VIDEO: The other day, Ben Willcome brought home a piece of Walker history that connects directly to his day job — a 1954 fire engine that may be the city’s first. The truck bears the number “117” on it, but for Willcome, it represents something much more significant: a chance to preserve the community’s firefighting heritage. “We repair anything that the city owns — police cars, fire trucks, DPW, plow trucks,” said Willcome, the City of Walker’s fleet services supervisor. “I jokingly say, anything from a chainsaw to a fire truck.” When Willcome heard about the vintage engine on Facebook Marketplace, he knew he had to act fast.
“It was listed at one of those prices where I was worried it was going to get scrapped,” he said. “So I had to go rescue it and bring it home.” The fire engine was purchased in 1986 by Bill Burke, a former Walker Fire Department chief, when the city retired it from service and sent it to auction. Burke’s family listed it for sale after the truck sat in a dusty barn for decades. According to paperwork that came with the vehicle, Walker Township originally bought the truck in 1954, before becoming a city in 1962. “My theory is that this is one of the city of Walker’s first fire trucks,” Willcome said. “I thought that is absolutely appropriate to keep alive.”
