The Gustine Fire Department was presented with a special recognition at the Feb. 6 City Council meeting for the preservation of an antique fire engine.

The Society for Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America presented the certificate of recognition to Fire Chief Pat Borrelli. The Antique Fire Engine award was presented by the Society’s representative Ed Hass.

“Our organization has been around since 1858,” Hass said. “We’re dedicated to preserving the history of the fire service, especially of the fire trucks.”

Hass explained that a fire department gets nominated for the award if they are actively preserving a fire engine. The nomination comes from a local chapter and then has to be approved by the national board, which represents all 52 chapters.

“Actively preserving means it is not sitting in a field behind the firehouse,” Hass said.

Hass said there are only about two dozen fire departments around the country that have received the same honor bestowed on the Gustine Fire Department.

The department was given the award for three fire engines – one from 1933, another from 1966 and one from 1913 that was originally pulled by hand.

“It’s very unusual for a fire department to have one fire engine, let alone three,” Hass said. “So we are very appreciative of the efforts that have been made to preserve these.”

The fire department was presented with a general preservation award and then one for each of the fire engines.

“I’d like to thank you for coming down here and giving us these awards,” Borrelli said to Hass. “It’s not every day that you get an award for an antique we have preserved.”