Jackson Fire Department receives antique fire truck donation

JACKSON, Tenn. — A big piece of history is back in the hands of the Jackson Fire Department.

83 years ago, the world was at war on two fronts. During that time, here in West Tennessee, a relic was driving on the streets of Jackson dousing fires.

That truck has spent the last 41 years in storage, but soon you will be able to spot JFD’s 1942 Seagrave 65-foot aerial ladder truck at public events and parades.

“While it’s not a new truck, with us getting one of the antique trucks back, it’s actually a good thing for the Jackson Fire Department because we like to preserve the history,” said Jackson  Fire Chief Don Friddle.

Chief Friddle was very thankful to the Long family and the John R. Long Sr. Fire Museum in north Jackson for holding on to this piece of history.

The Jackson Fire Department takes pride in its history and tradition and will honor the firemen that served on that truck.

“our ultimate goal is to restore it. And we have several folks that are with the fire department right now that are interested in helping us, so our goal is to restore it, get it as close to original condition as we possibly can and to do it without any taxpayer funds,” said Chief Friddle.

The truck, according to Chief Friddle, is in pretty good condition for a 1942, but there’s a lot of work to do. The truck was in service from 1942 through 1984 and has remained in storage with the Long family since then.

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