By Jorge Batlle
Skaneateles Fire Department Historian
Tradition in the fire service runs very deep. One tradition is the color of the fire trucks. They are slow to change. In the City of Syracuse, back in the 1950s, all their apparatus were white. At the end of the 1970s, Syracuse trucks were ordered or repainted OSHA safety yellow. This color goes back to 1937 when school busses were being painted OSHA safety yellow. In 1997 Syracuse took delivery of their last safety yellow truck, designated Rescue 1. Now all of the Syracuse trucks are familiar standard red.
Skaneateles Fire Department also went through fire truck color changes. The first pumping engine was the 1822 hand pumper that is on display at the fire station.
It is black with gold painted embellishments. As far back as the department’s historian’s files show, Skaneateles apparatus were the traditional red color. The first fire truck photographed in color shows a 1939 Dodge open cab pumper truck being red. The department restored its red 1951 Mack pumper, which is proudly shown off in parades. The department used a conventional delivery van painted red in the 1950s for rescue services. This was replaced by a much larger mobile library style van in the late 1970s. It too was red.
The first safety yellow fire truck for Skaneateles was back in 1973. These rigs were mounted on conventional Ford truck chassis. There was a slight change in the early 1990s when the cab roofs of the trucks were painted white.
The mini-pumper was one of the many fire service innovations proposed by Syracuse Fire Chief Thomas Hanlon. The first two minis were delivered to Syracuse in December of 1971. They were built on pick-up truck chassis. The purpose was to handle the routine calls like trash fires, and other minor incidents. This saved wear and tear on the full sized apparatus.
The mini pumper concept was slowly adopted by many of the suburban, volunteer fire departments. Skaneateles saw the value in the mini in getting down the tight fire lanes on each side of the lake. Using its 4-wheel drive capability, the mini could be of value in fighting grass and field fires. In 1980, Skaneateles bought its mini based on a Chevrolet chassis and assembled by E-One of Ocala, Florida. In 2004, the original Chevrolet chassis was replaced and modifications were made by a local fire equipment service. The Skaneateles mini was painted safety yellow.
The final paint scheme for Skaneateles trucks came when first due Engine 11 needed upgrading. It was changed from yellow to white over red. This is now the color of all the Skaneateles trucks, except for the mini pumper.
The department has on order a replacement for the mini. It will be the current white over red paint scheme. The old yellow mini pumper was recently put up for auction, and is awaiting pickup by its new owner. The era of the yellow fire trucks has ended for the Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Department. Red is the choice, as history repeats itself.
