The truck chassis, a 1948 Ford purchased from W.W. Carmody Company of Newberry, was equipped with a Bean Fog Fire Fighter unit. This unit included six different guns with 600 pounds of pressure at the nozzle. The water was broken up into fine particles, which had the effect of smothering the fire without the usual amount of water damage.
Because this was a relatively new method of firefighting, members Arthur Green, Murel Anderson, Martin Harju, and Roger Fretz attended a school of instruction in Lansing held by the manufacturers. The truck also contained a 500-gallon water tank, hose reels, ladders, and other firefighting apparatuses.
The truck was purchased by McMillan Township for $9,000. At the time, McMillan Township administered the fire department. A village-wide celebration took place the day of this photo. The much-needed fire engine was dedicated on Saturday, June 19, with a parade and other ceremonies. Shortly after the dedication concluded that afternoon, the fire whistle sounded for a fire at the big tar dump north of Newberry, and the new truck was sent off to work.
Several years after the photo, the decals on the doors were changed to read “McMillan Township Fire Department in honor of L. C. Peterson.” Peterson was a longtime firefighter and supervisor of McMillan Township during the time the truck was purchased.
The Bean Fog truck was used until at least the 1970s.
Pictured from left to right are Assistant Chief Arthur Green, Pete Miller, James Green, William Cronk, Jay Berry, Arthur Potvin, Roger Fretz, Murel Anderson, and Chief Russ Hild. The house directly behind the fire truck was the old Pike residence, which was later moved farther down East Truman.
