In 1996, the city of Burbank, California, gifted one of two 1957 fire engines to Brian and Janice Smith, now Daviess County residents. The Burbank Fire Department knew Brian would be a worthy recipient of the 1957 Diamond T Truck with a VanPelt Triple Combination pump body because of his restoration skills.
The city donated the fire engine’s twin to Jay Leno, who leaned on Smith for his expertise and skills. When the Smiths relocated from California to the Owensboro area after purchasing Diamond Lake Campground in 2005, they knew they had to bring the unit.
“We were looking for a new opportunity and a way to get off the hampster wheel. After some prayer and soul searching, we ended up at Diamond Lake Resort,” Smith said. “We had the fire engine trucked across the country because it tops out at 50 mph and only gets 1 mpg. It wasn’t difficult to work those numbers.”
With limited storage and time to dedicate to the engine, the Smiths have decided to sell it to Venerable Fire Collection in Wisconsin. Smith spent several months quietly researching museums to donate it to before finding the Wisconsin Museum, which features over 70 fire apparatuses.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a place to store it. We’ve retired, and we’re slowing down, and I want people to be able to enjoy the engine,” he said. “I thought it was appropriate for it to change hands, but I wanted to give it to someone with a passion for fire engines. I didn’t want to see it end up in a scrap yard.”
While in California, the engine had its own agent, making several appearances in Hollywood for television and movies. Some of its more notable appearances include the hit TV show “Mash” and Jim Carry’s “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Locally, Smith and the unit regularly attend the Kentucky Firefighters Annual Meeting at the Owensboro Convention Center. It has also played a significant role in fire safety days for local school systems.
Smith also attended several charity and nonprofit events and Christmas parades with the fire engine in California and Kentucky. One such cause was the Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors.
“We collaborated with several fire departments and firefighters to collect money for burn victims,” he said. “The engine has been part of a parade of fire engines, with as many as 100 rigs up and down the freeway with a police escort – it was a huge honor to be involved.”
Smith added that he’s most thankful for the many relationships the engine has helped him form over the years. He said the Burbank firefighting team welcomed him into their brotherhood after restoring the unit, something he will always cherish.
Smith’s memories of the fire engine date all the way back to his childhood, when he remembers it making active runs in the early 1960s. The only photos he had to go by for the restoration were from that decade, but he said it’s as close to its original form as possible.
“It’s bittersweet. The only way it could be better is if it was returning to Burbank,” Smith said. “Notwithstanding, it’s going to a museum where it won’t be scrapped and can be seen and enjoyed. It’s going to finish its life in greener pastures.”
