1927 Tyndall Fire Truck Converted To Haul Firemen To Final Resting Places 8vHISVOICEvSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 Established in 1887 under the leadership of J.D. Elliot, two years before South Dakota became a state, the Elliott Hose Company #1 in Tyndall became the first chartered fire department in all of the Dakota Territory but the Tyndall Fire Department is also famous for another reason. The department is home of one of two 1927 closed cab fire trucks in existence. Typically, it wasn’t until after 1935 that closed cab fire trucks began to appear on the scene. “The truck we have here is one of two that were specifically made in 1927 to go to a fire department for fighting fires,” said Glenn Tycz, senior member of the Tyndall Fire Department. “All the fire trucks made during that period of time were open cab trucks, but the specifications for this truck were for a closed cab because of how cold the weather gets in South Dakota.” The truck was ordered brand new from Luverne Fire Company by the Elliot Hose Company #1. However, it took some arguing to get the company to put a cab on the fire truck. The truck itself is a very compact one-ton Chevrolet with a four-cylinder engine and three-speed transmission. It can hold 110 gallons of water between its three tanks and features a 6-volt battery operated siren. There are no seatbelts, turn signals or break lights, but it does feature push-to-start technology, a hand-operated windshield wiper and dual windshields for ventilation purposes. “When the truck was bought, it was called a chemical truck because the tanks on the back contained sodium bicarbonate and acid in them,” Tycz said. “You would tip the tanks upright after dropping in a sodium bicarbonate canister and it would mix with the acid in the tank, neutralizing it and creating pressure so you could spray water.” The truck remained in service from about 1927 to 1948 before resting in retirement. It wasn’t until about 1987 that the motor began to be restored and brought back to a serviceable condition. At that time, it was primarily used for parades, until a member of the fire department passed away and requested that he be taken to his final resting place in the old firetruck. “We already had it put in the bylaws,” Tycz said. “If a person was a member of vFIRE TRUCK continued on page 10