The following information was gathered mainly from old Township Board meeting minutes by Guy Forstrom:                   

     In 1930, the Charter Township of Breitung purchased a used 1923 Ford Model TT fire truck from the Ford Motor Company Body Plant in Kingsford Michigan for $325. The Ford Plant replaced this fire truck with a new 1929 Model AA fire truck, which the City of Kingsford owns today.  The Model TT fire truck that Breitung Township purchased had a commercial fire apparatus box on it manufactured the Childs Corporation. It was used for carrying hose, ladders and equipment.  It also had a 35 gallon chemical tank that used bicarbonate of soda and sulfuric acid.  When the chemicals were mixed with water in the tank, upon arrival at a fire, it pressurized the tank and acted like a big fire extinguisher.  A 1932 Breitung Township Fire Department inventory list shows the specific equipment on the truck: lanterns, ladder, hand crank siren, etc.

The Model TT fire truck from the Ford Plant was used by Breitung Township from 1930 to  1940.  In 1940, the Township decided to "upgrade" its old Model TT truck and purchased a used 1930 Model AA truck chassis, from Anderson's Auto Salvage in Kingsford for $50 plus $1 for a windshield. The apparatus box, chemical tank and equipment was transferred to the "new" used Model AA chassis. The 1930 truck with its 1923 fire apparatus was stationed in Quinnesec  serving Breitung Township from 1940 to 1954.

Read here on the restoration of "Old No. 1" as published in the Model A Ford Club of America November/December 2005 issue of The Restorer

View restoration pictures here

View a short video clip of "Old No.1" here