You guys know anything of this?

Construction sites are not the only areas prone to metal theft. If you store fire trucks or other antique vehicles outdoors, read on:


Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 1:39 PM

Subject: Theft of items from a fire truck

This was sent to me from a friend of mine:

Late yesterday afternoon I got a telephone call from a very agitated and upset Jim Church who wanted to know how healthy my heart was (a bit dramatic) before he could deliver his "bad news" to me.

Jim is a Wilmington apparatus buff of the highest order. He owns a 1929 Ahrens-Fox quad, a 1938 Mack 4-stage pumper, and two 1950's or so Mack's - all from Wilmington. Jim had been storing them on a farm pending completion of a garage to house them. The Fox quad was even drivable. One of his fellow Old Dominion members called Jim to say that he had stopped by the farm and Jim had better look in on his "babies." Well, Jim did; only to find that all four pieces had been stripped of certain metals such as aluminum and brass, as well as a siren and bell. The couplings were even cut off the hard sleeves. Assessment: All four are essentially a total loss with no realistic chance for restoration.

I had read or heard that copper was again being stolen from construction sites and vacant buildings. Apparently antique fire apparatus is now another source for metal scavengers.