But Warwick Engine One is not what area residents might expect to see rushing to the scene of a fire. Engine One is a 1957 Dodge fire truck, the oldest engine in service in the state of Massachusetts, and as of this year, it is being retired.

Warwick recently purchased Northfield's Engine One, a 1989 Pierce Arrow pumper/tanker, for $25,000.

Northfield paid $550,000 for a brand new, custom-ordered Pierce pumper/tanker and did not have room in its station for an additional vehicle. So, Gates arranged to have the old engine checked to make sure it was in good working order, and had it transported to Warwick's station on a recent Friday.

All of Warwick Fire Department's vehicles are more than 20 years old, with the newest being a 1991 engine. But the station's old vehicles have never failed to get the job done, Gates said.

New engines, Gates said, pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute, as opposed to the 1957 truck, which can pump 700 gallons per minute. New vehicles also seat five firefighters as opposed to two.

The truck will continue to be used frequently in parades.

"A firefighter cannot assist anyone if they can't get to where you're at," said Randy Wyse, president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters.

Wyse said in the last few years, the city has invested in a new fleet for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, a major difference from the ’90s when the department was using outdated trucks.

"Trucks breaking down on the side of the road, wouldn't go into pump gear, wouldn't pump the proper pressures and some of that was occurring on scenes," Wyse said.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends that any apparatus older than 15 years old should be removed from front line service because they may not have modern safety upgrades. But we found several trucks on our local roads are not following that guideline.

Records with JFRD show there are three fire trucks that are 25 now years old and two that are 19 years old, but Powers said those older trucks are not used on the front lines and are not used often, so they are not held to the same standard when it comes to age.

In Clay County, the Department of Public Safety said the county adopted an apparatus replacement plan in 2005 but because of budget limitations, several front line engines were overdue for replacement. We found three trucks over the age of 15 are now in the process of being replaced but there is still one truck that is 25 years old that is still operating on the front lines.