Original cost: $120
Restoring to original condition: $2,900
Delivery: Free
Reclaiming a piece of history: Priceless
There will be a brand-new entry into the Cumberland Victoria Day Parade this year – a brand-new, 120-year-old entry, that is.
Members of the Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department will be rolling out the FD’s newly restored 1897 fire hose reel for the first time since its refurbishing.
The antique piece was shipped down to Danley Carriage and Wheel, in Armstrong, for the restoration work. The cost of the restoration was $2,900 and was paid for through donations to the fire department.
“2 Burley Men Moving brought it back from Armstrong, for free; they donated the truck, and brought it back, so big thanks to them,” said assistant Fire Chief Craig Windley.
It takes four firefighters to move the hose reel – two on each side grab the handles, where it is rolled down the street to the nearest hydrant.This piece of equipment would have been in use until the CVFD received its first fire engine, in the 1930s.
Windley said the reason for the restoration is simple.
“You never want to lose your history; history is so valuable. We (fire department) bought this brand new in 1897 for $120. We’ve had it all these years. The wheels got decayed; the hubs needed to be replaced. Danley Carriage rebuilt the whole thing – re-painted it, re-pin-striped it, all back to its original form, to what it was like in 1897.”
And whose job will it be to roll the hose reel along the parade route? That will be up to the rookies, of course.
“I am going to ask the probationaries to dress up in antique gear and get them to pull it,” said Windley. “They should be able to handle it; it’s all downhill.”