Calera Firefighters Launch Fundraiser To Bring Historic Fire Truck Back To Oklahoma

An Oklahoma fire department is working hard to rescue “The Spirit Of Oklahoma,” a fire truck sent to New York City to help with 9/11 recovery.

Now that it's up for sale, the Calera Fire Department is doing everything it can to buy it and bring it home.

The clock is ticking as a bright red badge of brotherhood between Oklahoma and New York firefighters – with a history spanning 26 years - could be lost in just 10 days.

In 1995, ten New York firefighters came to the rescue following the Oklahoma City Bombing. Those same ten men lost their lives in the September 11th attacks.

Seeing the aftermath, a Fort Gibson school saw a need - and filled it. Students raised nearly half a million dollars and bought a new fire truck.

Dubbed the 'Spirit of Oklahoma,' it was sent to spend the rest of its days in New York City but recently it was sold at an auction.

Calera Fire Department Lieutenant Jake Trujillo wants to buy the truck from its current owner in Massachusetts who realized he had something special.

"Why let this piece of living memorial disappear from history?" Trujillo said.

The owner gave the Calera department two weeks to raise the $25,000 dollars it'll take to buy the truck and transport it to Oklahoma. It's a lot of work, but for Trujillo it fulfills a sacred promise.

"Those that were old enough to experience and see what happened on that day, on 9/11. A lot of us took an oath that we'd never forget. And that calling is now," Trujillo said.

The Calera Fire Department is still thousands of dollars short from meeting that goal. You can click the GoFundMe link here to donate.