AFTER THE WAR

In 1941, after the town had installed it’s water system the fire fighting apparatus was mounted on a 1928 Pontiac flatbed truck along with 500 feet of 4 inch fire hose which could be connected to the new fire hydrants. 

This arrangement provided fire fighting capacity directly from the hydrants to a nozzle on the big hose as well as providing water for the two mounted tanks. Previous to this, all water for the two tanks was carried from the nearest water supply by a bucket brigade. Over 20 pails of 12 quart capacity were carried on the wagon for this purpose. 

In 1950 Steamboat Rock purchased it’s first modern fire truck. It was a two ton Chevrolet truck equipped with a LaVerne rotary pump, tank and hose assembly. It had a water tank with a 500 gallon capacity and carried two hose reels with 150 feet of hose on each. In addition there were two coils of two and a half inch hose with nozzles and 1000 feet of 4 inch hose for feeding the truck directly from the water hydrants. 

The fire department consisted of around 18 men in 1950. They were fully trained and organized, with specific assignments for each man. Their training program consisted of schooling for each of the assignments such as ladder operations, hose laying and coupling, nozzle operators, pump operations, line pressure controls, proper fire fighting procedures etc. 

In 1951 the water from the well on the hill northeast of town was found to be too hard, and a new well was drilled three blocks north of the then D-X station.