To promote fellowship among firefighters (past & present) and their families and those others who are interested in the fire service.

To give something back to the community through our canteen service.

Each year, we participate in the Memorial Day Parade in North Highlands, the Carmichael July Fourth Parade, and the Firefighters Burn Run. The major fund raiser for the club is the sale of Safe and Sane fireworks around the Fourth of July. We took over the stand from the North Highlands Fireman's Association.

We were incorporated in the State of California on May 4, 1982. We are recognized by the IRS as a 501( c ) 3 non - profit corporation.

HISTORY
For years a fire buff club was needed in the Sacramento area. Several attempts were made but none ever got off the ground. On September 19, 1979, five fire buffs were talking at the Fruitridge Fire District fire station about a club and decided to give it one more try. On October 30, 1979, an information meeting was held at North Highlands Fire District Station #1. From this meeting and a years planning came the organizational meeting at the Fruitridge fire station on October 28, 1980.

For their work in starting the club, Ed Gardiner was appointed President and Michael Harris, Vice President, Ada Ann Kroeger volunteered to be Secretary/Treasurer. Eleven fire buffs started out that night just to have a little club and fun with the fire service and maybe someday obtain a fire museum.

In the early years, the club was active in local fire prevention programs, with items on display in store windows in various malls, and apparatus operating in parades. We also staged musters. One muster was staged at the California State Fair and we staged the 1983 California State Championship Muster in Dixon, California. We helped the Citrus Heights FD stage one muster at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville. We were also involved in one at Gibson Ranch Park in Elverta and another in Elk Grove.

In 1982, we obtained former Sacramento FD 1941 Peter Pirsch 100' ladder truck 603 as a club flagship. Apparatus 603 was the second 100' aluminum laddered aerial truck purchased on the West Coast. 603 was retired by SFD in 1978. We used it in many parades and events. We even took it to Williams, CA for a parade along with a former Williams engine. Most people in Williams had never seen a 100 foot aerial, as the tallest building in Williams is two story. After a few years, the number of volunteers to operate it dwindled and it had become expensive to keep up. Rather than let it go to pot, it was decided to sell 603 to the Pioneer Mutual Hook & Ladder Society of Sacramento, which was done in 1998.

In 1983, we were donated CD 44 by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. CD 44 was one of the first 1953 GMC/ Van Pelt 1000 gpm pumpers purchased by OES. CD 44 was maintained in original condition. In 2000, CD 44 was returned to OES to be included in a place of honor in the lobby of their new headquarters at Mather Business Park.

In 1990, we built up a Cushman three wheeled scooter into a hose pick up vehicle for the muster circuit. The hose wagon sits on one end of the course. As soon as the target is knocked down and the water is shut off, the hose wagon picks up the nozzle and pressure fitting from the hose team and takes it back to the starting line to be given to the next team. It then goes back down the course picking up the rolled up hoses and takes them to the team engine. This speeds up the events noticeably.

PRESIDENTS
Ed Gardiner (1980-1985)
Ed Bent (1985-1987)
John Murphy (1987-1989)
Bill Gibson (1989-1991)
Ken Bayer (1991-1995)
Frank Baumgartel (1995-1997)
Ken Bayer (1997-1999)
Frank Baumgartel (1999-2002)
Ken Bayer (2003-2005)
Pat Stanley (2005 - present time)

We used to hold monthly business meeting in various fire stations throughout the area. After a while, it was decided to have a place to call our own. One of our members had some property in Rio Linda, which he let us use for a number of years. The property contained an office, a small meeting hall, and three storage buildings. One of the buildings was a 100 foot long horse barn which we converted to a six stall engine house by raising the roofline and extending the building. The roofs of two former chicken coops were also raised. This provided more apparatus storage space. The aerial was stored in one of these buildings.

At the present time, the club owns former North Highlands Eng 2, 1953 Ford/Van Pelt. In addition to the units mentioned above, we have owned a 1955 International/Sherman formerly of the Washington Township FD in the present West Sacramento.

Our canteens operate out of Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Station 112 in the north part of the County and Station 62 in the South part of the County. Each canteen tows a portable firefighter relief station. The canteens respond on second or greater alarms at the request of the Incident Commander. Each canteen carries at least two flats of bottled water and Gatorade. These are iced down on the way to the scene so that they will be cold to refresh the firefighters. During the winter, we also have large air pots for coffee.