1923 Ford Model T, the first motorized apparatus for Novato Volunteer Fire Department, sold and had several owners, then finally donated back by Fireman's Fund Insurance/Alliance to Novato Fire Protection District in 2015.
Novato FD 1923 Model T
Courtesy Novato Fire Protection District
The first Novato motorized fire engine was a 1923 Model T Ford. It was outfitted with a chemical tank, which was replaced one year later with a 160-gallon water tank and a small pump. The conversion was done by a local blacksmith whose shop on Grant Avenue is now known as Dr. Insomnia’s. The Model T was in service until 1939, when it was replaced by a 1938 Dodge Power Wagon.
The Model T was sold to a Sonoma County dairy, then resold to Bob Crandel, whose father was one of the original Novato Fire Volunteers in 1933. In 1976, the Model T was purchased by a Novato Fire District firefighter, Gene Fox. It has been owned by a Fireman’s Fund executive, has been restored, and was on display at the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company headquarters in Novato for many years. It was donated back to the Novato Fire District for preservation on September 2, 2015, in a joint ceremony at Fireman's Fund Headquarters in Novato along with the donation of the San Francisco FD hand engine named “The Broderick” back to SFFD. Allianz, the parent company of Fireman's Fund, announced the closing of the company earlier in 2015. The existing insurance business was absorbed into Allianz, and some lines were sold to ACE Ltd. Photos from the September 2, 2015 donation ceremony are below, courtesy Novato FPD and Fireman's Fund.
Courtesy Novato Fire Protection District
The first Novato motorized fire engine was a 1923 Model T Ford. It was outfitted with a chemical tank, which was replaced one year later with a 160-gallon water tank and a small pump. The conversion was done by a local blacksmith whose shop on Grant Avenue is now known as Dr. Insomnia’s. The Model T was in service until 1939, when it was replaced by a 1938 Dodge Power Wagon.
The Model T was sold to a Sonoma County dairy, then resold to Bob Crandel, whose father was one of the original Novato Fire Volunteers in 1933. In 1976, the Model T was purchased by a Novato Fire District firefighter, Gene Fox. It has been owned by a Fireman’s Fund executive, has been restored, and was on display at the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company headquarters in Novato for many years. It was donated back to the Novato Fire District for preservation on September 2, 2015, in a joint ceremony at Fireman's Fund Headquarters in Novato along with the donation of the San Francisco FD hand engine named “The Broderick” back to SFFD. Allianz, the parent company of Fireman's Fund, announced the closing of the company earlier in 2015. The existing insurance business was absorbed into Allianz, and some lines were sold to ACE Ltd. Photos from the September 2, 2015 donation ceremony are below, courtesy Novato FPD and Fireman's Fund.