A century-old fire engine which had a hand in the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake rescues in 1931 is being pressed back into service for an Art Deco Festival appearance as part of a campaign to ensure it remains in public hands.
The fire truck first spouted water when bought by the Hastings Fire Board in 1923, and including being fitted out as a 12-seater by local coach builders Smith and McCutcheon at a cost of cost of £1,174.
While that converts as $2348 in metric currency introduced in 1967, the modern equivalent is estimated to cost over $500,000.
The first motorised fire truck in the world was introduced in Cincinnati, US, in 1902, but none are thought to have been put to use in New Zealand until about 1919.
The Hawke’s Bay machine was used to fight a fire at the Roaches department store in Hastings following the earthquake, when the city’s water supply was cut off, making the role of the Dennis appliance with water on-board even more important.