By Clara Wicinski
The Morning Journal
AVON LAKE, Ohio — A piece of the city’s history is set to roll again as the Avon Lake Historical Society prepares to unveil a fully restored 1939 Dodge American LaFrance fire truck later this month.
The truck, known as ALFD1, will be on display for the public during a community viewing at 1 p.m., May 23, at the Avon Lake Fire Department, 32811 Walker Road in Avon Lake. It is then scheduled to lead the city’s Memorial Day Parade on May 25 , which begins at 10 a.m.
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The restoration has been years in the making, led by Historical Society trustee Dave Dlugosz and a team of volunteers.
“This has been a process now for about the last two years,” Dlugosz said. “We’ve got a group of about 10 volunteers with all different talents, and now all of a sudden it’s all coming together.”
The fire truck, originally put into service in the late 1930s, was decommissioned decades ago and later passed through private ownership before being returned to the city. It sat unused in storage until the Historical Society took on the project.
Dlugosz said the truck is not only important locally, but also rare.
“It’s just not a fire truck of Avon Lake , it’s also a rare fire truck,” he said. “It’s an American LaFrance, which makes it pretty special.”
Restoration work has been extensive. Volunteers and local businesses worked to deconstruct the vehicle, catalog parts, strip and repaint the body, rebuild the braking system, resurface the ladder, and completely redo the interior of the cab. The electrical system also had to be fully rewired after being damaged years ago.
“Immense amounts of work went into this,” Dlugosz said. “Everything from the wheels and tires to the painting and the striping, it’s all been redone.”
Argenti Auto Body in Lorain handled the paint work, while Chip Judd completed the detailed striping by hand. Other local contributors, including Sylvester Tire and Avon Lake Sheet Metal , assisted with key parts of the restoration.
Dlugosz said the project would not have been possible without community support, including major donations that helped get the effort off the ground.
“Without those donations and the volunteers, we wouldn’t be where we are now,” he said.
While the truck has been restored to near-original condition, Dlugosz said the goal was never to turn it into a museum-only piece.
“The objective is restoration, but not as a museum piece,” he said. “We want it to be a piece of living history.”
That means the truck will be used in parades and community events, allowing residents, especially younger generations, to experience a part of the city’s past up close.
“We want kids to be able to come in, sit in the cab and not worry about anything being destroyed,” Dlugosz said.
For Dlugosz and the volunteer team, many of whom have deep roots in Avon Lake , the project is about preserving local history and sharing it with the community.
“We all have a very close tie to the community,” he said. “This is a way to give back and let the new generation look back and get that feeling that this is part of us.”
With the unveiling weeks away, Dlugosz said there may still be a few finishing touches, but the truck is ready for its return to the public eye.
“We’re not quite finished, but we’re pretty close,” he said. “And we’re excited for people to finally see it.”
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