VIDEO: The City of Hattiesburg unveiled the reconstruction of its first fire ladder truck.
Restoring the 85-year-old truck became a passion project for the Hub City in the last 10 years. The truck, which was purchased in 1939, had been sitting in disrepair since the early 2000s.
The project to restore the truck began after Sherrocko Stewart became the fire chief in 2018. Several local businesses and organizations helped locate and build new parts for the vehicle. “When I saw the project, I knew that I needed to be a part of it. I want to see it through. So, we went through the process. It took years, but we finally completed it last year,” said Stewart.
The truck is named “The Barksdale,” after former Fire Chief Ed Barksdale.