|
In the 1950s, the Los Angeles County
Fire Department seemed to be on its way to an all-Crown fleet
of fire apparatus. The Crown Coach Corporation began as a
builder of buses and expanded to include fire apparatus in
1953. The rounded nose of Crown school buses was shared with
Crown fire engines and ladder trucks. Anybody living in Southern
California at the time was familiar with the bright yellow
buses as they picked up and delivered school kids. But a bright
red Crown bus was an unusual sight, especially if it was equipped
with a siren and red warning lights.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s fleet of Crown
fire engines was complemented by this 1958 Crown Firecoach
bus. Painted red and equipped with siren, warning lights and
two-way radio, the Firecoach bus was used to transport recruits
to specialized training sites, and to respond with relief
crews to major wildland fires.
In 1958, the Department took delivery
of a one-of-a-kind Crown Firecoach bus. It was shorter than
most school buses but it was equipped with the standard six
cylinder "pancake" engine located under the floor
between the front and rear axles. Assigned to the Training
Center on Eastern Avenue, the bus was used primarily to transport
recruits to specialized training sites, such as the Del Valle
Oil Fire School in Castaic. On numerous occasions, an entire
class of recruits would be loaded onto the bus and driven
to the scene of a major fire (to perform overhaul and mop-up
operations).
During the annual brush fire season
(usually September through December) the Firecoach bus would
sometimes be used to transport relief crews from a central
location to a Fire Camp near one or more wildland fires. More
than once, the response would be designated "Code R"
(red lights and siren). The sight of a bright red bus, loaded
with firefighters, responding with lights and siren through
city traffic, was unforgettable.
In 1971, the Department purchased a
second red bus – a Blue Bird. The Crown was relegated
to second-tier status and eventually it was sold at auction.
Over the years, it passed through several owners, including
"Grupo Triano," a Mexican Mariachi band. In 1999,
this once-proud carrier of firefighters was found in a junkyard
in the desert community of Mohave, California. Her paint was
faded, her tires were flat, her seats were missing, and many
of her windows were broken.
The Firecoach bus was sold at auction in the 1970s. After
passing through several owners, including a Mexican Mariachi
band, it was spotted in a junkyard in Mohave, California.
It is now owned by Mike McDonald, owner of Western Heavy Equipment
Rentals in Valley Center, California. It is scheduled for
complete restoration in 2001.
The Crown Firecoach bus has been rescued
by Mike McDonald, owner of Western Heavy Equipment Rentals
in Valley Center, California (San Diego County). McDonald
owns 17 antique fire apparatus, mostly Crowns, and he is an
officer with the Firecoach Enthusiasts organization. He hauled
the Crown to Valley Center on a flat bed trailer. Once it
was parked in his storage yard, McDonald installed a new battery,
connected the engine to a fresh tank of gasoline, and checked
the oil level. Despite years of neglect, the horizontal six-cylinder
engine jumped to life as though eager to respond to another
fire.
Mike McDonald completely restored in time for the SPAAMFAA convention in
San Bernardino in 2002 where it proudly made its way down the parade route. We commend him for rescuing an historical
vehicle that played a part in the careers of hundreds of L.A.
County firefighters.
top
|
