This post was written by Bill Minsker, Linglestown Fire Co. Historian
When the fire company decided to and was financially able to purchase its first new fire apparatus, a very basic question needed to be settled as to what color it should be. Many members preferred the traditional - but VERY difficult to see at night RED color. Other members reasoned that a very non-traditional and rarely used WHITE color would be better, safer due to much better night visibility, and rather unique for the "new fire kids on the block" in the Harrisburg area. ...so the story goes that at a Fire Company specially-called meeting on September 25, 1940, the vote was given of 18 for the white color, and 10 for red. As a result, beginning with the new 1941 Ford pumper, all future apparatus of the Linglestown Fire Co. # 1, including all 11 current apparatus units, have been designated to have white color.
Also in regard to “color” - Each of the three L. P. Twp. fire companies has chosen a separate station color, to be used to designate and identify ownership of the many pieces of equipment carried on each company’s apparatus that is used for fire-fighting and other purposes. The color designation for Colonial Park is GREEN, Paxtonia’s chosen color is RED, and the Linglestown color is BLUE. In addition, all of the Township’s fire apparatus has reflective night-time safety Scotchlite tape in use on its vehicles, and these three colors are also used for this purpose. Therefore, all 11 pieces of fire apparatus of the Linglestown Fire Co. have bold BLUE Scotchlite attached to its vehicles.
