Crown Firecoach Enthusiasts

CFE board member Mike McDonald presents 17-year-old James Daniel of Hemet with the 2009 Brian Dierkens Memorial Award, during the annual CFE Pump-In held April 26, 2009 at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. Mr. McDonald is chairman of the Brian Dierkens Award Committee which selected this year's award recipient. James is a Fire Explorer with the Riverside County Fire Department, Station 26, Little Lake Volunteer F.D. in east Hemet, CA. He plans to pursue a career as a professional firefighter. Family, friends, fellow explorers and members of the Little Lake station were on hand but had not told James he was to receive the award, so he was not only surprized by the engraved plaque but the $500 scholarship.

The Brian Dierkens Memorial Award was established in honor of the late son of current CFE President, Ron Dierkens. Brian was a teenage fire explorer who had planned to pursue a career in the fire service before his tragic death. The award is presented annually to a young person between the ages of 15 and 25, male or female, who is of excellent character, has a genuine interest in the Fire or EMS Services, antique fire apparatus, and education and promotion of CFE ideals.

Click on the photo of the 2009 CFE Pump-In dash Plaque, below, to view photos from the Pump-In held on April 26, 2009.

A limited number of these collector dash plaques are still available for purchase for $5.00 each plus S&H. Contact the Webmaster for details.

CFE May 2009 Meeting Report

The May 16 CFE meeting was held at member Justin Aldi's warehouse in Burbank. Justin and his business partner, who started "First Security Lending" in the mid-1990s, bought the warehouse to store all of their "toys." Justin collects trucks and Triumphs. He got into Triumphs because his Mom owned one that sat in the garage for years. When Justin was 16 and wanted a car, his Mom said "you can have it if you can get it to run." Justin drove this car to high school and learned to repair it (weekly, as it's British), and soon became hooked on the little roadster. He got into trucks because a neighbor of his had a rig. His business partner collects motorcycles, go-carts and muscle cars. Justin owns 4 fire rigs - an early 1940s Mack, a 1952 Seagrave quad and a 1958 Diamond-T/Van Pelt that is for sale. He also has a 1930s Moreland that he got from L.A. County as a future restoration project.

Justin also provided a deli and cold-cut tray and all present made sandwiches for lunch. After lunch, the group went over to Burbank's Headquarters for a tour. Burbank Engine 11, a 2009 Seagrave, was just put in to service on May 15th and they have two others just like it.

Click on the photo below to see more photos from the May CFE Meeting

CFE Members Put on display for Inland Empire Cub Scouts at Auto Club Speedway

Five CFE members brought rigs on Saturday, June 5 to the Inland Empire Cub Scout Pinewood Derby District Championship at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Over 100 boys ages 6 to 10 attended and enjoyed looking at and climbing on rigs brought by members Frank Sealy (1985 Pierce/Chevy, ex Chino FD), Jim Conrad (1967 Crown, ex Valley Center FD), Tom Ryan (1976 Mack, ex Long Beach FD), Mike Britt (1970 Crown, ex Culver City FD), and Carl Lucey (1976 Ford/Van Pelt, ex Tulare County FD)

Click on the photo below to see more photos from the event

CFE Members Participate in 2009 Firefighters Quest Run For Burn Survivors

The 2009 Firefighters Quest For Burn Survivors Burn Run was held from June 1-5, 2009. Over $180,000 was raised. Several CFE members participated and a couple of Crowns were in the run.
CFE Board Member/Rec. Secretary, Len Zlotorowicz is one of the event coordinators.

Click on the image below to see more photos from the event

CFE Club Crown Firebus wins first place in Valley Center Western Days Parade

CFE’s 1958 Crown Firecoach Bus won 1st Place in the Emergency Vehicle Category at the Western Days Parade held Saturday, May 23, 2009, in Valley Center. The Firebus, which also served as a shutle bus during the 3-day annual Western Days, was among about 8 other entries with Hewy & Ruth Wick’s LAPD / Adam-12 Car coming in 2nd. According to Mike McDonlad, "Valley Center is kind of a magnet for Retired LA City and County FD people." No less than four retired LA County guys came up to Mike during the weekend to say that they had either ridden on the bus or had seen it in L.A. County while it was in service. One was retired Capt. Ron Rayhawk who recalled the Jim Page story about Jim responding to an accident call with the bus while loaded with camera-laden visiting Japanese fire chiefs, and going on scene before the first in engine and ambulance arrived.

