By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The original location proposed for the westbound I-70 Welcome to Hays marker must be changed after the Federal Highway Administration told the Kansas Department of Transportation it cannot be placed in the KDOT right-of-way.

Convention and Visitors Bureau Director (CVB) Rick Rekoske told city commissioners Thursday night two alternate placements were considered. Rekoske recommended placement of the 18′ by 10′ limestone monument on private land on the north side of I-70, “just 11-hundred feet east of the original location” and outside of the KDOT right-of-way.

The city would have to purchase a permanent easement to use the private land. “John Braun (assistant public works director) reached out to the landowner about this and he was actually pretty excited about having the welcome sign on his property,” said City Manager Toby Dougherty. ” A kind of hometown pride,”added Commissioner James Meier.

Although the city owns the land for the alternative site on the south side of I-70, Meier and the other commissioners prefer the north site.

“I think to put it in this other location, you’d have to enlarge the sign to make it actually clear and visible which would add more cost than gaining the easement,” Meier said. “I think we’ll still have better visibility on the north side.”

Utilizing the private property on the north side of I-70 will require the acquisition of a permanent signage easement at a one-time cost of $1,645, plus the cost to erect a barbed wire fence around the sign to keep livestock away from it.

The monument project was approved by the commission in March.

Dougherty explained to the commission he can enact the easement purchase for the north location.

“We have money in CVB to handle the added costs for it so we don’t need to go back and do another action item. It’s all within my spending authority,” said Dougherty.

There are no changes to the eastbound sign planned near Arnhold Park on the south side of the interstate.

Rekoske said the monument project, to be done by Tobin Rupe Stoneworks of Wichita, should be completed by Oct. 31. Total project cost is about $57,000.  The money comes from the CVB budget and is generated by the guest bed tax.

Commissioner Henry Schwaller was absent from the work session.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

If you’ve driven over the areas, you’ve probably noticed some recent maintenance work on parts of Canterbury and 27th Streets in Hays was not successful.

As part of the 2016 Street Maintenance program, diamond grinding was performed last month on sections of the concrete pavement on Canterbury between 12th and 13th and on 27th from Vine to Sherman.

The company hired to do the work made two passes to grind off bumps and make the pavement smooth but was unable to achieve the level of ride improvement expected by the city, according to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood.

The city decided to have the company–APAC’s grinding subcontractor Interstate Grinding of Garden City–halt its work before the project was completed.

“They weren’t able to grind enough off to really have an effect on the streets, so if you’re driving those areas today, they’re still pretty bumpy,” Wood said.

The city did not pay the company the entire amount due in the contract agreement. “We ceased the contract. We didn’t pay them the full amount”, he said.

City staff is recommending a contract be made with the next low bidder, West Fork LLC, Iowa, to redo the work. “Actually, their equipment is a little bit larger,” Wood added, and they’ve done some work in the community in the past.”

The $168,080 cost would come out of Special Highway Funding.

Commissioners will discuss the situation at their work session tonight. The August 4 agenda can be viewed here.

Opening of first Kansas Glik’s planned Oct. 20

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

The name Glik’s may not be known to many in the area, but an expansion program into Kansas will bring the 14th oldest retailer in the nation to Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine, later this year.

The location will be the first in Kansas.

“Hays is an amazing small town that we just felt that there was a tremendous need for us to be there,” said Jeff Glik, owner and CEO.

But the allure of Hays was not the only factor that brought the first Kansas store to Hays. Big Creek Crossing’s parent company – DP Management – was a draw for the location.

“We have an affiliation with the owner of the mall. We are in four of his other centers. He asked us to stop by, and he had the perfect space for us,” Glik said.

Management at the shopping center was happy to include the newest store to the center, first announced Monday.

“We’re very excited to have them here in Hays. We’re very excited that we were chosen, specifically Big Creek Crossing was chosen, as their first premier location in Kansas,” said James Younger, Big Creek Crossing marketing director. “We think it’s going to be a great fit for our community.”

The new location in the shopping center is only the first of several stores that are expected to move into Big Creek Crossing soon, and exterior facility upgrade plans are being finalized now.

“There are two to three others ones that are in the process of getting the leases signed,” said Josh Vickery, DP Management development investment specialist. “The lease agents are working hard on that.”

