Shayla Escudero
Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
(TNS)
Jan. 30—A piece of Albany history is out for public viewing after being hidden away for 20 years.
The restoration of the 1925 Seagrave engine was an arduous process that took gallons of paint and even more patience.
Inside what was once the old museum at Fire Station 12, Larry Allen and Brian Vorderstrasse put the finishing touches on the fire engine.
The room smells of cleaning agents and gasoline. Paint brushes, rags, measuring tape, stencils and toolboxes with wrenches pool over the tables and onto the ground of their workstation.
The fire engine sits proudly, commanding space in the small museum-turned-workshop. For the past three years the two retired firefighters have worked to restore the engine to its glory.
“It’s important because it’s preserving history,” said Vorderstrasse, sporting orange gloves and a shirt splattered with grease.
He likes to work on old cars in his free time — one of his latest projects is a 1966 Mustang, he said. Meanwhile, Allen brings his experience in woodworking to the table. Or the rig.
The truck came to Albany from Massachusetts decades ago as a replacement for an emergency vehicle whose engine had blown up, Vorderstrasse said. That’s why it’s Albany only Seagrave-manufactured engine, he said.
But the workhorse has been out of use for more than 50 years and stored away for 20.
When the pair started the restoration, the whole engine was covered in rust, Allen said, sharing a picture showing the engine orange with rust as proof. They had to sand it down before the engine got its fresh color.
Getting all the necessary parts was the most difficult part of the process, Vorderstrasse said. But equally challenging was nailing all the little details of the paint job. That’s what really took so long, he said.
In between the paint thinner and cotton balls, old black-and-white photographs depicting the engine in the 1930s are scattered the table.
“Those were the best pictures we got,” Allen said. One of them was an archival photo from the Democrat-Herald.
Without much to go off of, Vorderstrasse said some creative liberties were taken. Local artist Bob Johnson went through several drafts before the final design for the ornate gold leafing, Vorderstrasse said.
Originally, there were depictions of a cabin in the woods, but the restoration team felt it was important to add signifiers that made the engine feel like Albany.
One of the images depicts the waterfront bridge with a steamboat on the water and a train chugging over the bridge. On the other side is the historic Monteith House.
In the last year the two figure they put 1,500 hours into the project, Allen said.
He poured a large container of gasoline into the vehicle before starting the vehicle. The sound, resonating in the small room, almost made it feel like the room was shaking.
The 1925 engine has leather seating for two and an open front with no windshield and a large bell fastened to the top. It’s a stark contrast from fire trucks today, with all the technology and space, Allen said.
“It feels good to have it done,” he said. But for Allen, it’s on to the next project: a 1944 fire engine. The war-era vehicle is collecting dust in storage, but he soon hopes that it too, will be on display.
The 1925 Seagrave engine now can be found in downtown Albany at 110 SE Sixth Ave.
(c)2023 Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
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Posted: Feb 1, 2023
Keeping It Safe Robert Tutterow
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released its fifth needs assessment of the U.S. fire service. One of the most striking findings was the lack of progress in improving fire stations.
Almost half of the U.S. stations are more than 40 years old, and that percentage is larger than it was when the fourth needs assessment was released in 2015. Unfortunately, the situation is not getting better or remaining steady. It is getting worse.
A couple of examples of the shortcomings are the lack of diesel exhaust removal systems in 56% of the stations and the fact that 31% of the stations have no backup power. It is known that diesel is a carcinogen and a clear health hazard to those who breathe in the contaminated air. And backup power (highly recommended full station power) is critical, especially when the perils of Mother Nature strike a community. The fire station must be a beacon of light in these types of events.
Knowing that a fire station should last several decades (seven is an often-mentioned number), we have not been very successful in projecting our needs 70 years in advance. Just a couple of generations ago, for example, there were no concerns about gender, wellness rooms, contamination control, or sleep deprivation. Many volunteer stations were built without anyone thinking the department would become a combination department; thus, station needs changed when that transition occurred. In fact, since no one can accurately forecast what challenges lie ahead that might impact fire station design, we should do something we habitually forget to do in station design, and that is adequate storage. Yes, square footage cost is a number used by architects and contractors and one of the first things mentioned to cut when there is a lack of funds. A well-designed station should be built with a future addition in mind.
The fire service must understand that very few architects are knowledgeable about fire station design. Often, a community will require that a station be designed by a local architectural firm regardless of its expertise in station design. In those cases, it is strongly recommended that the local architect subcontract with a firm that is knowledgeable. The mindset that it is “just a garage” is frightening.
Moreover, the building of a fire station is a once-in-a-career project for most fire chiefs and administrators, so there is no legacy knowledge. Learning about “best practices” in fire station design and renovation is critical in getting the best long-term value in a fire station.
The learning process about the complex aspects of a fire station must begin at least two to three years before a final design is agreed on. Everyone must understand that the operating costs of a station over the life of the station will far exceed the initial design and construction costs. Therefore, durability, ease of maintenance, energy efficiency, and sustainability are particularly important. As fire chiefs and administrators learn about fire station design, it is wise to also involve the critical stakeholders outside the fire service in this learning process.
Clearly, the biggest obstacle in upgrading the state of fire stations across the country is lack of funding. One thing the fire service could do that might help comes from a statement recently made by U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell. She said that we must get our governance to understand and declare the fire service as part of the critical infrastructure. Funding is a prio
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Posted: Feb 1, 2023
Midwest Fire—Richmond Fire District, Honeoye, NY, tanker. Freightliner 114SD cab and chassis; Cummins X12 500-hp engine; Hale Sidekick 500-gpm PTO pump; APR 4,000-gallon polypropylene water tank; three Newton 10-inch stainless-steel manual dump valves; two Zico electric portable tank carriers; two 2,100-gallon portable tanks; All-Poly™ construction. Dealer: Jeff Bowen, Midwest Fire, Luverne, MN.
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Posted: Feb 1, 2023
For the second time in just over a month, a Copperas Cove fire truck was hit while responding to a separate accident on State Highway 9, kdhnews.com reported.
Around 4:45 p.m. Monday, a driver on Highway 9 hit the back of Copperas Cove Fire Department’s “Ladder 1” fire truck while it was assisting others involved in another accident.
According to an initial assessment by department officials, the damage to the fire truck may not have been debilitating.
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