Firehouse.com

Volunteer firefighters in Olyphant are ready for their new fire engine -- but the hose company's building is not.

The home of Excelsior Hose Company 1 was designed in the 1800s for horses, not a 450 horsepower fire engine, said President Dave Tully.

"It only had two horses in it then," he said. "Now we have this big mammoth firetruck."

Volunteers have pooled their time and talents over the last few months to prepare the hall for the truck's arrival.

"Whatever has to be done here, everyone throws in and gets it done," Mr. Tully said.

Required work included raising the garage door and a portion of the back wall so the truck will fit inside.

"We went up a foot and a half," said Doug Harbottle, a 39-year company member.

Mr. Tully said he watched nervously as contractors removed bricks from the front of the building, revealing the remnants of an old barn door.

"I'm thinking the whole building is going to fall down, but it surprised the heck out of us (when) it didn't," he said.

The wall they modified is attached to what was formerly a stable for the horses members used to pull water tanks to fire scenes, Mr. Tully said.

Members also removed the hall's heating system -- large steam pipes that ran the length of the building -- and replaced radiators with baseboard heaters.

"They were too low, so we had to get rid of the pipes," Mr. Harbottle said.

Company Chief Chris Barilka, an electrician, and member Al Raines, a plumber, also offered their services.

The truck arrived earlier than expected, so members have been rushing to get the work done, Mr. Tully said.

"It just happened so fast," he said.

The volunteer hose company was established in 1890, and members say it's the oldest in Lackawanna County. The same building has housed the company for more than 120 years. Some of the company's 40 active members are second- and third-generation volunteer firefighters, Mr. Tully said.

The company received a $237,500 grant through a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program to defer the cost of the $400,000 vehicle. It then applied for a $160,000 state grant to pay for the rest.

Materials for the renovations cost $13,000, Mr. Tully said. The company receives a monthly allotment of $462 from the borough, and members raise about $10,000 through annual fundraisers, he said.

Contact the writer: cbaress@timesshamrock.com