In May, Big Creek Crossing announced at least two new stores would be entering the shopping center, but the addition of Glik’s was not one of those expected at that time. Those announcements are expected soon.

But, in the meantime, Vickery is excited to add Glik’s to Big Creek Crossing.

“We’re happy to have them. I think they’re going to be a great addition to the mall. They’re a great store,” he said. “I think it will be great. They cater to the younger generation and, with the college, they will really like that.”

About Glik’s

Glik’s is a family-owned boutique that began in 1897 that selects offerings specific to each location, meaning no two stores are the same.

Some of the more well-known clothing lines carried by the chain include The North Face, Under Armour, Silver Jean Co., Patagonia, Sperry and Converse, along with others.

“It will be similar to what we have, but once we open a store, we really tailor it to the community,” Glik said. “We will open with our best foot forward and fine-tune from there.”

And Big Creek Crossing said the store will fit perfectly with Hays shopping.

“Their clothing brands are a breath of fresh air, at a mid-range price point,” Younger said. “I think it will be a win-win.”

The Hays location will be the 65th in the chain – with plans to bring three more to Kansas within 18 months.

“We are looking at other sister stores throughout the state. One town that we are pretty excited about is eventually to move into Lawrence,” Glik said.

With the openings in Kansas, Glik’s will cover 10 states and has over 600 employees.

The store in Hays is expected to employee eight to 10 people, according to Glik, and will occupy the 4,000-square-foot location formerly occupied by Rue 21.

Al Ratkewicz, store design and construction manager with Glik’s, was at the site Tuesday.

“After Jeff has made a selection, I come out and do a survey and draw a design for the store,” he said. “Initially, we plan to stay very similar to this footprint that’s here now.”

Plans for the space include a rustic look, similar to other Glik locations, but tailored to the space in Big Creek Crossing.

An opening date is planned for Oct. 20, but shoppers can get a look at clothing and shoe lines offered by the chain by visiting their website or facebook.

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations

They remember walking across the bridge when they were students at Fort Hays State University.

But this was a whole different deal, hanging from a pair of ropes from the pedestrian bridge across Big Creek near Cunningham Hall.

Members of the “C” shift of the City of Hays Fire Department rescue team spent Monday morning participating in a high-angle training exercise, and the “A” and “B” shifts are scheduled to do the same later this week.

The fire department conducts training in a different discipline each month, and the high-angle exercise can be performed from a structure about 8 to 10 feet high. However, “the higher it is, the more realistic it is,” said firefighter Tim Detrixhe, the training coordinator for the rescue team.

Firefighters have done similar exercises off FHSU’s Wiest Hall before, but Detrixhe said he came up with the idea for using the university’s Cunningham pedestrian bridge while out for a stroll one day.

“I see this bridge all the time; it’s where I walk my dog,” said Detrixhe, a 2009 graduate of FHSU who is in his fourth year with the local fire department. “To rappel off in a harness, the structure has to be tall and sturdy and have an anchor point for your rope. This is perfect.”

Although he isn’t keen on heights, Lucas Everett volunteered to be the first one to don the harness apparatus before going over the edge of the bridge.

“I have the same feeling every time I do this: apprehension,” Everett said. “It’s not natural to go off something this tall and hang in the air. Some people live for this, and there are others — well, we do it because it’s part of the job.”

After numerous safety checks on his harness and rope fasteners, firefighters on the bridge carefully — and slowly — lowered Everett to the ground about 35 feet below.

“There’s no reason to rush training,” Detrixhe said. “Movie rappel and real-life rappel are not the same thing. They go flying off a building in the movies; that’s not how it’s done in real life.”

Next up was Allison Friesen, the only female on the Hays Fire Department squad. Friesen, a 2009 FHSU graduate, appeared to take more of a liking hanging in midair.

Capt. Aaron Ditter, another Fort Hays State alum who has been with the Hays Fire Department for nearly 20 years, fed the rope of the main line through a brake bar rack in preparation for lowering Friesen. In addition to the main line, a safety backup line also is attached to the firefighters.

