San Francisco’s antique fire apparatus collection looking for new home

By FireRescue1 Staff

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s historic collection of fire vehicles is homeless, according to the nonprofit organization that takes care of it.

San Francisco Examiner reported that Guardians of the City, the nonprofit group that cares for the historic firefighting vehicles, is calling on San Francisco to find a home for the vintage collection.

The collection of 32 antique vehicles ranges in origin from 1820 to 1992 and includes a hose cart that battled flames in 1850, a 75-foot water tower on wheels from 1906 and a 1958 fire engine.

The collection is temporarily stowed in an Academy of Art garage, but before that it hopped from location to location. The open-air garage atmosphere caused weather damage, resulting in the estimated value of $2,647,500 dropping to $1,437,080.

Lee said some of the damage is “beyond repair,” but many members of the community support the decision to preserve history.

“The Department supports identifying and securing space to house and protect our vintage apparatus, which is an important piece of our history,” San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes said.

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