Vehicle: 1968 GMC Fire Truck

 

Island: Hurricane Island

 

Owner: James P Gaston

 

“In 1999 my father purchased the first, and probably the last, Hurricane Island fire truck,” writes James R. Gaston, whose father owns the island. “He had the intention of actually using it in the event of a fire on the island.

“The truck was bought at auction from the town of Yulan, New York, for $2,501. Like so many machines on Hurricane, its purpose was not fully thought out at the time of purchase, but the draw of a bright red fire engine with flashing lights was enough for my father to raise his silent auction bid by one dollar, beating his competitor’s offer of $2,500.

“Until this point the truck had been used in Yulan to help fight brush fires. There is a 300-gallon tank on the bed and, when serving its purpose, the truck would refill other trucks from a nearby water source. It has a 327-horsepower engine and pumps water at a rate of 150 gallons per minute.

“When the truck reached Hurricane, as I recall by Island Transport, it was used for a short period as a utility truck, replacing an old blue pickup. Most often it was used to transport food and supplies from the dock on the Outward Bound side to our house on the south end of the island. The pump worked for a little while but failed after the priming mechanism allowed water to reach the inner workings of the motor. The brake line rusted out, then the floor, then the steering box and finally the bed. Thankfully the truck was never called upon to fight a fire. It was also great at running over my bike.

“A couple years ago our family bought a Kawasaki Mule, which assumed all the duties of the fire truck. The truck has moved little more than 100 feet the past two years but with some work could be running again.

“My favorite memory of the truck was on millennium night. We used to go skating on the quarry, back in the days when it still would freeze. On New Years Eve, at around 2 a.m., we drove the truck down to the edge of the water and skated in the red spinning flashes of the siren and searchlights. We had the radio blasting, too.

Tell us about your island vehicle. Send photos of you and your vehicle, and a description, to David Tyler, editor, Working Waterfront, P.O. Box 648, Rockland, ME 04841. Or send an e-mail to: dtyler@islandinstitute.org.