Wilcox Teacher’s Participate in Christmas in the Village

Even our teachers volunteer!  Two  Wilcox Tech. instructors helped spread the joy at South Meriden’s “Christmas in the Village”.  George Wruck and David Clarke rode the 1931 Ahrens-Fox city service ladder truck through the festival’s parade.  Aboard this truck was the Smokey The Bear, who was no other than post grad student Ben Bischoff who is now a volunteer fireman.  George has volunteered many hours getting this fire truck in working condition.  There is a history behind the 1931 Ahrens-Fox city service ladder truck and its service.

The 1931 Ahrens-Fox city service ladder truck was custom built for the City of East Greenwich Rhode Island during the great depression.  The Model V  was a new radical design incorporating a shorter (height) lower center of gravity vehicle with four features; hose bed with firefighting  tools, water supply (tank), Rotary Hale pump, and of course the ladders.  The longest ladder is a 45 “pole” extension ladder.  All the ladders are hard wood.

The truck was bought by SMVFD in 1965 to be used as service to the department but primarily as a parade piece.  It was donated by Honorary Chief Dr. Bernard Kasick to the department.  It was commissioned as Truck #15 and until 1983 the truck was used in service to carry the department’s row boat to any emergency that required a water rescue.   In 1983 it was involved in a minor automobile accident which took it out of service both to the department and parades.  Not having the funds to properly repair the truck it sat in the firehouse for years and it was hardly used.  Mostly it was passed around and in the way.

In 2004 two firefighters made it a personal goal to get the “Fox” back on the road.  Having been idle for so long and many, many people “trying” to fix it the problems seem insurmountable.  First the transmission was completely rebuilt.  Then the steering and brake issues were addressed.  Finally this summer (2016) the engine was completely gone over and brought back to 1931 specifications.   A lot of good mechanics and twelve years later it is back in service to the department.  At this time it is almost all original.  We could not find the parts for the DC generator and we have an alternator on it till the generator can be replaced.

The truck is for the most part the way it was in service back in the 30’s.  We have pictures of it where it doesn’t have the windshield and the bell is in the center of the hood.  We think these modifications happened early in its service so we call it all original.   6 volt electrical system, updraft Zenith carburetor, and dual ignition using a magneto are just some of the original features of the Hercules 6 cyl. engine.  It can be started mechanically with a crank.

There were only 7 of this type of truck ever made by the Ahrens-Fox Company which barely survived the depression era.  The Model V became very popular but not as a ladder truck, but rather as a 750 gal/min pumper.  They made them right up to WWII era and were used in big cities like New York City up until the 1980’s.  Mr. Sinatra (Frank’s dad) drove one in NJ at this time.  The city service ladder trucks did not catch on and as far as we know only two survived, ours and one in a museum in California.  The SMVFD truck is the only one in service and fully operational at this time.

Visit the Photo Gallery for more photos of Christmas in the Village