NORTON SHORES, Mich. — The Norton Shores Fire Department welcomed home a piece of history Friday as a long-lost 1945 Ford Fire Truck was reunited with the department.
The truck disappeared from the department's roster 54 years ago, and has finally returned to Norton Shores Fire Station #3 on Pontaluna Rd.
The truck's journey home all started with a phone call from Perry, Georgia. Norton Shores Fire Chief Bob Gagnon said a man down in Georgia had contacted the fire department letting them know he had the truck, and wanted to get it back home.
"Of course I said yes, let's do this," said Gagnon. "It is here to stay in Norton Shores, we're not letting this thing go again, it has too much history."
Gagnon said the department asked the man what it would take to get the truck back to Norton Shores, wondering about costs. The man "overwhelmingly" told them he wanted to donate the truck back to the residents of Norton Shores.
"Our initial plans are to have this in our parade," Gagnon added. He explained the truck had been in parades during its stay down in Georgia. While he said it won't be ready for the October Fire Prevention Parade this year, he has a few things in the works for the truck.
"We're excited to have it," said Gagnon. "And can't wait to have the community come and look at it and see what a bit of history that you know, this truck has."
Gagnon said the truck will be at the station on Pontaluna Road for anyone to come and take a look at it.
"Just stop by the station, we should have a firefighter or firefighters on scene here," Gagnon said.
Gagnon described the excitement of getting the truck home as feeling like Christmas morning, "ever since it got loaded on the truck yesterday, just couldn't be happier."
Gagnon said they don't know how the truck ended up down in Georgia to begin with. He said at one point the truck had been donated by the city to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and then later bought at auction by the man who donated it back to them. Now, they're trying to fill in the pieces for the years in-between.
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