CFE’s Ex-North County Fire 1971 Crown Pumper (freshly detailed with new gold leaf door lettering) carried an entry for the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce. The California Fire Museum’s Ex-Fallbrook FD 1957 Dodge-Howe 4X4 Brush Engine opened up the parade in front of the Escondido Police Color Guard and Mounted Posse.

Click on the image below to see more photos (courtesy The Valley Center Roadrunner)

The Annual Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation’s Southern CA Burn Relay took place on Saturday, April 24th, 2009 with several CFe member's rigs participating. The relay wasl broken into two legs, one doing the coastal cities and the other heading inland, each with CHP escort. Both groups departed from the Santa Monica Airport where even an airplane wanted to join in! Money was collected at each stop, with both groups meeting back up at Los Angeles county F.D. Station 118 for diiner and closing festivities.

The Los Angeles St. Patrick's Day Parade was held on Tuesday, March 17th and CFE member rigs were again invited to participate. Members Mike Briel, Brian Grimes and Jim Konekamp each brought a rig, and commenting on his Laker girls passengers, Brian grimes said, "Of course I got to haul the best cargo!"

Thanks to all who attended and helped make the 2009 Winter SPAAMFAA Conference a Success!

CFE's club-owned 1963 Crown/Snorkle is featured on the official 2009 SPAAMFAA Winter Convention Dash Plaque. Crown S/N F1313, this 1000 gpm quint with a 350 gallon tank originally served the Stanton, CA FD and later became Truck 46 with the Orange County Fire Department when the City of Stanton contracted fire services to the County of Orange in 1988. A limited number of these collector dash plaques are still available for purchase for $5.00 each plus S&H. Contact the Webmaster for details.

Staged awaiting move -in to the convention center: Randy Marsile brought OCFSA's 1967 Crown pumper and Brad Hammer brought his 1948 Ford/Van Pelt pumper.

Rigs moving into the convention center display area are led by Doug Hammer's 1940 United-Kenworth pumper.

There are several clips currently on YouTube showing classic L.A. and Honolulu Crown Firecoaches.

The short video entitled "LAFD Crown Firecoach, Auckland, New Zealand, 1 Dec 07" shows former LAFD shop 60086, a 1961 Crown that ran as W10. It was given to New Zealand by LAFD in 1993 and is now part of the collection of the Museum of Transportation and Technology in Auckland. Click on the image below to go to the YouTube video.

There are also some clips taken from the 1960s television drama "Hawaii Five-0" on YouTube that show some classic Crowns. The first clip shows two different Crown pumpers, a 1960s triple rolling out of a station and then a 1950s Crown responding down a street. These are actually LAFD rigs filmed on the streets of Los Angeles but edited in with footage filmed in Hawaii to make it appear they are in Honolulu. Click on the image below to go to the YouTube video.

The other clip is from the opening of the episode "The Sunday Torch" from season 6 of the "Hawaii Five-0." It shows the very first 85-foot Snorkle that Crown built (S/N F1224), which was mounted on a 1961 International-Harvester chasis with only two axles. This beast was a one of a kind rig! Click on the image below to go to the YouTube video.

RESOURCES

- Resources for Club Members-

NEW WINDSHIELDS AVAILABLE FOR FIRECOACHES

Coach Glass, an Oregon company which specializes in glass for many types of vehicles, including buses and fire apparatus, now has windshields for Crown Firecoaches, including both narrow body and wide body models. Windshields are $265 for each side, crate $75, freight $90 (shipping prices may vary depending on destination). Compared to the prices that some individuals and salvage companies have been asking for used windshields, this is very reasonable. For more information, visit the Coach Glass website, or call them at 800-714-7171.

CFE APPAREL AND MERCHANDISE ORDERING INFO

CFE bas an agreement with "FIREWEAR" in Las Vegas that will allow you to order shirts, hats, and a variety of other merchandise and promotional products (coffee mugs, etc) with the CFE logo on them by going to their website. To shop and place an order, go to: http://www.logofw.com/store/home.php?cat=268es available.