Seneca Volunteer Fire Department

Following is a shortened version of the article
 from the Courier-Tribune - 1922  -- 
files at the Seneca Library.

"City Fire Department Asks For New Equipment"

The Chief of the City Volunteer Fire Depart, Davyes Thoughton gave a report on the fire lost since 1916 and was asking the city for a  new Pumper and Chemical  Fire Engine - I do not have any information as to the facts as if they would have had a Fire Engine at that date or if they were still using horse power.  I have been told the Fire Department had a truck on which was mounted a  chemical tank and perhaps a steam engine which powered a pump.
 

At this time the Fire Chief  was requesting  equipment  which he had   bids ranging from $7,000 to $10,000 dollars. He stated the fire lost since from 1916 to 1922 had been $45,048.21 and that perhaps as much as $30,000 of that could have been saved with this equipment.

 The Chief also explains that now that the city had abandoned the Seneca Light and Power Plant and that there was a need for a siren alarm, and bids for a sirens were opened for as high as $375. There was the need for an additional pump at the water tower to pump more pressure into the city lines for  fire emergencies or a fire truck with a  pump on the truck which would be the cheapest of the the two.

The Volunteer Fire Department has $6000 to loan the city for purchasing the fire truck. The  fire department was without opposition for the expensive truck. One business man believes a chemical engine mounted on a Ford truck would answer the purpose for some years. Another believes there should be a let up in expenditures for a this time, he would reduce the fire department levy and save on tax. He says there is not one town in 500 that is the size of Seneca that is  going for such expensive equipment.

That is the end of the article. I would assume this proposal went no place. There may be more information some time  before March or between March and October of 1922. A later article stated this had been an item that had been brought to the City council  for some five years.
 I have not found any of these items as of yet, they could be interesting. 

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