Students re-habbing truck for Auxiliary Fire
Published on April 9th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA -A little paint here, a little bang-out of a dent there, and soon enough things will be looking and running a lot more smoothly for the Stoneham Auxiliary Fire Department.
A team of students at the Northeast Metropolitan Vocational School, as well as some serious elbow grease from auxiliary and Cub Scout Explorer members, have been working for the last few weeks to restore and refurbish a former Stoneham Fire Department fire alarm truck left for dead.
"We needed a truck to tow the trailers and this one was available," said Hastings of a year of intermittent work on the truck. "It was already painted red and had the lights on top, so all we had to do was get a telephone truck body and mount it on the truck."
"We called the Voke, they took a look and told us that they would work on it," added Hastings. "It was "boom", just like that."
The truck currently sits, tucked away in the voke school garage, with a faded red paint-job amid splotches of gray primer and a tired looking body, but the finished truck will sport a fire engine red hue and a white racing stripe along the side.
"We gave them the old chasse and (Stoneham Auxiliary Fire Department Director) Rick Hastings found a new body for it, attached the body to the truck frame, and did some work on it," said Stoneham Fire Chief Lawrence Lamey. "That will be used to pull their portable generators, their water buffalo, and it also has cabinets to contain all their tools."
So the old fire alarm apparatus will now serve as the auxiliary trailer allowing volunteers to bring refreshments, lighting and a water pumper to any local fire scene.
"They operate a piece of lighting equipment, as well as several support-type roles during fire scenes," said Stoneham Fire Chief Lawrence Lamey. "Typically they'll respond to give extra lighting at the scene, and also do some rehab work brining in water and gatorade. They also have a portable water tank if the need ever arose for a water main break."
With a definite need for a heavier piece of machiney to transport these items to the scene, Hastings and Lamey came up with the idea of sending the truck to the voke school. There isn't an urgent need for the vehicle, and allowing the students to practice their skills keeps the price tag manageable.
"We've got the kids in the shop three days week working on the truck," said Automotive shop teacher Rick Vanness. "We have kids from each class alternating days on it, and we've already replaced the hood and banged out most of the dents."
Vanness estimated that the paint job would take another month due to the natural learning process.
"These kids aren't professionals," said Vanness. "They're learning and it'll look great when it's done, but a kid can have a bad day and not feel like going into the shop."
A pair of students, Mike Muese and Chris Tello, from North Reading and Melrose had been working on the truck during a visit by the Stoneham Independent, and didn't mind some of the less glorious work that goes into restoring a truck body.
"I've been working on cars since I was seven, and I just have always loved it," said Tello. "I work in this shop all day and then I go and work at a garage right after school. It's all I've ever wanted to do."
According to Hastings, auxiliary workers will add extra strobe lighting to the truck after the completed paint-job, and then the truck will be polished and ready for light active duty.
"This isn't a truck for every day use," said Hastings. "We'll just be using it when circumstances dictate the need for it."
While there is an organized school for automotive repair, the responsibility for Stoneham's "fire school" falls on the shoulders of Rick Hastings. According to Hastings, the auxiliary fire department's membership is down to eight members, but, at one point, had a robust 25 member roster.
"People don't want to be in the auxiliary anymore, and we also don't have many more of the Explorers," said Hastings of the dwindling crew. "It gives them an idea of what goes on at a fire scene. We're limited in the things we can do, but you're on the scene. We're constantly looking for people for the Explorers and the Stoneham auxiliary fire force."
"Sometimes you're standing around in the middle of a winter night wondering if this is exactly what I want to be doing," joked Hastings.
Lamey also thought of both programs as fertile training ground for future Stoneham firefighters.
"They meet every Monday night to go over drills, and they have several projects going on such as the truck rehab," added Lamey. "They're a pretty active group."
"They start out at 14 or 15 years-old at the Explorer post, but once they turn nineteen they can't be an Explorer anymore," said Lamey. "Typically, if they're still interested, they get appointed to the auxiliary fire department, and it's those types who have a good chance of becoming career firefighters. Guys like Paul McIntyre, Jim McLaughlin and John Galla."
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