Garden Grove : Pact Drafted to Restore City’s First Fire Truck

The city’s first fire truck, a 1927 American Le France pumper that now fights only dust in a replica of an old city fire station in Heritage Park, will shine once again under a proposed agreement between the city and the Garden Grove Historical Society.

The pumper, valued at about $3,500, will need major mechanical, body and other repair work, said Fire Chief Lon Cahill, and will then be used in the annual Strawberry Parade and other special events. Most of the work will be done by the firefighters themselves and the cost will be shared by the Firefighters Assn. and the historical society.

Cahill stressed that there is no timetable for repairs, financing hasn’t been worked out and the truck is in an advanced state of disrepair. “It’s going to take a little time and money,” he said.

Under the terms of an agreement to be worked out by the City Council, the society would continue to house the old truck at the park, an area of restored houses at 12174 Euclid St. designed to reflect the city’s early days, on a 30-year loan basis while the city retains ownership.