Retrospect: Council saw firetruck demonstration

Forty-five years ago, Portland was making strides to advance the city’s fire department by adding a new truck that would help save time.

On June 13, 1972, the “Tele-Squrt” fire truck was introduced to the city during a demonstration in front of Hines Theatre on Walnut Street.

The “Tele-Squrt,” which was one of only two trucks that existed in the county at the time, was mainly brought to show to Portland City Council, which was considering purchasing it as an upgrade in fire equipment. But the demonstration drew a larger crowd of onlookers.

The “Tele-Squrt” truck featured a 50-foot hydraulic ladder coupled with a 1,000-gallon-per-minute nozzle, all operated by one man on the ground with a control panel.

The Commercial Review reported that during the demonstration, the ladder was lifted from its base and extended the full 50 feet into the air. Once the ladder was up, it was moved to a third story window of the theatre where Portland firefighters exited onto the ladder. Once the firemen had tested the stability of the ladder coming down from the window, the ladder was then extended to the roof of the building. Hoses were hooked from a hydrant to the truck’s pump, turning the ladder into a water tower.

The demonstration drew comments from the community, including the question of whether or not a truck like the “Tele-Squrt” could have made a difference in the Aug. 1, 1971, fire at Beals Restaurant, which resulted in one death and damage to half a city block.

“Well, it’s always easier to fight a fire after it’s over,” Portland Fire Chief Ray “Bud” Williams told The CR. “But I feel that had we had the piece of equipment with these capabilities, we might have been able to contain the fire to the restaurant.”

Williams said the “Tele-Squrt” demonstration “exceeded expectations.”