Heavener Volunteer Fire Department

It had to be 1949 or 50, we lived just east of the oil branch that ran north - south just east of downtown. The road that ran in front of the Library (east - west) was the road we lived on. I mentioned it once in an earlier blog. From the Liberty Theater north to the first intersection was the police dept and volunteer fire dept in the corner of that building. The fire truck was in the east end of that building. The Hughes lived just east of that and the steam cleaners was directly across the street just east of the Library.

As a gradeschooler I had to walk directly in front of the doors the fire truck came out of when going and coming to grade school.

One day as I was coming home from school, the fire alarm sounded. I had just crossed in front of the Fire Dept. and so I stood in front of the Hughes house and watched as the volunteer firemen came running to get the firetruck. The big overhead door lifted and I heard the firetruck being started and watched the men climb aboard. Then the firetruck started out the door it had to go down a small ramp that took them to the level of the street. When the truck lurched out and hit the bottom of that little ramp the men hanging on the back of the truck really took a bounce. Mr. Schrivener bounced straight up into the air an arched over and landed directly on his head on the cement. I know he was knocked unconscious, but it didn't take them long to get him up and get going to the fire. Mercy!