NBFD Aims to Fire Up Antique Engine

It can barely seat two people, only can carry 100 gallons of water, takes time to learn the sweets spots for the stick shift—and it's part of New Baltimore history.

The New Baltimore is starting to raise money to fully restore the 1926 Dodge Pumper that has belonged to the city since 1928.

"It might have been the first motorized apparatus in the city," Chief Ken Lawfield said. "It's history and we need to show it off."

Lawfield, who has been a firefighter since 1975 and chief for six years, says they have collected about $3,000 for the restoration process, but it will take more money and time to bring the truck to the point they want it to be.

"It's going to make it through a parade," Lawfield said. "During we're going to have the truck out there with a boot for people to donate money."

Firefighters have already taken to the stoplights in town to collect money in their firefighter boots. Ideas for new fundraisers include selling T-shirts and coffee mugs featuring the historic vehicle.

Research is still being done on the origins of the pumper, but it became part of the NBFD's firefighting fleet in 1928 after serving its purpose at the original Dodge manufacturing facility. The pumper was discovered several years ago in a New Baltimore field and was cleaned up and put into storage.

The process could take five to six more years, depending on fundraising. About $10,000 to $20,000 is needed to fix the motor and transmission, get a new paint job and add safety features.

"It's our truck. We didn't find one; this is the actual truck that we kept," said New Baltimore Deputy Chief Brian Bilinski, who is in charge of the project to restore the truck.

The truck was made by the Graham Brothers, a trio of brothers who designed trucks that would eventually evolve into today's line of Dodge Ram trucks.

"It's a stick shift," says Bilinksi, "It's a little ... particular. It's not a grind-and-find type of vehicle."

The truck's many timely features include an air-raid siren with adjustable pitch, a three-armed spinning light display to visually warn traffic, and a six-volt electric system instead of a modern vehicle battery. 

"It's just a little bigger than a Dakota, but smaller than a Chevy," said Bilinski. "It's tough for two people to sit up front, most people hung on the tail board on this thing."

The two tanks on the truck hold 50 gallons each, and a pump mechanism and a hose were used to gather water from lakes and streams, which were easier to come by in New Baltimore's earlier days.

"We want to show it off," says Bilinski. "The fact that it's ours, it always has been and we want to keep it that way. We want to show it off."