Albion fire trucks in the Christmas parade

I already had these up on Facebook. but I figured I'd blog them here because hey--that's what blogs are for.

You wondered what blogs are for, didn't you? Admit it.

Anyway, the guys dressed up three of our fire trucks for the 2017 Albion Christmas parade. The following three photos were taken by Albion firefighter Bob Brownell, who sent them to me to keep safe in the event of his disappearance. Kidding! Say, I haven't seen Bob.

This 1929 Buffalo Fire Apparatus engine was built in--you guessed it--1929. It was Albion's first motorized fire engine, after an 1888 hand-pumped engine and a 1914 horse-drawn chemical engine.

This is Albion's first rescue truck designed as an actual rescue truck. Our three rescues before that were reconditioned after being--wait for it--two bread delivery trucks and a soda truck.

Fast forward to modern times, and our newest fire engine. Christmas lights were not standard.

Unfortunately, the '29 was the only apparatus to make the parade. The other two were diverted--for the second year in a row--to respond to a traffic accident involving injuries. An odd coincidence ... and also confusing to parade watchers who saw fire trucks rushing through town with lights and sirens just before the parade actually started.