Tampa Fire Museum Gets Historic 1925 Ybor City Truck for Its Collection

A rare piece of Tampa's past rolls into the Firefighters Museum this weekend. The 1925 fire truck, which served Ybor City for over 25 years, joins the collection as Tampa Fire Rescue marks its 130th year.

"Not only is this a fire truck of historical value, but also, it ran the streets of Ybor City from basically 1925 to the 1950s," said Bill Wade, a retired Tampa Fire Rescue Captain, to Fox 13 News.

Built in 1911, the museum's building stands as one of downtown Tampa's oldest structures. After sitting empty for nearly two decades, local firefighters stepped in to stop its demolition.

"A group of firefighters went to the mayor at the time, Dick Greco, said 'We'd like to create a fire museum,'" Wade said.

Inside, visitors find a rich display of Tampa's firefighting past. Old tools and equipment tell stories of brave men and women who kept the city safe. One fascinating exhibit shows the city's first emergency alert system.

"Long back before people had a phone in their house, they had alarm boxes on the street corner," Wade said. "So, if there was an emergency, folks could go to the corner and pull the alarm box that would send a signal to the fire department."

The structure marks a turning point between old and new methods. "It was the last Tampa Fire station built with horse-drawn apparatus in mind," Wade said. "In 1911, the horses were phased out for motorized vehicles."

Special exhibits pay tribute to 9/11 responders and fallen heroes. A wall honors three women who broke barriers by joining the department in 1978.

The public can view the vintage truck this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the training grounds on South 34th Street. Live demonstrations will show modern firefighting techniques.

"It's important to reach out to the community and remind them of the history, not only of the city, but also the fire department," Wade said. "The history of the fire department is the history of this city and vice versa."