McKillen family owns a piece of its firefighting history
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The McKillen family collects trucks, but not just any trucks. They collect retired Langton fire trucks.
It comes from having nearly 160 combined years of service as firefighters, mainly at Norfolk County Fire and Rescue Services, Fire Station 7, which Langton's Jim McKillen, 76, remembers as Norfolk Township's Fire Station No. 1 in Langton.
"When you have that many years in the department, that's home to us guys," said McKillen. "We want to have fire trucks."
A truck driver with Don Money Transport, McKillen joined the Langton fire station in 1959, and stayed on 43 years until he retired at the age of 65.
"I worked right next door to the hall. Every time the siren went, well, it kind of bugged you. My boss was on the fire department, so naturally I got on it. My kids grew up with it. It's in their blood. My whole family's been involved in this, three generations. And I've got several great grandsons, so we're hoping it continues on."
His son Scott was a firefighter in Courtland for 10 years, his son Doug 23 years in Langton. Still active at Langton's Station 7 are his son Ralph (36 years), his son-in-law Don Holbrook (33 years), and his grandson Jason Holbrook (15 years).
"When Ralph was a kid, he would run out on the street every time a siren went," said Jim. "He wanted to watch the fire trucks go by."
These days when a call comes in Ralph can still be seen running up Queen street on his way to the station.
"My wife (Bonnie) answered the phone for the fire department for 25 or more years," said Jim. "And my oldest daughter did, too. Back in those days we had the phones in our house."
The family's first fire truck purchase was a 1970 GMC pumper, the exact same truck Jim drove on fire calls.
"We went to a regular auction sale when we got the first one. About 1987, I think, maybe 1989..."
"You wouldn't have got that until about 2003-2005, somewhere in there dad," Scott corrected, recalling it was purchased about the same year as his pickup.
"The years go by so fast, eh?" Jim smiled.
"Remember when we brought it home we were unloading it and I had to boost it?" Scott recalled.
"We've got a picture of that," Jim nodded.
In 2012, the family purchased its second truck, a 1980 GMC pumper/tanker, another retired Langton 'apparatus.' Both were driven extensively by McKillens.
"The '70, I drove it about 80 per cent of the time," said Jim, "because I was right next door to the hall. The '80, when we had a tanker call I drove this one."
"The way it is now," said Ralph, "I usually drive the pumper when we get a call, and if it's 'tanker assist', I drive the tanker. When he (Jim) came in the hall, whoever got behind the wheel before he came in jumped out and he got behind the wheel. Same way it is with me, too. When they see me coming in the door, they get out of the seat and let me drive."
"They are both truckers from way back," Scott explained.
"I've been driving trucks since I was 16," Ralph nodded.
Langton's 1980 GMC, manufactured by King-Seagrave in Woodstock, had special meaning for the elder McKillen.
"It's his pride and joy," Scott nodded.
“I was on the department when it came," said Jim. "I watched it being built, a little bit, and I helped put my two cents in. That truck was the third last truck being made at King in 1979. It was retired in 2012 and it went online for sale. My son Scott kept bidding on it, but we lost out on the bid."
Scott tracked down the buyer and contacted them.
"Fairway Transport in Ancaster," said Scott. "They were going to use it as a water truck to water a horse track. I contacted the son, Jay Fair, and his dad agreed to sell the truck back to us. Very easily, they were very good about. His dad said, 'give the truck back to the boys.' It was very nice of him. Very, very nice.
"He didn't know who he was bidding against. We started out as the first two bidders and we were the last two."
"We wanted this one," said Jim, nodding toward the 1980 pumper/tanker. "Thirty-two years later we never thought we'd own it... although through the years we kept talking about it.
"We've had quite a time getting all the pieces back on it. There were quite a few pieces not on the truck. I don't know what happened to it, they just came up missing. We've been all over finding pieces, and we're pretty well getting it all pieced back together again – original. The pieces have got to be the same as what they were before.
"We're pretty proud to have it, and have it back in the shape it's in now."
While the '80 pumper/tanker has been in several parades since they purchased it, starting with Langton's Christmas Parade in December 2012, the 1970 pumper is still a work in progress and Jim admits it's going to take some time.
"It's expensive," he said, "because we have to do a lot of bodywork on it now. It's going to cost quite a bit, but if we all divvy in a little bit maybe we can get it done."
Earlier this month, the family had the '80 pumper/tanker in St. Thomas and Port Rowan parades and Delhi a week later.
"And we'll be at the fair in Langton on the 25th," said Jim, anticipating another hometown parade. "I think I'll be driving it in Langton."
"And I'll be working," said Ralph, who was behind the wheel of the '80 pumper/tanker at Bayfest and Harvest Fest.
The day may come, said Jim, when they add to the family's two-truck collection.
"In the '80s we got a rescue van, and yes, it may come home too," he said, adding with a chuckle, "We know where it is."