Some pieces of history have been returned to the Rochester Fire Department’s Truck 3 firehouse.
The original plaques from a vintage ladder truck’s doors were preserved by Tom Margis, a fire apparatus collector and member of Rochester Protectives since 1973. They were brought back to the firehouse on Monday. He also brought two historic fire trucks to display at the firehouse during the event.
“It’s always been in my blood,” said Margis. “When I was 9 years old, I used to hang out at the firehouse every day. I did this so they can keep them on the walls forever and ever.”
Members say the plaques are an important symbol for them.
“To us, this is about history and those plaques that Tom has kindly donated to us; they’re a signature of the RFD, so for us to have those on the walls of our fire house, it gives us a sense of nostalgia, reminds us we are part of a continuum,” said Lt. Amy Niespodzinski of the Rochester Fire Department. “There’s a lot of history of the fire service, and there’s a future of the fire service, so the fact that he’s giving those to us helps keep the history alive.”…