About John Adkins
John Adkins has it in his blood. He never really had a chance. His grandparents lived just a few doors from Station 8 in Springfield and when the men went on a fire run, John’s grandparents would close the firehouse doors and keep a close eye on the fire house until they returned. His father, although never a firefighter, was a founding member of Box 27 in Springfield in the early 40's and was an active member until his death in 1973. John always had a fondness for the fire service. Even as a little kid he hung around the fire house climbing on the trucks. Finally his dream came true (sooner than for most of us) when at 14 he became a junior firefighter. That was many years ago. John could fill a few books with his adventures (and misadventures) as a firefighter in those years. During the past 23 years he has been with the busy St. Paris Fire District where he is an Assistant Chief. He likes it that way. All the fun of fire fighting without the bureaucratic baloney the Chief has to deal with.
The story of John’s pride and glory starts in the 1950 when the city of Beloit, Kansas purchased a tillered Pirsch aerial. As would be expected the apparatus saw very limited use in the next 18 or so years. In 1978 Beloit sold the aerial to a neighboring town, who kept it until 1992. At that time it was sold at auction to a private collector, who stored it in a warehouse with other apparatus he owned. Then our own John Adkins learned of the Pirsch aerial and corresponded with the owner, Gene Brozman. For several months John received photos and other pertinent information concerning the Pirsch. After a good deal of haggling, John purchased the truck in 1997 and promptly took a tractor trailer, several helpers, and set out for Beloit.
Although the apparatus was in very good condition John did a first-class restoration that spanned two years. Restoration is an adventure that only those who have experienced it can wholly appreciate. There is much anguish and suffering when discovering another problem, dealing with incomprehensible people who must chrome-plate small parts, dealing with missing or “wrong” parts that seem ever to elude you. Research alone can turn you into a hermit—scouring the Internet for hours for information.
Much of the mechanical work was done with the invaluable help of Rick “Bring-it-back-to-life” Knife and Mike Ward. John wanted to be able to drive the truck to meets 50-to 100-miles distant without the worry of what a 60-yr. old engine might do (or not do). So he had Rick slip in a diesel engine and automatic transmission out a pampered, retired school bus. Of course the phrase “slip in” can refer only to the outstanding skills of Rick Knife. For anyone else to take on such a task would need twelve mechanics working round-the-clock for six months (that’s being conservative). To top it all off John had the truck professionally painted. Where else—at the Sutphen Fire Apparatus Paint facility (which coincidentally happens to be just down the road from where John lives). Just ask John, it is brutal being a perfectionist! You will have to go far across the globe to find a finer restoration—especially for a tiller. If it weren’t so handsome it would be a monster—as its expansive size overwhelms you. Except for the occasionally dusty tires it tough to fault this beauty. And John is right there ready to talk about his pride and joy. He’ll even mention his long-suffering wife, Sandy, given enough time.