Friesen went one step further than Everett, inverting her body for several minutes to hook another rope line to a 90-pound weight. The weight, which had been lowered earlier, simulated a victim that Friesen was rescuing.

Because there weren’t enough firefighters on hand — some of the “C” shift crew were responding to a medical emergency in town — those present at the training didn’t attempt to raise their rescuer and her “patient” to safety.

Instead, once Friesen had her feet firmly on the ground, she released her ropes and began making her way back onto the bridge via the stairs.

“Good job,” Detrixhe called down to Friesen.

“That was a good time,” Friesen said with a smile.

Detrixhe said that while the high-angle rescue exercise has always has been on the department’s training agenda, it’s even more important now because “of the thousands of wind towers in our response area.”

“This is a low-frequency, high-risk rescue,” he said. “There’s a low frequency that we would have one of these type rescues, but if we do, it’s going to be something pretty major. So we put a lot of emphasis on this. You only get one shot to get it right.”

The Hays Fire Department’s primary coverage area is the City of Hays, but it also has mutual aid agreements within Ellis County and other adjoining counties.

“And our technical rescue team can respond to anywhere in northwest Kansas, in our regional area,” Detrixhe said.

Last week, Detrixhe contacted FHSU’s Mandy Ricke, who coordinates schedules for a variety of activities on campus, and he asked if he could use the bridge for the rescue team’s training exercise.

Ricke then got the OK from the FHSU police department, grounds department, athletics and facilities planning.

“This is a great place for this,” Dextrixhe said. “It’s close to the road, a nice clean area, wide open, and the students aren’t back to school yet. So this worked really well.”

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

SkyWest was re-selected by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (USDOT) June 22 to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at the Hays Regional Airport for another two years beginning Aug. 1, 2016 through July 31, 2018. The annual EAS subsidy from USDOT to SkyWest is $3,482,353.

But city officials are concerned about low passenger numbers that could mean the loss of SkyWest air service in the next contract period.

“We’re extremely happy the Department of Transportation selected SkyWest,” said Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty. “They’re a good carrier. They have good equipment. They’re very reliable, They do a good job and we’ve heard nothing but good things about SkyWest from passengers.”

SkyWest was not meeting its projected number of passengers in the just-completed two year contract and that was reflected in its higher bid to continue as the Hays air carrier.

Two years ago the SkyWest EAS bid for the Hays to Denver round trip route–12 flight a week–was $2.2 million with an estimated 15,000 passengers each year.

According to Dougherty, the actual passenger numbers were well below estimates.

“They were on track to hit 9,500 passengers this year (ending July 31). They were in the 8,000’s last year,” Dougherty said, “and so that is reflected in their bid of $3.4 million to fly the same number of flights back and forth (for the next two years.) I’ve said this many times–the ridership does not reflect the level of convenience and service at this airport.

“The reality is, it costs a lot of money to fly a jet between Hays and Denver twice a day.”

The $3.4 million SkyWest bid could have been a lot higher and it might be next time around.

“It’s a reflection of low oil prices right now. If the low oil prices were in a more normalized range right now, the bid probably would have been a lot higher and I don’t know if DOT could have taken it,” Dougherty said shaking his head.

“It would be nice to see more utilization of the airport. We know it’s not always going to be most affordable option. We know it’s not always going to be the most convenient option. But, in a lot of instances, it is very affordable. It is convenient, ” he said.

City Commissioner James Meier asked Dougherty if it would be a “fair statement to say that in two years, when the city is going through this process again, if oil goes up and our ridership stays the same, we may not even get a bid from SkyWest?”

“We could reach a point where the subsidy amount per passenger could get us out of the program,” Dougherty warned.

There are limits per passenger on the EAS subsidy from USDOT.

Commissioner Meier pointed out that Great Bend was on the list two years ago to receive an EAS subsidy, then was dropped this year. “In the late ’90s, there was another community that was on this list that’s no longer on this list, and that’s Goodland,” noted Meier.

Late last week the Ellis Co. Coalition for Economic Development and the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce began conducting an online survey to get the public’s feedback on their Hays airport usage and experiences.

“We have a two-year window with a great carrier (SkyWest), with good equipment and reliable, dependable service,” Dougherty said emphatically, “and I’m asking the flying public to please check the Hays Regional Airport (at Fly Hays) before you make accommodations somewhere else.”

 

Submitted

PHILLIPSBURG — Phillipsburg becomes “rodeo central” during the first week of August.

That’s when nearly 400 cowboys and cowgirls will turn their trucks and trailers towards north central Kansas, for the 87th edition of Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo.

Three hundred ninety-eight contestants are scheduled to compete, beginning with slack on August 2 and 3, and the rodeo performances on August 4-6.

Among those cowboys and cowgirls are world champions, past and present, current leaders in the world standings, and north central Kansans as well.

Reigning world champion Sage Kimzey comes to town firmly in the driver’s seat in the 2016 PRCA world standings. The Strong City, Okla. bull rider is a two-time world champ (2014-2015) and has a $22,000 lead over the number two man, Scottie Knapp. This is the third time Kimzey will have competed in Philipsburg, and he’s glad to come to town. “It’s the history my whole family has in Phillipsburg,” he said, referring to his dad, Ted, a former bullfighter and barrel man who has worked the Phillipsburg rodeo. “Going there, everybody is super nice, and I love whenever Randy Corley is announcing. He’s a close family friend. It’s a fun rodeo to be at.”

The twenty-one year old is riding the best he’s ever done in his three-year PRCA career. He’s covering a little more than 70% of the bulls he rides, which is exceptional; the average bull rider makes the eight second buzzer on about half of his bulls. He’s focused on improving. “Either I win, or learn, or do both on every single bull I get on,” he said. “I absolutely love every part about the sport. It’s something I study all the time, something I love to study. It’s my life, it really is. It’s what I love to do. And when you’re doing something you love to do, it’s not hard to dedicate all that time to it.”

Kimzey will ride on Fri., August 5. His older sister, Dusta, will run barrels in slack on Wed., August 3.

Reigning world champion saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley will ride, as will the current world champion tie-down roper Caleb Smidt.

The leader in the world standings in every event, as of press time, will compete in Phillipsburg: Tim O’Connell (bareback riding), Jason Thomas (steer wrestling), Crawley (saddle bronc riding), Luke Brown and Jake Long (team roping), Hunter Herrin (tie-down roping), Mary Burger (barrel racing) and Kimzey (bull riding).

Norton resident and barrel racer Deb Christy estimates she’s never missed a year at the Phillipsburg rodeo, and thinks she probably came to the rodeo with her parents when she was three months old. Her dad Bud Forell was a saddle bronc rider, bareback rider, and steer wrestler who competed in Phillipsburg and was also a member of the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association. She will run barrels during slack on Wed., August 3 on a horse she bought as a weanling and trained herself. Blitz, an eight year old bay whose registered name is Dashin on the Blitz, will be her mount for the rodeo.

Blitz is a full brother to Choc, a horse who carried her to her best year ever, in 2008, when she did very well in the regional rodeo associations and finished second at Phillipsburg to Mary Burger, who went on to be the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association world champion that year.

“He’s no slouch,” Christy said, of Blitz. He is her secondary horse; she will ride him to give her other horse, Ped, some time off.

Blitz is less experienced than Ped, but “he’s actually more athletic than Ped,” Christy said. “He’s a little green yet, and that’s why I’m seasoning him at these rodeos.” He may have less experience, but he has character. “He’s very athletic and very gritty. If I was going to define him by one word, it is gritty. Blitz will always give it to you and he tries so hard. It makes it fun.” Christy’s husband Steve is a member of the rodeo committee.

Jenna Rolland, a Norton resident, will also compete in Phillipsburg. The Hays native will make her first trip to Phillipsburg as a contestant; she attended last year’s rodeo as a fan of her boyfriend, Tyler Brockman, who team roped. Rolland, a high school English teacher at Northern Valley School in Almena, graduated from Hays High School in 2006, and from Ft. Hays State University five years later. She has her Master of Arts in Teaching with an English endorsement from Hastings (Neb.) College. Rolland competed in high school and college rodeo. She will run barrels during slack on Wed., August 3.

Associate memberships are available for sale. They are $125 and include a rib dinner at the rodeo grounds during slack on Wed., August 3, preferred parking, and raffle tickets for a 2016 John Deere Gator and two trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. They can be purchased from First National Bank, Matteson Motors, Cliff’s Welding, and rodeo committee members.

