Hamlin Fire Department volunteers (front seat, left to right) Paul Seifert and Dave Rockow and (on back) (left to right) Bill Kirchgessner and Norm Baase rode Pumper 55 in the Wheel Fest Parade 2002 celebrating Hamlin Fire Department's 75th Anniversary. A committee is working to raise funds to restore the pumper.

Engine 55 (formerly known as Old Bertha or Gerdi) was the first piece of fire apparatus purchased by the Hamlin Fire District back in 1931. She served the town and its residents well but over the years her colors have faded and her mechanical parts are failing.

Members of the Engine 55 Club have banded together and have begun asking for help with the pumper’s restoration. They estimate it will cost about $40,000 to complete a full restoration.

Jerry Clement, campaign chairman, said the fire truck is a valuable part of Hamlin’s historical heritage. “She was purchased through taxpayer contributions and has been maintained for many years with that same taxpayer support,” he said. The truck was in active service until the early 1960s and since then has participated in musters and parades.

The community initiative being undertaken by members of the Engine 55 Club will guarantee that the apparatus will remain in Hamlin as a memento of its early roots. A similar campaign was undertaken several years ago. While a letter was sent to firemen, it did not request donations. “We’re now seeking donations as a way to keep a part of the fire department’s history alive,” Clement said.

Everyone making a contribution to the campaign will be acknowledged in a permanent record. If contributions received exceed the anticipated $40,000 necessary for the restoration, additional funding will be used to place Engine 55 in a permanent museum setting.

For information on how to help with this campaign contact Clement at 964-2180.