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Our
History
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The Allen
Township Fire Co. #1 was formed in 1944 by local citizens when a fire
destroyed a house in the village of Kreidersville. Due to World War II still
being in progress, the department did not receive its first fire engine
until 1946. This truck being a 1946 Dodge / Howe pumper with a John Bean
high pressure pump on it. The vehicle was only capable of pumping from the
tank. Several years later in 1951,a used Chevrolet panel truck was purchased
to serve as a utility vehicle.
The dodge
pumper served as the only engine of the township until 1964, when the
company took delivery of it’s first “Class A” pumper. This engine was a
International / Bruco Body with a 750 GPM pump and 750 gallon tank.
Shortly after
receiving the new pumper, the department chose to remove the existing pump
and tank from the 1946 Dodge and installed a 1000 gallon water tank with a
portable pump to serve as a tanker.
In 1971, the
department replaced the old Chevrolet panel truck with an International Van
which was fitted to carry extra equipment and upon the departments purchase
of the Jaws of Life in 1982, was converted to carry rescue equipment.
In 1972, due
to ever increasing mechanical difficulties with the old Dodge, a used
Diamond “T” oil tanker was purchased and converted into a tanker. A 350 GPM
gas mounted pump was installed with a 6” dump valve. This truck to the older
members was known as the “Mongoose"
With the move
to the new and current fire station in 1979, the fire department purchased a
new Mini-Attack Pumper. This unit remained in service as Brush Unit 4542
until October of 2004 when it was replaced by a new unit. In February
2005, the truck was sold to Valliant, Oklahoma Fire Department.
In an attempt
to bring the department up to modern times, the department purchased a 1972
used milk tanker at a low cost from a local farmer and sent it to Four Guys
of Meyersville to have it re-furbished into a fire tanker. This included a
Hale 450 GPM PTO pump and jet dump.
History of the Allen
Township Fire Company Page 2 |
