By Dirk Perrefort
Connecticut Post Online (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
MILFORD, Conn. — Members of the Arctic Engine Company 1 are hoping to create a museum where artifacts of the city’s rich firefighting history, such as a 19th-century hand pumper with large red wheels and brass fittings, can be displayed.
The volunteer fire company, which was taken out of active service in 1983, was the first of its kind chartered by the state during a special act of the General Assembly in 1838. Remaining active members of the organization have maintained several examples of the apparatus used to fight fires in the city through the centuries.
“A lot of this stuff is often tucked away and hidden and nobody gets to enjoy them,” said Bob Scukas II, a member of the company and a volunteer firefighter in Orange. “Having these items on display for the public will remind people of the history of firefighting and serve as a tribute to all those who have served in the past.”
The company maintains a variety of equipment, including a parade wagon complete with lanterns for evening events purchased in 1894; a Mack B85 fire engine from 1959; and a Ford brush fire truck from the 1975. The artifacts are stored in a building on Wheeler’s Farms Road that was constructed in the 1970s as a replica of the original firehouse built on Railroad Avenue in the late 19th century.
“It’s not quite a complete replica because they couldn’t construct a bell tower on the building like the original firehouse had,” said the company’s assistant chief, Bob Scukas, who introduced his son to the fire company.
He added that equipment, including the 1883 hand pumper made by the Button Fire Engine Company of New York, was originally stored in the basement of City Hall on River Street prior to the firehouse’s construction. Volunteers would pull the hand pumper along city streets to the scene of the blaze and 10 to 15 firefighters would pull on the large oak handles to pump the water into the device from a nearby water source, members said. Those who take a careful look can still notice a slight bow to the handles from decades of use.
The hand pumper, which is meticulously maintained by company members, is completely original and is still operational. During the recent Engine 260 Fire Muster at Eisenhower Park, members of the company were able to pump water into the apparatus and get a stream of water out of the hose in about eight seconds, according to the elder Scukas.
“We still bring the hand pumper to parades and musters throughout the region,” he said.
Members of the company, however, would like to display the pieces on a more regular basis for the public. The company would need additional funding and manpower for the effort.
“It would be nice to have a fire museum here,” said Richard Platt, the city’s historian. “There are a lot of people who are fascinated by firefighting and the equipment that was used. The annual fire muster always attracts a large crowd to the city.”
The chief of the city’s active fire department praised the company members for preserving the city’s rich firefighting past.
“This is a unique opportunity to display the history of the department,” said Chief Louis LaVecchia. “The building the company occupies was built with that intent. It’s great to have a fire company in the city with such a long history.”
The elder Scukas said they hope to open a museum within the next two years. The biggest roadblock, he said, is getting enough volunteers to man the operation. The museum would likely open on the weekends during the summer months, he said.
“There is so much history in this building that it should be shared,” he said.
Anyone who is interested in participating in the effort can call Scukas at 877-3797.