Museum Report

Your Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum is always searching for fire department equipment and artifacts. This equipment is used in museum displays and as props on museum rigs. We are also collecting fire apparatus brand name logos found on rigs for an

Ret. Norman FD upcoming display. So, if you have Boardman, Seagrave, Pierce, American LaFrance or other logos you would like to donate, we would love to have them. Another item of special Examples of items Oklahoma Firefighters Museum is always looking for: interest is an old, working • Wood handle axes & pike polesoutdoor fire siren. If your • Nozzles of all types & sizesdepartment has one that • Gated wye & Siamese adapters they would like to donate, • Double male & female adapters we would appreciate it. • Steamer caps & reducers Just give us a call here at • Hard suction hose (all sizes) the museum and we will • Hose appliances with ‘pin’ lugs gladly come pick up any of • Hose clamps & spanner wrenches these items. • 1 ½ inch hose with brass couplings • 2 ½ inch hose with brass couplings So, before you clean out • All types & sizes of wood laddersthe storage room in your • Warning lights & sirens fire station, please give us • Uniform badges & collar brass a call. We may need what • Helmets with department names you are about to discard. If you have items that you would like to donate, please contact Gene Brown (Museum Director), Bob Noll or Greg Roberts at 405-424-3440. Thanks to all Oklahoma fire departments who have contributed to our wonderful collection. All Oklahoma firefighters should make it a point to visit our museum, as it is truly a treasure!

Gene Brown: Firefighters Museum Director

What a great day at the museum!

We had the Ride to Remember stop by. There were too many bikes to count. Everyone had a great time. And this is a great fundraiser for the museum. Thanks to everyone involved! The Women’s College Softball World Series will start June 2 and run through June 10. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. Please make plans to attend. Our Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Lincoln Park again this year. So mark your calendar for Sept. 14 and come out and support your Memorial. If you haven’t heard, the Hollis 1928 Seagrave truck is up and running. Thanks to Hollis for this great addition to the museum. Construction on the new shop is moving forward. The building is finished and we are working to get the electricity, Fire sprinkler installed. The concrete people are coming to pour the drive. This has been a slow process, but we are getting close. We still need a plumber and someone to build the bathroom. Any plumbers or carpenters who have free time, please contact the museum at 405-424-3440. Thank you all for what you do!

Ret. The Village FD

Museum volunteer Andrea Hernandez graduated from OKC FD Recruit Academy on Feb. 18. With her at the ceremony were Museum Staffers (L-R) Greg Roberts, Bob Noll and Gene Brown

(Ray Lujan photo)

On Display at Oklahoma Firefighters Museum Ben Dancy/Arvin Fennell Memorial Patch Collection

Ben B. Dancy was chief of OKC FD in the 1960s. On June 1, 1969, the Oklahoma Firefighters Museum opened its doors with four exhibits. Chief Dancy donated four cases with FD patches, which he put on the wall. and He continued to add to the patch collection until 1982, when he passed away. Then, retired Midwest City FD Assistant Chief Arvin Fennell continued to add to the patch collection in Chief Dancy’s honor. Chief Fennell took the collection from several large catalogue-style wall-mounted frames to 142 custom-built wood wall-mounted frames. and he maintained the collection until his passing in 2015. Today, the collection is on three full walls of the Museum and contains more than 7,000 patches from around the world.