For this week's "98 Seconds with Naomi Lynn" video, we take a look at some really old equipment that firefighters had to use before all the advancements we have today.

First of all, we want to give a big "Thank You!" to Jim Scoones, the 2nd Assistant Chief at the Clinton Fire Department. He took time out of his day to give us a tour of their Fire Department, let us see all their fire trucks and emergency vehicles. He also allowed us to interview his two sons who are both on their own firefighting journey. We got to talk to his son David Scoones, who is a college student and a firefighter. We also talked to his other son, Michael Scoones, who is a junior firefighter.

On top of all that, Jim also allowed us to see some of the antique firefighter equipment, which you can see in the video at the top of this page. The first "vehicle" we looked at actually had to be pulled by horses. They would have to get a hose and hook it up to this metal tube on the top of the "vehicle," where they would have to pump water from a pond (or another source), to be able to battle a fire.

You'll also see (in the video), a hose connected to a cart with giant wheels and an older fire truck that's in immaculate condition. Naomi Lynn actually mentioned she thought this vehicle was "cute." A few years ago they had their former chiefs ride in the old fire truck during the 4th of July parade. It's rumored this baby can go about 35 miles an hour.

We also got to see old firefighter gear, which looks very heavy and a little "clunky," compared to the gear they have today.

The last thing we took a look at was the old "Location of Fire" board. Apparently, when there was a fire, they would put a pin in the board to show which street/road/area, they were going to.

It's obvious a lot has changed in the last 50-plus years, but it's even more obvious when you look at the firefighting community. Between the upgrades on their vehicles, how they head out to fires, their gear, and everything else in between, things have definitely improved for the better.

 

 


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