Second Fire Truck Takes Its Place in City's New Fire Station Building

from The Malakoff News

Friday, July 18, 1952

Malakoff's new fire truck, which has been under construction since May 16th, was completed Saturday afternoon and was delivered to its permanent place alongside of the original fire truck in the city's new and modern fire station building.

The new unit is a beautiful and effective piece of equipment and it is expected to prove exceedingly valuable to the city in the protection of property against fire for many years to come. The unit, which is known among firemen as a "Hot Shot Truck," will be especially valuable in handling grass fires and other property in areas where the city's water plugs are not immediately available, since its tank carries a water capacity of above 500 gallons. It will be ready for action immediately upon arrival at the scene of the fire. It is equipped with all kinds of firefighting devices, and its modern new pump, handling both a 1-inch and an inch and a half hose simultaneously if need be, is capable of delivering two hundred gallons per minute under 100-pounds of pressure.

Local firemen believe that the new unit will be able to take care of at least 90 percent of the fire calls without the help of the larger and more powerful truck. The smaller truck will take care of grass fires and the calls from out of town, while the original truck will be retained within the city limits at all times, in compliance with the state insurance regulation and for the protection of property within the city.

The new fire truck has been added to the fire department's facilities at very nominal cash expense to the city, but at endless hours of planning and hard work on the part of a few individuals, who gave this time freely that the town might be more fully protected against the hazards of fire. Though there are others who helped, the real credit for this masterful piece of serviceable equipment goes to Doyle Courtney and Joel McCrary. It was they who first drew the original designs and it was through their personal direction and their own handiwork that the project was carried through to its complete realization.

The project was begun at the L. L. Welding School at Mexia, shortly after the fire department had acquired the short wheel-base Chevrolet truck. The major portion of the welding work was done there. By reason of the long travel distance to that city, and the inconveniences caused thereby, the unit was brought to Malakoff on the 26th of June and was completed here in the machine shop of the Texas Power & Light Company, which was graciously loaned by the power company for that purpose.

Mr. Bill Thompson, a local welder and not a member of the fire department, is given much credit for many hours of welding work on the new machine. Without him, Messrs. Coutrney and McCrary are quick to say, the job could hardly have been done. Others credited in the truck's construction and assembly were Elmo Yarbrough, Richard Tanner, Buddy Cherry, Robbie Brown, Oscar Phillips, Jr. and Raymond Reese.

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