The Bakersfield Fire Department was formerly established in 1877 and is one of the oldest professional fire departments on the west coast. The Bakersfield Fire Firefighters Historical Society 501(c)3 was formerly established in 2015 as an organization dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Bakersfield Fire Department that spans over 140 years. The mission of the Bakersfield Firefighters Historical Society is to:
RESTORE
The Bakersfield Firefighters Historical Society currently has five historical apparatus that are being restored to museum quality. These apparatuses include:
• 1905 American La France horse drawn ladder truck
• 1927 American La France Fire Engine
• 1932 Chevy Water Tender
• 1949 Mack Fire Engine
• 1976 American La France Fire Engine
PRESERVE
Once these apparatuses are restored to museum quality, we plan on preserving them in a museum setting. The museum will serve as an area to maintain the historical artifacts in a safe and secure manner that will be open to the public.
SHARE
We would like to establish a museum to help us preserve and share all these historic pieces of the Bakersfield Fire Department. We would like to share the unique rich history with our community.
EDUCATE
Education is a crucial element of the Bakersfield Fire Department. We believe that we can teach our past to protect our future. We would like to show the community our history and ways to be fire safe through a museum and fire safety center.
The Museum
The vision of the BFD Museum is to house and display historical BFD artifacts and equipment. Our plan is to set the museum up as a “walk through time”. We would like to set up different zones according to the eras of equipment and apparatus. For example, the 1905 horse drawn ladder will be housed in an area that represents how a firehouse looked back in 1905. This will allow visitors to step back in time and see how the fire service has changed over the years. The new facility will honor 140+ years of the Bakersfield Fire Department through the Bakersfield Fire Museum, offering a “walk through time” with restored historic apparatus. But this project goes beyond preservation.