A living piece of history, our 1941 Ford Fire Engine has a storied past.The Ford began its life as a Military Class 525 fire suppression unit, serving our country until 1946, when we purchased it as surplus equipment. After further modifications by LM Hart in Hackettstown, the truck served our town and assisted surrounding communities until the early 1960s, when it was donated to the Readington Fire Company.

After nearly 20 years of service in Readington, they asked if we wanted to bring the truck home. We gladly accepted. With a quick coat of paint and some minor repairs to keep it going, the Ford once again became an active fixture in our town, participating in community events and serving as a Department parade piece.

Unfortunately, the old station did not have enough room to store the Ford indoors, so for years it lived either in front of or alongside the building. During that time, vandals began taking parts and throwing rocks at the truck. With the Ford once again at risk of being lost, the Grochowicz family generously offered to store it in a barn, preserving it until we had a proper home for it.

Nearly 10 years later, with the completion of our new station, the Ford finally came home once again.

Its service to the community continued. It remained a familiar sight at events and community celebrations and was properly equipped for the town’s 100th anniversary celebration. We continued to keep the truck active until its tires became its Achilles’ heel, ultimately forcing us to park it.

Now, we have begun the process of rolling preservation—repairing and restoring what is necessary to make the Ford safe and reliable while maintaining as much of its original character and history as possible.

With the generous support of sponsors and the hard work of our members, a new cooling system and brake systems are being installed. New tires have been mounted, and paintwork has begun under the hood.

There is still a mountain of work ahead of us. The project includes installing a new exhaust system, replacing the fuel system, completely rewiring the electrical system, restoring the interior and seat supports, overhauling the pump, and installing a water tank.

This is more than an old fire truck. It is a piece of our town’s history—a truck that has served our country, our Department, and generations of our community.

As an all-volunteer organization operating exclusively on donations, we rely on the generosity of our community to make projects like this possible. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

If you would like to help preserve the 1941 Ford Fire Engine, we invite you to become a sponsor of this project.

Help us save a piece of our town’s history so that future generations can experience, appreciate, and enjoy it.