A historical repository for the North American Fire Service

Who had the First Fire Apparatus

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1st Motorized Vehicle	Fire Department	Year All Motorized	Remarks
1905	Larue, OH	1905	Howe fire engine ordered and received in 1905. This is reportedly the first motorized fire engine in the United States.
1906	Enfield, CT	1906	The Thompsonville Fire Department of Enfield, CT. Even though Radnor Fire Company of Wayne, PA ordered theirs first, the TFD received theirs first making them the second fire engine placed in service in the United States.
1906	Wayne, PA	1906	Radnor Fire Company of Wayne, PA purchased a Knox Fire Engine in 1906. It was called the "Firemen's Herald". It was the third fire engine placed in service in the United States.
1906	Boston, MA	1923	Boston put into service an American LaFrance/Packard that was on loan from American LaFrance in 1906. It was the first American LaFrance gasoline driven fire apparatus built. It would be wrecked because of a wheel failure and sent back to American LaFrance to be rebuilt. It would later be put back into service only to be returned to American LaFrance in late 1907 because Boston did not have the funds to purchase it. They would not buy another mechanized rig until July 29th, 1910. A Knox chemical car was placed into service at Chemical 13 which is now Engine Co.53.
1908	Oakland, CA	1921	The age of motorized equipment in Oakland began in 1908 with the purchase of the first motorized Chief’s vehicle.
1908	Detroit, MI	1922	Detroit's first rig was a 1908 Packard used as a flying squad.
1910	Berkeley, CA	1914	In 1910 the fire department consisted of ten companies quartered in nine stations by a total of 74 firemen. That same year their first motorized hose wagon was purchased. By 1914, the department was fully mechanized.
October 20th, 1910	Yonkers, NY	1910	Two motorized hose wagons each equipped with a 35 gallon chemical tank and powered by a six cylinder 70 horsepower engines arrived. They were placed in service at Engine Co. #6 and Engine Co. #8. On November 5, 1910, Engine Co. #10 was placed in service equipped with the old fire apparatus of Engine Co. #8.
December 30th, 1911	Los Angeles, CA	1921	Chief Engineer Archie J. Eley convinced the Los Angeles City Council to advertise for bids for one motor pumping engine. On March 23, 1911, the Union Well Supply Co., local agents for The Robinson Fire Apparatus Co. of St. Louis, Mo. was awarded City Contract No. 1477 for: "One, "Jumbo" Triple Automatic Combination Hose Wagon and Fire Engine not to include chemical tank and equipment for the sum of $8650.00." After much to do, Chief Eley reported to the Council that the new engine had passed all tests, and on December 30th, 1911 the engine was officially accepted.
1914	Phoenix, AZ	1914	Three 325gpm, chain driven, white, 1914 Seagraves Type 19 fire engines were purchased by the PFD to make the swatch from horse to gasoline.
1914	Mason City, IA	1917	First fire engine purchased was a 1913 Seagrave.
September 3rd, 1915	Rome, NY	1924	An American LaFrance TYPE10 Chemical Car was purchased.
September 20th, 1915	Clifton Forge, VA	1915	An American LaFrance TYPE10 Triple was purchased.
Unknown	Cincinnati, OH	1922	No information at this time.