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  • Mt. Vernon Professional Firefighters Local 738 is spearheading a petition drive to save this 1939 fire engine, which arrived in the King City in March 1940. Local 738 believes the truck to be an important part of the fire department's history, according to Doug Boczek of the union. The city does not have the resources to continue to store the vehicle, according to City Manager Ron Neibert, and it is expected to be sold at an auction. No date has been set for the sale. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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November 18, 2009

Firefighters organize petition drive to save pre-WWII fire engine

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Preserving history is the focus behind a petition drive by a local firefighters union to save an original pre-World War II fire engine which they say will be up for auction.

“We got the word the city was planning on auctioning it off at a city surplus vehicle auction,” said Doug Boczek of Mt. Vernon Professional Firefighters Local 738. “We were told the main reason is that the city doesn’t have room to store it.”

The fire engine — Diamond T — was first purchased by the city in 1939, according to information from Local 738. It was constructed in St. Louis by the Central Fire Truck Corporation, and arrived in the King City on March 3, 1940. Currently it is being housed in the Parks Department’s A.P. Petties building, where it has been for the last five years.

“The history of fire service has always been a big thing,” Boczek added. “It’s a really proud thing for not only the fire department but for the city. We’re not trying to keep the fire engine as a union, but as firefighters for the history. The helmets we wear are strictly based on history and we feel it’s important to preserve that.”

However, City Manager Ron Neibert said the issue at hand is not trying to get rid of history, but that the city has exhausted resources in order to keep the old engine.

“The Parks Department is out of room for storage of their equipment,” he explained. “The city has no other place or functional use for it. Therefore it is our feeling that yeah, the truck has value and we’re making it available for the public to purchase and if any entity wants to bid on it for whatever purposes they’re welcome to do so. The city does not have the resources to continue to store it.”

Neibert added the city did receive a proposal to store the vehicle at Station 1 at City Hall, but said that option was not an acceptable consideration as, in discussing with MVFD Chief Jim Brown, the storage would “put a tight strain on resources at Station 1.”

“We’re not trying to get rid of history, we’re making it available for someone in Mt. Vernon to purchase (the engine) to do that,” Neibert said. “Several years ago the city sold the truck to the Historical Society, but they also didn’t have the proper means to take care of it so they gave it back. We’re willing to work with whoever wants it, but the city doesn’t have the resources.”

Boczek said there is the fear, though, that once the truck is sold, it won’t come back to the city.

“That truck is rare. If it’s sold, it’ll go to a collector. We’re very lucky to have it and don’t want to see it go away,” he said.

Local 738 has created a petition on its Web site for those interested in seeing the truck stay in the King City, Boczek said.

The engine has not been scheduled for auction to date, Neibert said.

For more information about the history of the truck or the petition, you may visit http://www.iafflocal738.org.

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