Operation Ignite - 1928 American LaFrance Fire Truck
"Operation Ignite" is a project to completely restore a 1928 American LaFrance Fire Truck that belongs to Osceola Volunteer Fire Department. This truck is very important to their history and holds a lot of promise for their future. Following is a write up by the Fire Chief about the truck. A fire in downtown Osceola on November 22nd, 1917 at 1:00 am resulted in the deaths of Marshal Richard Eggleston and Firefighter George Griffin. During the fire at Frick's Drug Store on the south side of the Osceola square an explosion occurred causing a wall to collapse, resulting in the death of both men. Nearly a decade later the City of Osceola was able to purchase the first water pumping fire engine, a 1928 American LaFrance. The much-needed upgrade allowed the Department to safely fight fires for many years until the Department upgraded to a newer and more modern engine in 1945. In 2018 the Department was able to relocate the original 1928 American LaFrance, and ...