Support the Restoration of Hicksville FD's 1948 Fire Truck

More than 60 years after Hicksville Volunteer Fire Department’s 1948 Seagrave fire engine was decommissioned, the vintage vehicle has finally returned home. The engine that was long thought to be lost to the salvage yard was sold in 1961, and that was the last the Department saw it.

The engine, a Seagrave Pumper, responded at a critical point in the growth of the Hicksville Community. The pumper was completed on October 28, 1948. It was capable of pumping 750 gallons of water per minute and was equipped with a set of wood extension ladders and 500 feet of cotton-jacketed hose. In 1960, one of Hicksville’s most disastrous fires caused more than $300,000 in damage. As a result, the Seagrave was pumped at very high pressure for an extended amount of time, rendering the engine unrepairable. The records indicate that the rig was sold in 1961 to the Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, and since 1990 it has been in the hands of private ownership.

A lot of older fire trucks are sold off when they are retired, but many times the upkeep is just too much, and they end up either being sold for scrap, sitting outside and rusting away, or becoming unrealized dreams of restoration, like this one was. A Facebook message from the private collector asked if the department was “interested in a chance to bring the truck home to the Hicksville community.” The truck was last run in 2004 and parked in the barn for restoration and not completed. The current owner sold his home and has no room for it at his new house. The owner donated the piece of history back to its original owners for all to enjoy!

Now the work begins. A dedicated group of members will oversee restoring the apparatus, and they are lucky enough to have members with a great depth of mechanical experience and others who are just willing to get their hands dirty. A restoration committee will spend the next couple of years raising money to get it refurbished. Parts, manuals, and contacts with experts have already started. It is hoped that the restoration will coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Company 5 in 2028.

Preserving the history of the fire service is a labor of love, and returning a 76-year-old fire truck to the community keeps history alive. It will also serve as a great motivational tool for recruitment and retention when our members can come together to preserve this old truck and restore it as close to its original working order as possible.

The restoration will be costly and funded by volunteers, so the members of Emergency Company 5 are asking history buffs, collectors, and people interested in seeing this truck come back to life to consider donating. There will be other planned fundraisers as the project moves forward, but there is an immediate need to infuse funds and get the basic items addressed. Motor, transmission, brakes, and tires all require attention. Company 5 has begun accepting donations from the public.

As the restoration moves forward, more will be added to this page. We are in the process of setting up a business plan, project timelines, and getting cost estimates for tools and equipment.

Please consider helping us reach the early financial goal and bring history alive again in Hicksville.