This newspaper photo shows the new 500 gallon-per-minute Boyer Fire Pumper Truck obtained by the Village of Brookville in January 1949.
Submitted photo
BROOKVILLE — In January 1949, Perry Township began receiving complete fire protection. The Perry Township Trustees, and the Brookville and New Lebanon Fire Departments completed the arrangements.
The old membership plan became void and all citizens of Perry Township were given assistance by the Brookville Fire Department, Inc. or the New Lebanon Fire Department or both whenever needed. A ½ mill levy had recently been passed which paid for this protection.
At that same time, the Brookville Fire Department, Inc. placed an order for a new 500 gallon-per-minute Boyer Fire Pumper Truck. This Boyer pumper was the newest and most flexible fire apparatus on the market. It was to be equipped with Hale, 3-stage centrifugal pump, capable of 500 gallons of water per minute at 120 pounds pressure and/or to 120 gallons of water per minute at 500 to 700 pounds discharge pressure.
It would provide a complete range of fire-fighting from extreme high pressure and intensity fog to the supplying of large volumes of water. The pumper also had a 500 gallon water booster tank which made it self-sufficient for 20 to 30 minutes of fire-fighting. This new Boyer engine would be able to draft water from wells, cisterns, creeks and streams or take water from hydrants while pumping.
Brookville planned to have the new truck in operation by February 1, 1949. New Lebanon hoped to have its new tank truck and pumps by that time too. It was felt that the new equipment, along with the old, would give very satisfactory and first-class fire protection.
Brookville Council at its regular session in January 1949 decided to issue additional operating expense bonds in the amount of $10,000 to be used for the purchase of the new fire truck. The fire department had been unable to raise the necessary money for the purchase of the new truck, and council felt that the truck should be owned by the village instead of the fire department.
All information and the photo for this Look at Brookville article were supplied by the Brookville Historical Society. Do you have a photo or historical information to share or add? Please contact the Brookville Historical Society at 937-833-0285 or email to [email protected].
