All Fire Department personnel were placed under Civil Service regulations on March 1, 1954 with the qualifying exams held on November 20, 1954.
On Tuesday, June 15, 1954, while responding to what turned out to be a second alarm from box 423 for a fire at 35 Lawrence Street, Engine 5 collided with Ladder 1 at the intersection of Pleasant and Lawrence Streets. Both pieces of apparatus were totally damaged and removed from service.
On August 26, 1954, a new Reo-Boyertown rescue truck arrived, purchased at a cost of $5101.43 through matching funds from Civil Defense. This new rescue truck, painted blue and white, was put in service almost immediately when two hurricanes occurred, “Carol” on August 31 and “Edna” on September 13.
After awarding American LaFrance an $18,000 contract for a new pumping engine and a ladder truck, American LaFrance loaned Wakefield a 1932 Mack, 85 foot aerial ladder truck in October of 1954.
The new engine, with a 250-gallon tank and a preconnected 1 1/2 inch hose, arrived December 20, 1954 and went in service on January 7 as Engine 1. The 1924 Seagrave pumper was reassigned as Engine 2 and relocated to the Greenwood Station. The 1929 pumper was reassigned as Engine 5 for the Civil Defense Auxiliary Fire Department.
On May 4, 1955, the new American LaFrance 85 foot aerial ladder, purchased at a cost of $38,000, arrived and was placed in service as Ladder 1. It had a total of 248 feet of wooden ground ladders with a 80 gallon booster tank and a 250 8pm pump. The 1932 Mack aerial ladder was then returned to American LaFrance.
The first major renovation to the Central Fire Station since 1934 commenced in July of 1955 with the replacement of three wooden doors with two over-head type apparatus doors.
The 1950 Dodge-Seagrave, damaged in the accident of June, 1954, was repaired at Classen Bros. Garage by placing a 1955 Dodge chassis under the 1950 Seagrave body at a cost of $4403.04. It was placed in temporary reserve status in late December, 1955, and then put in service as Engine 4 on January 1, 1956. The rebuilt pumper replaed the 1941 Dodge, built by firefighters.
On November 7, 1956, a new Mack 750 8pm pumper was put in service as Engine 1 at a cost of $17,523.85. This new pumper had a 200-gallon tank with preconnected 1 1/2 inch hose. The 1954 American La France pumper was then renumbered as engine 2 and relocated to the Greenwood Station. The 1924 Seagrave pumper was sold to the Swampscott Auxiliary Fire Department.
On Monday, February 11, 1957, Fire Captain Robert P. MacDonald succumbed at the scene of a second alarm fire in the Red Men’s Hall at 33 West Water Street. Captain MacDonald was to have retired in a few months, and only about 4 hours earlier, he had been a pallbearer at the funeral of Lieutenant Melonson.
