After more than five decades and countless hours of service, one of Germantown Volunteer Hose Company’s first trucks has made its way home.

The 1941 GMC pumper was brought by flatbed to the Germantown firehouse on Saturday, more than 50 years since the truck was sold by the department to the Squantz Engine Company in New Fairfield.

“It’s a piece of our history from our community and one of the first pieces of apparatus that the department purchased,” said Germantown Fire Chief John Cole. “We are really excited that the truck is home again.”

Germantown sold the truck to the Squantz company around 1960. The truck was in regular service in New Fairfield until about 1983, when it was pulled from the line and used for local parades and other charity events. But an engine problem five years ago caused the truck to sit on the sidelines - until now.

“We’re hoping, and it’s a big hope, that we can have the truck running again in time for the Memorial Day parade,” Cole said.

Five people were injured, including three Chicago firefighters, in a head-on crash involving a fire truck Saturday morning, the Chicago Fire Department said.

The crash occurred on Ridge Boulevard near Loyola Avenue. The crash pinned in the driver of the other vehicle and a passenger. They were both hospitalized in serious condition.

Three firefighters were transported to the hospital and there injuries are not considered serious, the fire department said.

The car's airbags deployed and the driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, struck the windshield.

Engine 7, which is stationed at Durfee and Mt. Pleasant streets, suffered damage to the rear, driver's side section, he said. A storage compartment is stuck in the closed position and the rear lights on the engine are damaged.

Gomes said Engine 7 remains in service, but will need to be repaired and will be out of service for 2 to 3 weeks while it being repaired.

The driver did not have a driver's license and the car was not registered or insured, according to Gomes.

Now he's got two fire trucks, from Faro and Whitehorse, ready to be given a second life in Central America.

Many fire departments across Nicaragua had been destroyed during the country's revolution. Since then, volunteer firefighters in Nicaragua have been working to rebuild and re-supply their emergency services. 

Martin's idea grew into a partnership with the fire department based in Kamloops, B.C., called "Project Nicaragua", which has found and donated nine firefighting trucks to Nicaragua over the last seven years.

One of the trucks was donated jointly by the volunteer fire departments in Skagway, Alaska and Carcross. Another, Martin bought in Prince Rupert, B.C. for $5,600. 

Two of the fire trucks are now in a town called Chinandega.

Martin says there are cities in Nicaragua with over 100,000 people, and no firefighting equipment or ambulance capability.

He says even old equipment can be useful.

"We might be sending a truck down that doesn't even have a pump that is working. As an example, they would just use it as a water tanker, put on a portable water pump on the back, re-jig it so it works for them, and do their fire fighting."