Slack, the extra competition that doesn’t fit into the performances, will be at 7 pm on August 2-3. It is open to the public.

Performances are August 4-5-6 and begin at 8 pm each night.

For more information, visit the rodeo’s website at KansasBiggestRodeo.com or call 785.543.2448.

HPD

UPDATE AT 5:30 P.M. 

From Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler:

The victim that died from the altercation in the 500 block of East 20th Street yesterday evening has been identified as 33-year-old Timothy Isaiah Walker, a Hays resident.

Derrick Allen Smith, 25, was arrested at the scene.

Smith is currently being held in the Ellis County Jail on suspicion of Murder in the Second Degree and Aggravated Battery.

Smith was also living in Hays.

The death continues to be investigated by the Ellis County Coroner’s Office, the Hays Police Department, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations.

“The Hays Police Department is truly saddened by the tragic and senseless death of Mr. Walker.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

“The officers of Hays Police Department have done an outstanding job in identifying and apprehending the perpetrator of this crime. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication. I  also grateful for the assistance of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation,” Scheibler added to the news release.

Because an arrest was made in the case, any further information will come from the Ellis Co. Attorney’s Office, according to Scheibler.

———————————————————————–

7:12 A.M.

On Sat., July 30, 2016 at 11:38 p.m., the Hays Police Department received a report of a possible disturbance in the 500 block of East 20th Street.

Officers arrived on scene and found an unresponsive male who appeared to have been involved in a fight. Officers immediately began giving the victim CPR. The victim was transported to Hays Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of the family.

The Hays Police Department did arrest 25-year-old Derrick Allen Smith at the scene. Smith is currently being held in the Ellis County Jail on charges relating to the fight involving the deceased.

The death is currently under investigation by the Ellis County Coroner’s Office, the Hays Police Department, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Portions of the 500 block of East 20th will be blocked off for most of Sunday, July 31, and people are asked to stay out of the area.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.

Midway Apartments owner Gary Haselhorst told Hays Post on Sunday that the incident did not occur on his property, but across the street on 20th Street.

Asst. Chief of Police Brian Dawson said no more information will be available until later today when HPD plans to issue another media release.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Two weeks and one day after that severe wind storm went through Hays, downing many trees and a few power lines, and causing some structural damage, the city has completed its cleanup of broken trees and limbs.

Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood reported to city commissioners Thursday evening the crews has finished up earlier in the day.

The thunderstorm packing winds of more than 80 mph went through Hays on Wednesday, July 13, about 6 a.m.

“By 7 a.m., we had 95 city employees out moving the storm debris.,” Wood said. “The crews worked to clear the streets, respond to different service calls, and  repair traffic signals. By 9 o’clock, most of the streets were cleared and we started to handle other debris.”

Workers then went to Lincoln Draw. Forecasts from the National Weather Service called for more rain the next night.  “We got Lincoln Draw cleaned out so that wouldn’t cause any future flooding problems.”

Wood also noted that during the initial response, the Hays McDonald’s restaurants provided free breakfast to the city crews.

Curbside tree limb pick up started Friday, July 15, giving property owners a couple of days to get the debris moved.

“We had crews from the parks department, public works department and utilities, and they moved close to 700 loads of limbs to the Ellis County Landfill,” Wood said.

The city provided personnel at the landfill to help direct the incoming loads from city and private vehicles.

City Manager Toby Dougherty said he’s not yet seen a compilation of costs. “We did have to rent some trailers, and there’ll be some labor costs.”

Wood told commissioners the city received a number of compliments on how the situation was handled.

“The guys did a great job on this,” Wood said. “They spent a lot of time out there picking up limbs.”

Longtime resident Mayor Eber Phelps, and Commissioner Henry Schwaller, who has lived in Hays all his life, made remarks last week about the storm’s ferocity.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Phelps said.

“Not in my lifetime,” added Schwaller.

The Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development is seeking the public’s input on usage and experiences at the Hays Regional Airport.

Click HERE to take the survey.

By James Bell
Hays Post

Around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, the Hays Fire Department responded to a fire inside the east wall at the construction site of Pasta Jay’s in the 4300 block of Vine.

