old Betsy, the 1925 American LaFrance Type 75, was used until 1968, and registered in the Natl Register of Historic Places just days before 9-11

The idea of a Fire Department in the City of Boca Raton began in 1925 with the creation of Ordinance No. 72. Ordinance No. 72 stated

Old Betsy, one of the few surviving type 75 American LaFrance was sold in the southeastern United States in 1925, bought to get the fire dept equipped now that they'd decided that the Fire Chief would be paid $150 a year, and all firefighters would receive $4 per fire and $2 per training drill.

 Upon its arrival, the City purchased over 1,500' of 2.5" cotton fire hose, a reel and sulfuric acid for the foam tank,  they installed a booster reel and another 150' hose.  The apparatus also carried one 12' ladder and one 24' extension ladder. Ultimately, the chemical system was discarded and replaced by containers holding 150 gallons of water.

The bell had to be relocated to the front of the engine from its original position; otherwise the fire engine could not be driven under the doorway at (old) City Hall. 

The city issued a check for $1,000 and $11,500 in notes to American LaFrance, payable over three years at six percent, for Old Betsy. The Town Council issued $500,000 in bonds to fund the construction of City Hall, the water plant, and to fund the Fire Department.

https://www.myboca.us/180/Old-Betsy

Joseph McManus, a zoning consultant who lives in Boca Raton, helped the fire department research the history of the fire truck and fill out the application to the National Register of Historic Places. In the process, he uncovered several quirky moments in the truck's 42-year history. For instance, the truck was among the earliest and most significant investments that Boca Raton made shortly after its incorporation more than 75 years ago, even though the town had fewer than 500 residents. It was the town's only fire engine for 20 years.

The truck often was called to assist other towns in emergencies, as is common practice now. Old Betsy once pumped water for more than 100 hours as it helped fight a hotel fire in Hollywood after the Sept. 18, 1926, hurricane that ravaged South Florida.

The truck even has a song written about it. Boca Raton resident Harley Gates wrote The Boca Raton Fire after a fire in 1927.

The truck's last fire was in 1967, when it proved to be no match for newer, more advanced trucks. Old Betsy was retired the next year.

But "it could function as a fire truck if it had to," Silk said.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2004-07-30-0407280617-story.html
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2001-05-06-0105030830-story.html

Fire Engine No. 1, "Old Betsy" as the fire truck is affectionately known, was Boca Raton's first and only fire apparatus from 1926 until 1946

With fewer than 200 mainly wooden structures, many acres of undeveloped land, a limited number of widely spaced fire hydrants, and a lengthy dry season, both brush and building fires were an ever-present threat in the Boca Raton of the 1920's and 1930's. Only the timely arrival of the sole fire engine and the dedicated efforts of the volunteer fire fighters saved many commercial buildings and residences from total destruction. Old Betsy's oversize wheels were ideally suited to navigating through sand to fight brush fires. One of the engine's most useful features was the ability to begin pumping water with a minimum of start-up time.

When Old Betsy was retired from service in 1968, the Fire Department considered selling or even giving her away, but the firemen decided to keep her and dreamed of restoring her. Fireman Louis Pepitto (later assistant chief) and Darrold Hurlbert commenced to work on restoring the fire engine. The tires and rims were getting bad; the tires had never been removed because of fear for the wooden rims. Hurlbert found rims in Pennsylvania and tires in Germany.

They painted Old Betsy white in early 1970, preparatory for the Bicentennial and her 50th anniversary. She was repainted red again after 1981.

In 1976 Chief John Withrow determined that Old Betsy had to be completely overhauled and repaired in order to keep her functioning. Charlie Heweker of Fire Apparatus Repair in Homestead won the contract and started work in March 1991. In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew not only destroyed the structure housing Old Betsy in Homestead but also severely impacted the Heweker family.

A Fire Department team undertook the work in cooperation with Heweker at his home in west Homestead. The firemen restored Old Betsy to her original appearance using a photograph taken by American LaFrance in 1925 at their factory in New York. The bell was re-mounted on the center post and the red light-and -siren combination was removed from the left front fender.

https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/b81a6064-7508-4e4e-bed8-16438c84e84f
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