History of Sturgeon fire engines

A history of Sturgeon fire engines

Volunteer fire department chartered 75 years ago

The newest fire engine is this 2021 Spartan Custom Pumper.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The Sturgeon Volunteer Fire Department in South Fayette celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

The department began meeting in 1946 and was chartered with the township in 1947. Its founding was prompted by a major blaze four years earlier at the Sturgeon Hotel, which was located on Main Street across from the current fire hall parking lot.

Originally, emergency calls went through a switchboard connected to Hajduk’s Bar (now Valentour’s restaurant) or Rank’s General Store (now Hunner’s restaurant), and the owners triggered an air raid siren to alert firefighters.

The department has a rich history of fire engines, spanning from a donated 1929 American LaFrance to a 2021 Spartan Custom IPS-NXT Pumper—the first engine purchased new in 20 years. Here are some historical fire engine photos.

—Andrea Iglar

In 1946, Sturgeon Volunteer Fire Department's first fire engine was a 1929 American LaFrance pumper donated by the Dravosburg Fire Department in the Monongahela Valley.

Later in 1946, founding members bought a Studebaker garbage truck from the early 1940s and converted it to a fire engine using equipment from the American LaFrance.

In 1952, firefighters purchased the first of two new Mack open-cab fire engines.

A 1958 Chevrolet Apache squad truck (left), the second Mack and a 1972 Seagrave are displayed in the early 1970s.

A second new Seagrave pumper, purchased in 1980, was the first truck in a yellow hue. Today's vehicles are white with blue and grey striping.

Historical images courtesy of the Sturgeon Volunteer Fire Department