VIDEO: The city of Oshkosh has put its first-ever motor-driven fire truck up for auction, but the former mayor who helped bring it back to Oshkosh 16 years ago says he’s disappointed that the city would let a piece of its history go.

Bidding starts at $5,000 for the 110-plus-year-old fire truck, a number that is lower than its initial purchase price dating back to 1915, when the city partnered with a prominent automobile dealership in Oshkosh to purchase the fire truck for $6,800.

It stayed in active service until 1948, when it was retired and only used for public events for nine more years. The city of Oshkosh then sold the fire truck, which would go through many different owners, experiencing both deterioration and restoration over several decades.

In 2009, an Oshkosh fire captain found the fire truck in Princeton, Illinois, and arranged for then-Mayor Paul Esslinger and other fire officials to meet with the owner and do an inspection.

They liked what they saw, and by 2010, Esslinger purchased the fire truck for $10,000, donating it back to the city. Esslinger, who currently sits on the Oshkosh City Council, said learning about the auction posting for the first time felt like a slap in the face.

“I haven’t been told that there’s space needs or anything along that line, and if there was, I think there are plenty of people that would be more than happy to store it for the city, when it’s not going to be used,” Esslinger said.

“It’s just a great historical piece and one that I think, the kids would have loved to ride on in parades and whatever, so getting rid of it is just, it’s baffling to me.”

WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

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Queensland Maroons players have been inspired by the motivational message delivered by New York firefighter James Dowdell as the team prepares for the opening State of Origin match in Sydney.

Dowdell, a New York Fire Department (FDNY) lieutenant, was invited by Maroons head coach Billy Slater to address the players in camp about his experiences.

James turned 17 the day before his father, Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell of Rescue 4, passed away in the South Tower of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Kevin Dowdell was one of 343 firefighters to lose their lives while helping others on that tragic day.

As history shows, the unity and resilience of the FDNY came to the fore during and after the shocking 9/11 event. In a unified band, James and older brother Patrick joined the search and recovery mission in the rubble with other determined firefighters. Dowdell said his message was about “resilience, leadership and taking action.”

QRL Media

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PHOTOS: Benton County fire agencies responded to reports of a home and vegetation on fire Monday night near Riverview High School. Firefighters from Benton County Fire District 1, Kennewick Fire Department, and law enforcement from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene just after 5:30 p.m. The fire broke out at a home off of East Game Farm Road. Two adults, two children and their two dogs were inside a home when the fire broke out. At this time, the cause has not been released.

According to BCFD 1, it is still under investigation. Fire officials said the family heard noises outside. When they went to check on what was happening, they found the grass fire in their yard. The family was able to get out of the home in time and no one was hurt. The home was severely damaged in addition to a camper, a couple of vehicles and an outside shed. Firefighters remained at the scene for a few hours to monitor the nearby vegetation and to put out hotspots.

Apple Valley News Now

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A man was arrested and taken to the hospital for evaluation after police say he climbed into a smoking chimney and became stuck inside a boarded-up Everett home. The Everett Police Department said officers were dispatched at around 8:39 a.m. to a residence in the 1300 block of Broadway Avenue for a trespass complaint. Neighbors reported smoke coming from a boarded-up house that was posted with No Trespassing signs.

Police said officers arrived and could hear someone inside the residence, and confirmed smoke was coming from the chimney. The trespasser refused to come out, and officers attempted to enter through the front door. While officers were trying to get inside, police said the man climbed out of a second-story window onto the roof. Officers outside told him to give up and come down, but he ignored directions and climbed into the still-smoking chimney from the top, where he became stuck.

Officers called the Everett Fire Department to rescue him. Fire crews initially tried to help from the top of the chimney, but police said the man refused assistance and moved further down. The smoldering debris that had been in the fireplace was removed, and fire crews removed the fireplace mantel and opened the wall to extricate him.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

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The Roseville RTX has a Rosenbauer N55 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, a 600-gallon water tank, a 26-gallon foam tank, and a Rosenbauer Variomatic foam system.

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