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Pat Fuge
with Engine 32 at a practice burn in 1977
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Putting
tools away at a house burn, 1977
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Working at a
house fire, 1977
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At Sunnyside
substation, 1977
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Pump panel
after electric controls were removed
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At house
burn, set up and ready to go
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Alan
Lashbrook and me (left) at an early morning garage fire
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On the apron
in 1981
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Nose of E-32
in 1977
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By Mike Beutler
The
70's and 80's
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the engine was repaired, it was placed back in
service at the Sunnyside sub station, where it
served as the second out pumper for the fire
district for the next ten years.
As
with many fire departments in the 70's, the move was
made to yellow fire apparatus, as studies showed it
was far more visible than the traditional red. The
district's rescue and chiefs vehicles were yellow,
so the engine, now designated Engine 32, was sent to
Western States Fire Apparatus in Cornelius, Oregon
for a color change. Shortly after the paint job, it
was sent back to Western States to have all the air
controlled valves removed and replaced with
traditional push-pull controls. In early 1978, the American
La France Pioneer was renumbered Engine 34, as
the new Western
States/Seagrave Intra-Cab had arrived and earned
the designation Engine 33.
Just
after graduating from high school in 1978, I joined
up as a volunteer firefighter, and soon after
grabbed an open spot in the "Sleeper"
program. As sleepers, we supplemented the paid crew
from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am., giving the district a five
man crew each night. During this period, I had the
opportunity to drive, pump, and fight fire with
engine 32. I spent many hours cleaning and polishing
the engine, and lots of time laying on my back under
the rig studying how fire trucks were built. |
In 1981, after receiving a new E-One midi pumper, it
was determined we no longer needed Engine 32, and
the E-One rep had a buyer...in Soldotna, Alaska! I
will never forget watching Engine 32 head down the
road for the last time, knowing the chances of ever
seeing it again were not very good. I'm not sure
which feeling was worse, seeing the trucks wrecked
or watching 32 drive out of my life.
. |
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the fall of 1982, I decided it was time to move on,
so I left the fire department and the fire service
in general. It only took about about four years to
realize that I needed to be doing something with
fire equipment, so I decided to try my hand at
selling. I landed a job with a Tacoma, Washington
based equipment dealer, the same dealer that
brokered the deal that sent Engine 32 to
Alaska. It wasn't long before I discovered a
business card belonging to the fire chief of
Soldotna. I made a call and learned the engine was
doing well at it's new home. Since 32 was always
cold blooded, I had to ask how it was doing in such
a cold climate, and his response was the engine
started up and ran strong every day. I guess
she just needed some attention to be happy. |
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Over
the next few years I made two or three more calls
and spoke with the chief, but there were no plans in
the works to replace the engine. As the years
passed, I pretty much concluded I would never see
the engine again, although I have to admit, there
were times I would scheme up ways to get to Alaska
and bring 32 home. |
In the spring of 1998, I was at a fire service trade
show in San Jose when I met John Anderson, a fire
fighter from Central Emergency Services in Alaska,
who traveled to the show to see what was new in
water tenders. With ulterior motives in mind, I
asked him where his fire departments was located in
Alaska, and his response was Soldotna! What was once
Soldotna fire department was now a few departments
consolidated into Central Emergency Services....and
yes, they still had a yellow Ford pumper in the
fleet! Now the conversation changed to how I could
sell them a water tender and take the old yellow
truck in on trade. |
I spoke with John a couple times over the next few
months, but it became clear that what I could offer
them did not meet their needs in water tenders, so I
knew I was out of the game. About the middle of
August that year, I received another call from John,
saying the Kenai Borough (what the rest of us call
counties) had deemed the engine as surplus, and it
would be going up for auction in late
September. |
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Page
1 The early years
Page
3 North to Alaska
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