MARLBORO — On April 2, 1968, Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company (MVFC) Fire Chief Bob Bartlett, (father of the current board member and past firefighter with the MVFC, Ann Bartlett) and the Chair of the Board of Commissioners, J. F. Herrick Jr., signed a contract to purchase a brand new Diamond Reo pumper/tanker fire truck for $17,189.
The Diamond Reo truck, known as Engine #1, has been in active service to the town of Marlboro since then, responding to an estimated 1,600 fire events in its 54 years on the job. It is believed to be the oldest active fire truck in Vermont and is highly regarded by fire truck enthusiasts for its age, condition, style, and fortitude.
Fifty-four years later, on May 12, 2022, the board of directors of the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company (Will Shakespeare, president; Michael Schneider, treasurer; Carol Ann Johnson, clerk; and Ann Bartlett and Fred Muschler, members) authorized acting fire chief Andrew Richardson to purchase a replacement truck and “give the Reo a gold watch” and let it enjoy its days as an antique fire truck, participating in parades and fairs and other celebrations.
The board says the replacement truck is a “beautifully maintained” 1995 Sutphen pumper. It pumps water at the rate of 1,250 gallons per minute and has a 1,000 gallon onboard storage tank. The truck had been used by the Winooski Fire Department and has a six-person cab. It fits into the MVFC firehouse “with just a few inches overhead clearance to spare.”
The truck has an automatic transmission, which the Reo did not, allowing for more personnel to qualify as drivers. Included in the purchase package was 900 feet of 4-inch hose, 600 feet of 2 1/2-inch hose, a 24-foot ladder, a 14-foot ladder, and a 10-foot ladder. It also has an onboard generator.
The board says the replacement truck will inherit the title of Engine #1, but will be clearly identified in its own style, as it “is a beautiful sparkling yellow.”
The Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company will be presenting the new Engine #1 to the public on June 28, before and after the Marlboro Community Supper. The board says all are welcome “to visit and check out the truck, kick the tires, sit in the driver's seat, and talk with the firefighters and first responders.”
The board, along with the firefighters and first responders, also offers their thanks to “the residents of the town of Marlboro, the Marlboro Selectboard, and all of the past Marlboro first responders for their dedicated contributions over the years for helping us achieve this important goal of keeping the MVFC an active and professional fire fighting and first responding company to serve the people of Marlboro.”