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This engine originally was purchased
for the Signal Hill Fire Protection District of the Los Angeles
County Forestry Department, later to be known as the Los Angeles
County Fire Department. It was designated as Engine 12 when
it was delivered on March 17, 1924. In 1925 Signal Hill incorporated
as a city. The fire station and the LaFrance engine became
part of the new Signal Hill Fire Department and the number
"12" was later assigned to a station and engine
in Altadena. Most of Signal Hill’s fire district personnel
stayed to become the new city’s first firemen.
Not much is known of this engine’s
history during the next fifteen years, but some time in the
early 1940’s it found its way back to the County fire
department. At that time it was designated as Engine 45 in
the new Lakewood Fire Protection District. Again, we don’t
have much history about this rig during its second period
of County service. What is known is that in the summer of
1996 it became part of the growing CLAFMA collection. The
Signal Hill LaFrance is now awaiting a total frame-off restoration
to its original appearance.
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