New Bedford, Massachusetts Fire Museum Honors Fire Service History
New Bedford has a host of museums, historic buildings and locations that provide visitors with a look-back at the city's memorable past.
One of those places is the New Bedford Fire Museum, located at 51 Bedford Street.
Lead volunteer Larry Roy has been the man behind the museum since its start. He stopped by Townsquare Sunday to talk about some of its attractions and why it's so important to him.
Roy joined the New Bedford Fire Department in 1972, and his first assignment was at Station 4 on Bedford Street, where the Fire Museum is now located.
"Around 1974, I was rummaging through the attic and found four log books detailing the workings of the New Bedford Fire Department, dating back to 1867," he said.
Roy said he and others started hanging pictures of old apparatus on the walls of the fire station, then invited then-Mayor John Markey to take a look.
"He told me he was looking for a few 'bicentennial projects' for the city, and he thought a fire museum would be a good project," Roy said.
The rest, he said, is history.
The city used federal funding to upgrade Station 4, and out-of-service equipment was acquired and cleaned. The Fire Museum first opened its doors during 1976, the Bicentennial year, with the grand opening held a year later.
Roy said the Fire Museum is a great place for visitors and tourists, with people from England, Germany and India visiting this year.
Adults and kids alike can climb aboard old-time fire trucks, clang the bells and crank the sirens. You can examine old-time fire apparatus and photos, and slide down the pole that firefighters used to get to their equipment and respond to fires. You can also browse through newspaper reports on some of the city's biggest fires.
Younger children can play dress-up in fire coats and helmets, play with toy fire trucks and emergency vehicles, and respond to an imaginary fire.
Through it all, Roy has been the main volunteer behind the Fire Museum. He enjoys spending time there.
"It's something that was instilled in me years ago, after reading those log books," he said. "I want to keep it going as long as I can."
The New Bedford Fire Museum is now open six days a week, Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. from now through September 5, and visitors are welcome. Suggested donation is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, and no charge for children under six.
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