Madera’s fire department was organized in 1885 and had only the most primitive equipment to use to fight the town’s worst enemy. By 1915, however, things had improved, as this photograph shows. A fire engine committee was formed, and it decided to purchase a Moreland fire engine, which arrived on March 15, 1915. Joe Scott was chosen to be the driver and was given a stipend of $75 per month plus free rent, water, and sewer connections. It was a glorious day when Scott drove the Moreland up Yosemite Avenue at the fantastic speed of 30 miles per hour for its first appearance in Madera.
