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A glimpse of the present through the doors of history.
For years a piece of Superior’s fire station history sat out in the elements, slowly being destroyed by the piercing Arizona sun. Years of rain and winds took its toll on the truck and for a while it seemed that the truck might be destined for a junk yard collector or possibly rusty yard art for the fire station. The fate for the 1942 Sea Grave Fire Engine was grim, until four local mechanics with a love for the fire department and community history got involved.
The fire truck sits in the bay.
Henry Munoz, Jerry Campos, John Paul Perez and Matt Mashaw spend about two Sundays a month working on the fire tuck. They have an engine for it from an old Dodge pick up truck that they purchased and use that truck for parts as needed. This weekend’s project was to remove the water pump from the truck and prepare it for replacement and other repairs in the area. The mechanics expect that they will need to raise about $30,000 to complete the restoration.
John Paul Perez, Jerry Campos, Henry Munoz and Matt Mashaw took a break from their bi monthly Sunday work day to tell us more about the process they will take to restore the 1942 Fire Engine.
Last year the group hosted a golf tournament to raise funds for the restoration project they raised about $4,000 with $2,000 of those funding going to the purchase of the Dodge engine. In order to keep the repairs moving along the group is planning another golf tournament fundraiser for late September. All funds are maintained by the Town of Superior and are dispersed as needed for the project – none of the town’s budget is allocated to this project; it is funded solely through fundraisers and private donations.
Preparing to install the engine. Photo courtesy Henry Munoz.
Once the truck is repaired and restored it will be used for parades and firefighter funerals. The rear of the truck where the crews once sat will be modified slightly to have a place for a casket to be carried.
Matt Mashaw, Jerry Campos and John Paul Perez stop for a quick picture after removing the front end of the fire truck during one of their earlier work days. Photo courtesy Henry Munoz.
Mila Besich is a resident of Superior with two children. She volunteers for many local organizations. She is an experienced fundraiser and event planner for Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition. She covers some of the area town councils and schools.
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