MUSEUM HISTORY

With the end of World War II, the Government returned the airbase to the city along with all 5 firetrucks and the many buildings built during the war. The fire station was numbered Fire Station 12. The building was of wood construction and had a tar-papered outer covering. Engine 12 was assigned the 1942 Chevrolet/ Darley pumper. The airport station closed February 28, 1952. Engine 12 relocated to Fire Station 10.

 A building addition was added to the West bay of station 9.  The two pumpers, from Station 12 were relocated to other stations to replace older fire apparatus. In 1953 a new American LaFrance pumper was assigned to Engine 9, it offered a new feature, it had a fully enclosed cab!

The area around station 9 continued to grow with industry, the airport expanded and the needs for better fire protection on the airport property became a priority. A new fire station was built on the airport property at East 10th & Leonard Streets, funded by the F.A.A., opened in 1960. The Arkansas Air National Guard had a Fire Engineer Group there with the Air National Guard on the Southwest part of the airport. They had an O-10 Crash truck assigned to it and it was moved to the new station. 

In 1953 a new Municipal Bond issue was passed to again upgrade the fire department with stations and apparatus. Three new fire stations were to be built and several fire trucks were purchased. A new 1954 Seagrave Ladder truck arrived before the completion of new station 4, it and the assigned crews responded out of Station 9 until new station 4 opened four months later. Station 9 was again a single company station with a reserve Engine (14).  July 12, 1963, Engine Company 9 moved to the airport station to help with staffing the crash trucks. (8)