The Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum is a museum owned and administered by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA). The museum is financed by the dues collected from more than 8,000 firefighters, and is located at 2716 N.E. 50th Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Groundbreaking for the museum building was performed on April 6, 1967 and was completed in 1969. The building houses the museum, the (OSFA), the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA), the Council on Firefighter Training (COFT) and the Oklahoma Retired Firefighters Association (ORFA) offices.
The museum is devoted entirely to the preservation and display of antique fire apparatus and equipment. It contains a remarkable collection of antique gear, dating back to the mid-18th century, and also holds the first fire station in Oklahoma Territory, built in 1864. Many items from the oldest fire company in the United States, commanded by Benjamin Franklin, are on display. Exhibits also include the world's largest patch collection and the distinctive mural The Last Alarm.
John Knupple was the first Curator of the Firefighters Museum and served from June 1, 1970 until December 31, 1971. In January 1972 Sam Oruch, an active firefighter for the Oklahoma City Fire Department, became the part-time curator; after Oruch retired as a full-time firefighter, he was hired full-time to care for the museum. Oruch gave tours in the Museum for over 33 years and is the last one to hold the title of curator. Jim Sanders, a veteran of the Bethany, Oklahoma Fire Department, became the museum director in 2004. Mike Billingsley, a retired firefighter from the Nichols Hills Fire Department, is currently the museum director as of September 2006.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon