| Publication: APD - West Bend Daily News; Date:2009 Oct 13; Section:Front Page; Page Number: A1 | |
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A L L E N TO N F I R E D E PA RT M E N T C E N T E N N I A L Firefighters throw a party Open house caps weeklong celebration ALLENTON — Two celebrations wound up this weekend as the Allenton Fire Department held the last celebration of its 100th anniversary with an open house that finished the county’s Fire Prevention Week in style. In addition to youth-oriented activities, including a scavenger hunt, adults got to experience the thrill of poking through pieces of local fire history through a muster of equipment hosted by the department. Sixteen antique pieces were brought in from 14 area departments, said Anniversary Chairman Ron Naab. “It’s a nice connection, to see what we had and what we have now,” said Naab. A snowy morning brought the display indoors — from the Newburg’s 1886 hand pumper to Hartford’s 1972 GMC — where visitors could take a comfortable look at the apparatus in spite of the weather. “I love this stuff,” said Bob Daly, as he eyed a 1936 Pirsh Pumper from Fox Lake. Daly does volunteer maintenance and grounds keeping for the Newburg Fire Department. “I always wanted to be a fireman when I was a kid,” said Daly. From Allenton, Daly was headed to another open house at Pierce in Appleton, where other fire apparatus made by the company would be dis- played. “There’s a beauty,” says Daly, as he eyes a 1953 FWD from the Slinger Fire Department. When asked if he owns a fire truck, Daly said, “No. I wish I did.” The truck was originally bought new by Slinger and sold in 1980 to the Ogdensburg/St. Lawrence department in Waupaca County, said firefighter Mike Wolf. That department owned it until December, 2004, when Wolf purchased it and dedicated it to Cyril Wolf “and all of the firemen that operated the FWD.” Wolf grew up with the Slinger department – his grandfather had been a member and his dad, Cyril, served on the department for 25 years, including 13 as chief. The vehicle is used for area parades. “It’s a piece of Slinger history,” Wolf said. You wouldn’t want to get too close to a fire with Newburg’s first water tanker, circa 1886, which was made almost entirely of wood. “They would put water in the tanker, and then it was taken out by a bucket brigade,” said Jeff Locken, the Newburg department’s fire inspector. “It was all hand work in those days.” Hartford brought the newest of the vintage vehicles, a 1972 GMC. “This one has heat,” said Fire and Rescue crew member Sally Jensen. Youngsters attending the open house participated in a scavenger hunt, looking for specific equipment on the apparatus. Lexi Woehrer, 7, of Slinger found the hand-cranked siren on a 1929 Chevrolet truck from Iron Ridge. Her brother Nolan, 9, said the hardest thing to find were lanterns on a vehicle brought from the Richfield Fire Department. “I had to look all over,”he said. The Allenton Volunteer Fire Department provides fire protection/prevention services and emergency medical services to the town of Addison and portions of the town of West Bend in Washington County and parts of the town of Herman in Dodge County.  Gay Griesbach/For the Daily News Firefighter/EMT Mary Breuer helps future firefighter Adam Wolf, 6, to put out a “fire” at the Allenton Fire Department’s Open House Saturday. The open house included several children’s activities, as well as a muster of antique equipment. | |