According to scanner traffic, embers from welding on the outside of the building caught fire inside the exterior wall.

Construction workers used a hose to get water inside the wall and no flames or smoke was visible as fire fighters arrived.

After arriving, members of the HFD ran a water line and checked outside and inside the wall for fire and continued spraying water into an opening on the exterior wall.

By around 6:30 p.m., no remaining signs of a fire were detected either inside or outside of the building.

HFD was already on the scene of a structure fire at 1605 E. 27th which was called in about 5:53 p.m.  No flames or smoke were seen upon the crew’s arrival. Early reports indicate there was a fire in a bathroom and all occupants were out of the building. The last fire crew left the scene at 7:04 p.m.

Video by Cooper Slough

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

It’s been 95 years since the Hays Fire Department bought its first motorized fire truck, but for those who saw the fully restored 1921 REO Speedwagon over the weekend in Hays, it might not have seemed so long ago.

The fully restored vehicle was brought to Hays by Brad Corley, retired captain in the Wichita Falls, Texas, fire department and president Wichita Falls Fire and Police museum, who purchased the vehicle while in the process of searching for a fire truck for the Wichita Falls Firefighter’s museum.

“About four years ago, our museum had the opportunity to go to a private museum in Lawton, Oklahoma. While we were there, we were offered a couple of fire trucks,” Corley said.

They had 14 trucks, and while looking for a truck for the museum, he bought the REO for his own collection.

Little did Corley know Richard Shubert, a retired member of the Hays Fire Department, had been searching for the truck for over 30 years.

“Never could find it. It found me actually,” Shubert said.

He said he felt relieved after Corley contacted him while searching for the history of the truck after his long search.

After writing the history of the HFD and finding other original trucks from the department, the REO remained missing. Shubert followed the purchase history through several Kansas fire departments, until it was bought by someone in Oklahoma through a cash sale and the trail ran cold.

Traveling several times through Oklahoma, stopping at fire museums through the state, he thought maybe the truck had been lost to history, as many from that era had been destroyed in the war effort of World War II.

But the truck escaped the fate of many others and not only was the truck spared, it had been brought back to life through an intensive restoration.

In 1985, the owner fully restored the truck, one of the few examples still in existence from the era.

“One of the things that makes this rare is that it has its original engine and original frame. Everything’s original,” Corley said.

He estimated there are only five left in the country, and the Hays truck is in the second best condition.

While the previous owner had diligently worked to restore the truck to its original condition, a few details, including paint on the truck, are slightly different than when it was used in Hays.

The truck had been hand painted in a process that took months to complete.

“It makes it unique, but it doesn’t make it exactly as it came from the factory,” Corley said.

After Corley purchased the truck, he spent over two years again working to get the truck in running condition, including rewiring the truck and searched for its original department.

“When you buy a truck, you want all the history you can find,” he said, “but that history is what makes the trucks special.

“The department, the guys that rode it, the fires it went to, it’s your history and Hays’ history was missing one part.”

Now that history is complete as Shubert has located the original trucks from the department, including the first equipment, a hand-pulled fire cart nicknamed the Prairie Bell.

That cart, however, is in a precarious location — buried by the city in a pit behind the city shop, likely after the REO was purchased, Shubert said.

“We’ve got all of the trucks, except the Prairie Bell,” he said.

Sharing the historic truck was important for Corley and the full restoration was a treat for Shubert and Tim Detrixhe, president of Hays Firemen’s Relief Association.

“To have this where they came come touch it and see it means a lot for the community,” Corley said.

“It’s a muesum piece. It’s beautiful,” Detrixhe said. “The work and the love that’s gone into rebuilding this truck is amazing. The attention to detail and the care that Brad and the people that have gone before him have put into this truck over the years to make it that, in 2016, a 1921 truck runs like a top.”

While finding the truck in such good condition was a surprise, he said, maintaining equipment is a part of the firefighter’s ethos.

“Theses trucks are like an extension of ourselves in a way. Without our trucks, we can’t do our job and, without us, they can’t do their job,” Detrixhe said. “It speaks to the firefighters’ nature about preserving things and keeping them in top working order.”