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Don't Buy A Firetruck Sight Unseen

6 comments

IN PERSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, the Woodsdale Volunteer FD needed a tanker.  But like many rural departments, funds are scarce for major items like a new fire truck.

They thought they had found a solution when they saw an online “showroom” for an organization called Firehouse 66.  Claiming that they offer “Quality Pre-Owned and Demo Firetrucks,” they have an impressive website with a wide selection of good looking fire apparatus.

The Woodsdale VFD Fire Chief, George Woody, found just what they needed, a 1986 tanker with a 2,500 gallon tank and large pump for $45,000.

[photopress:woody2.jpg,full,centered]

However, after buying the truck and getting it back to North Carolina, they found they could not run it because Firehouse 66 failed to transfer the title, thus preventing insurance coverage.

For several months they have tried to get Firehouse 66 to complete the sale without any success.  Out of desperation they went to Raleigh TV station WRAL’s investigative reporters and told their story.  After looking into it, WRAL found out that neither of the two addresses for Firehouse 66, one in Florida and the other in Georgia, exist.  Further checking with state vehicle department investigators in both states reveals that Firehouse 66 is not licensed to sell used trucks either.

[photopress:woody1.jpg,full,centered]

Watch WRAL’s video report which covers this in more detail HERE.

A check of Firehouse 66′s website shows that they advertise that they operate a “fire apparatus building with a 12-bay showroom” and they have “a full-time staff of 100 people to meet all their customers’ needs.”  It’s hard to imagine a 12-bay building filled with 100 people that can’t be found by state investigators.

As of this morning, Saturday, the tanker (with a “hail” pump) is still being offered for sale on the website.  But the price has been knocked down to $38,000. 

I think this isn’t the last we’ll hear about Firehouse 66.

WRAL video REPORT.
Firehouse 66 WEBSITE.
Bargain tanker page HERE.

[photopress:woody3.jpg,full,alignleft]

Posted by on November 3, 2007 • Filed under: apparatus

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  • J Dsurney

    Be advised that we got ripped off by a local rebuilder in Covington Township PA. We gave him a deposit of $30,000. to build us an American Lafrance Rescue Pumper.
    I went down to his large garageon several occasions and he would show me parts for our new pumper. Well when he started to build the pumper we sold him a 1962 Mack pumper for $500.00 We never saw that money. The next week he was gone. We went to court but they could not locate him. This was in 1990 that he took us. We heard that he was working for Ferrara Fire Trucks in Louisiana. Then he got fired and went into the Alabama area. I can not think of his name. One of our members of the Gouldsboro Volunteer Fire company thought that his first name is mike.
    Sorry for their problem , money is hard to come by these days

  • J Dsurney

    Be advised that we got ripped off by a local rebuilder in Covington Township PA. We gave him a deposit of $30,000. to build us an American Lafrance Rescue Pumper.
    I went down to his large garageon several occasions and he would show me parts for our new pumper. Well when he started to build the pumper we sold him a 1962 Mack pumper for $500.00 We never saw that money. The next week he was gone. We went to court but they could not locate him. This was in 1990 that he took us. We heard that he was working for Ferrara Fire Trucks in Louisiana. Then he got fired and went into the Alabama area. I can not think of his name. One of our members of the Gouldsboro Volunteer Fire company thought that his first name is mike.
    Sorry for their problem , money is hard to come by these days

  • FormerCharlestonCountyFF

    I emailed this guy yesterday and he sent this email back in resaponse:

    GO F&^K YOURSELF!!!!

    I emailed him and told him to stop ripping off fire depts and this is his response. Cant the goverment track his email back to him?

  • FormerCharlestonCountyFF

    I emailed this guy yesterday and he sent this email back in resaponse:

    GO F&^K YOURSELF!!!!

    I emailed him and told him to stop ripping off fire depts and this is his response. Cant the goverment track his email back to him?