TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A 1997 Sutphen Engine Pumper fire truck is on the auction block and has a current bid of $3,000. The truck is in working condition and is being auctioned off by the Roseville Fire Department.
Proceeds from the auction will go towards needed equipment or supplies for the fire department.
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The listing for the ad says it’s a engine/pumper with a Detroit Diesel 11.1 liter and a Hale pump. It has 156,000 miles with 13,710 total engine hours and 769 pump hours. The buyer will need to make arrangements for pick up and payment. Roseville is about 20 minutes northeast of Detroit. The auction ends on December 28th.
Michigan News Source reached out to Keith Jacobs, Fire Chief of the City of Roseville Fire Department, about the legalities of operating a fire truck and he said, “To legally drive a Fire apparatus in the State of Michigan, you must either possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or successfully pass a Michigan Fire Fighters Training Council Driver Training course written exam followed by a driver’s test with the vehicle you need to operate.”
The fire truck being auctioned off, has had 25 years of service and handled any emergency it was called to do. Chief Jacobs said, “This would include ACLS ECHO responses to medical calls, car accidents, structure fires, Hazmat, confined space emergencies, and any calls where the surrounding cities requested help in the same. This engine was one of our front-line vehicles for the entire 25 years. It was put out of service the week before it was placed on Municibid.”
David Egeler, Director of Operations at the Michigan Firehouse Museum, says that the new owner must have the vehicle registered and insured prior to driving it on any public roadway. He said, “If the truck is to be used solely for non-commercial purposes (hobbyists and some charity uses), then obtaining historic vehicle registration and insurance is the most cost-effective way to go, and the driver does not need any special licensing (a normal driver’s license will suffice). There are some restrictions on how a historic vehicle can be used.”
According to their website, the Sutphen company began in 1890 as a dream of C.H. Sutphen. His son, Harry, took an interest in the business and carried it on until his death. Harry’s two sons, Thomas and Robert, joined the business after World War II. They gained experience and job responsibility over the years, with Robert becoming Chairman of the Board and Thomas, President of the Company. Sutphen has over 120 years of operation; making it the oldest continuously owned and operated fire apparatus manufacturers in the country. It was never reorganized, owned or operated by anyone other than a Sutphen.
