History and heritage have long been important parts of the fire service. Antique equipment and trucks are prized by communities for what they are, a representation of that city's roots.

In 1939, the City of Mt. Vernon purchased a brand new fire engine on a Diamond T chassis. The truck, made by Central Fire Corporation out of St. Louis, MO was state of the art at the time. The truck served for many years saving lives and property in Mt. Vernon. The truck was eventually retired and placed into storage.

Recently, the City has decided the list the truck for auction on December 12, 2009. Should this happen, this valuable piece of local history could be lost forever. Future generations would never have a chance to see what life in Mt. Vernon was like so many years ago. A better solution would be build a mini fire museum to display the truck proudly to the public. This has the potential to be a no-cost proposal to the City.

Please join us in our fight and sign our petition to keep the 1939 Diamond T fire engine in Mt. Vernon, where it belongs.