feature that helps differentiate the neighborhood from the rest of St. Paul.

The department recently finished converting a 1997 four-wheel drive diesel military truck, painting it firetruck red and white instead of the original camo.

The forest service is among the agencies that receives excess Department of Defense property and then gives them to local fire departments to be turned into emergency vehicles.

White Oak Volunteer Fire Chief Billy McBride said that during the 2011 wildfire season, the city lost three structures because of a lack of manpower and equipment.

Surveillance video from a nearby store showed a man dragging something sharp along the side of the truck as he walked down the sidewalk.

Because the paint on the truck is not ordinary paint, San Miguel Fire & Rescue estimated the damage would cost the department about $10,000.

The City of Martins Ferry approved the $500,000-purchase of the truck, which was paid for with levy funds.

The color choice, of course, is in honor of Martins Ferry Purple Riders, but it is also the departments extension into the community.

"The original color purple, was talked about the last few engines and it never came about,” said Vigilant Fire Captain David Rice. “Then the Martins Ferry community voted it in with the levy, it is our way of giving back a little bit without home town pride."

Springfield's fire chief says it was a close call for Fire Engine 8 during Thursday night's storms when a tree was blown down and came crashing through the truck's windshield.