Presented by Southern California ATHS Member Don Forsyth
President of California Fire Museum - Safety Learning Center
1945 Seagrave Fire Engine - Emerald Bay's First Engine
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1945 Seagrave Fire Engine - Emerald Bay's First Engine 1945 Seagrave Triple Combination Pumper 750 GPM pump 400 gallon water tank. Powered by the original Seagrave V-12 motor with dual ignition and dual carburetors with 24 spark plugs. This restored 1945 fire engine started its career with the US Navy on the Island of Guam during World War 2. After the war and a short stint of service to the Navy, it was loaded on a barge to be shipped to California as surplus, unfortunately it fell overboard into the ocean. After being retrieved, it finally made its way to Port Hueneme, where it was sold in 1951 to the Emerald Bay Volunteer Fire Department for $5,000.00. In July 1952 Orange County took over fire protection for Emerald Bay and maintained the volunteer force. At the same time this engine was reconditioned and fully outfitted at the County Shops. After passing all its pump tests she was placed in service as the first due responding engine in Emerald Bay and the surrounding area. During the `50s and `60s she saw action on all the major wildland fires in Orange County with many mutual aid responses into the City of Laguna Beach. In 1965 she was demoted to the second due engine when a new Crown Firecoach engine was delivered. As "second due" she still was busy on some of the largest wildland fires in Orange County's history including the Paseo Grande 1967 and Trabuco 1970. In March 1973 our Seagrave went into "reserve" status serving 5 more years. In 1979 She was retired from active duty after 34 years of faithful service. She remained with the OCFD as a parade engine but soon fell in to disrepair. In 2012 the California Fire Museum was able to acquire this old Seagrave and a generous donor was found to restore it to her old glory. Through the generous donation from Dan McKenna, a resident of Emerald Bay, a frame off restoration was completed in 2019. She is now owned and lovingly cared for by the members of the California Fire Museum Safety Learning Center.
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1972 American La France 75’ Fire Ladder Truck / 1957 GMC Rescue Truck
The Hauler was formerly a 1972 American La France 75’ Fire Ladder Truck which is believed to have served at Shaker Heights, OH Fire Dept. The rig was purchased by Dr. Risch from Los Angeles, shipping it out here to LA. It was converted in about 2010, by Hodges Haulers in Los Angeles, completely refurbished with the new hauler design, overhauled the Diesel Motor, Allison Automatic Transmission, completely stripped down to bare metal, repainted and rechromed. The vehicle has a built in 15,000 lbs winch, deck lighting, clearance lights, and built in ratcheted tie down straps. It still seats 5 people. This vehicle was donated to the California Fire Museum and Safety Learning Center in Orange County, CA. in 2018. CFM-SLC currently uses this Hauler regularly to transport many of it’s smaller vehicles to various parades, shows, and civic events.
The vehicle on the back in the picture (bottom right corner) is a 1957 GMC Rescue Truck, on a 1 Ton Chassis, with dual rear wheels, formerly owned by the Orange County Fire Dept. First serving Doheny, CA, (Dana Point now) from 1957 to 1972, then to La Palma Fire Station of OCFD 1972 to 1980. In 1980 it was purchased by the La Palma Police Dept. as their very first SWAT Truck, where it remained in various assignments with he LPPD, until it was donated to the California Fire Museum and Safety Learning Center in 2012. It is completely original, motor has only 17,500 original miles, and all original emergency lighting etc. We recently found another similar vehicle of the 14 owned by OCFD in the 50’s to 70’s, and acquired the original compartmentation and one bench seat in the rear compartment. So this rig now has gone through an $10,000 refurbishment, repainted, and lettered back to original 1957 Fire Dept. look, and CFM-SLC has completely outfitted this Rescue Vehicle with exact period equipment that was carried on this rig while in service. OCFD ran about 14 of these vehicles, and 6 had a small 150 gpm PTO pump, with 200 gal. water tank, with a hose real under the rear bumper.
