It joined the Bluffton Fire Department 70 years ago
This photo is one example in the changes a small town fire department experiences over 70 years.
This truck was purchased through subscription drive.
In 1953, this truck “Number 3” joined the Bluffton Fire Department as a tanker.
Here’s the story from a June Bluffton News from that year, description the new purchase:
Bluffton’s 1,200 gallon water tank truck is to be delivered within the next week, ready for use in improving the local fire department’s rural fire fighting services, it was announced by Fire Chief Guy Corson.
The water tank has been built on a Chevrolet chassis purchased from the Steiner Chevrolet Sales, Pandora.
Additional equipment carried on the tank truck includes from 300 to 400 feet of hose, hose racks and a pump which will be used to either fill or empty the tank.
The new equipment is being purchased with money raised by a subscription drive among farmers of Richland and Orange townships.
With delivery of the truck promised within the next week this problem of where to keep it came up again at council meeting Monday.
A knotty problem is presented because of the large number of municipal vehicles, and no definite decision has been made so far as to where the new tank truck may eventually be quartered.
In examining this photo, Darrell Huber, former Bluffton fire chief said, “This is not the original tank on this truck as the first tank was steel and it rusted out. The stainless steel tank was purchased from a tank company from North Baltimore in the 1970s.
This is a photo of the 1953 tanker after it had a new stainless steel tank place on it in the early 1970s. Paul Diller took this photo.
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