The Auburn Fire Department is putting some of its heritage on the auction block. And the fire chief is seeing if any local residents are interested in taking a piece of it home for themselves.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
The old alarm boxes that were removed from locations around the city of Auburn in 2007 are up for online auctions ending Sept. 30. The boxes and other pieces of the old alarm system are available to be viewed by the public in the Auburn Fire Department basement.
The old alarm boxes that were removed from locations around the city of Auburn in 2007 are up for online auctions ending Sept. 30. The boxes and other pieces of the old alarm system are available to be viewed by the public in the Auburn Fire Department basement.
Approximately 50 out-of-commission fire alarm boxes and other alarm components used by the city of Auburn are currently for sale through an online auction.
The boxes, which date from the 1920s to the 1970s, once sat on street corners and other public locations around town as part of the city-wide alarm system.
The auction, which opened last week and runs through 6 p.m. Sept. 30, can be accessed by visiting www.auctionsinternational.com.
Auburn Fire Chief Mike Hammon said last week that he wants local residents to know about the auction and help keep some of these pieces in the area.
“This is part of our heritage. Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Hammon said.
Fire memorabilia is collected by enthusiasts throughout the country. At least one of the alarms will remain in Auburn, as the department has a vintage box on display at the main station.
As of Monday afternoon, the fire boxes in the auction were listed at prices ranging from $30 to $260. Hammon said the money raised through the auction will go directly back into the city’s general fund.
Every piece listed for auction can be viewed by number at the department’s Market Street station. Hammon suggested stopping by and checking the pieces out, which will allow those interested to see when and where each piece was located.
The wear and tear on the equipment also varies from piece to piece. Some have seen years of salt and snow, while others are right out of the box and have never been used, Hammon said.
“Some of them are in fairly good shape, and some of them are pretty ratty,” he said.
Also up for auction are alarm bells, pedestals, fire box shells, decals, controls and other alarm system parts and components.
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
The boxes, which date from the 1920s to the 1970s, once sat on street corners and other public locations around town as part of the city-wide alarm system.
The auction, which opened last week and runs through 6 p.m. Sept. 30, can be accessed by visiting www.auctionsinternational.com.
Auburn Fire Chief Mike Hammon said last week that he wants local residents to know about the auction and help keep some of these pieces in the area.
“This is part of our heritage. Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Hammon said.
Fire memorabilia is collected by enthusiasts throughout the country. At least one of the alarms will remain in Auburn, as the department has a vintage box on display at the main station.
As of Monday afternoon, the fire boxes in the auction were listed at prices ranging from $30 to $260. Hammon said the money raised through the auction will go directly back into the city’s general fund.
Every piece listed for auction can be viewed by number at the department’s Market Street station. Hammon suggested stopping by and checking the pieces out, which will allow those interested to see when and where each piece was located.
The wear and tear on the equipment also varies from piece to piece. Some have seen years of salt and snow, while others are right out of the box and have never been used, Hammon said.
“Some of them are in fairly good shape, and some of them are pretty ratty,” he said.
Also up for auction are alarm bells, pedestals, fire box shells, decals, controls and other alarm system parts and components.
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
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