Retired Tucson firefighters restore historic engines tied to John Dillinger's capture

For Tucson residents who pass through downtown, visit local museums or attend Dillinger Days, a piece of the city’s history is now easier to see and understand. Several vintage fire engines connected to the 1934 Hotel Congress fire have been restored by retired Tucson firefighters and volunteers. The engines are more than old emergency vehicles. They are physical reminders of the event that helped Tucson police identify and arrest John Dillinger and members of his gang, who had been staying at the downtown hotel.

The restoration work was carried out by the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation, a nonprofit group made up of former Tucson firefighters and other volunteers. Members have spent years repairing and preserving historic equipment associated with the Tucson Fire Department. Among the engines they restored are three that responded to the Hotel Congress blaze on Jan. 23, 1934. Those trucks were used to fight the fire and rescue people from the building, including members of Dillinger’s gang.

The fire became an unlikely turning point in the search for the notorious criminals. Dillinger and his associates were staying at Hotel Congress when the blaze broke out. Firefighters helped rescue them and recovered their luggage. The gang members reportedly thanked the firefighters with a $12 tip, unaware that the men would soon be recognized as wanted criminals. Later, firefighters saw photographs of the group in True Detective Mysteries magazine and contacted Tucson police. Dillinger and his associates were arrested two days after the fire, linking Tucson permanently to one of the most famous episodes in the gangster’s history.

Retired Tucson Fire Department firefighter Brian Fitzgerald said the fire is the reason Dillinger Days exists, and the restored engines show how local firefighters responded during that moment. The equipment gives visitors a tangible connection to the incident, rather than leaving the story only in photographs, newspaper accounts and annual commemorations. The engines also represent the development of Tucson’s fire service and the tools used by firefighters nearly a century ago.

The foundation’s volunteers have devoted a regular schedule to the work. Retired Tucson Fire Department Assistant Chief Ted Geare said the group met from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday throughout the year. The project was unpaid and required both technical work and long-term commitment. For the retired firefighters involved, restoring the vehicles served as a way to protect Tucson’s fire history while keeping them connected to the routines and relationships they experienced during their careers.

The group’s most recent restoration is a 1928 American LaFrance fire engine. The vehicle now has a new home at the Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum in Tucson, where residents and visitors can view it along with other restored engines. Its history includes several changes in ownership and use. Howard Beaver, who owned Beaver’s Band Box, originally acquired the engine and used it in parades and other community events for about 30 years. Museum owner Joe Findysz later purchased it and kept it for three or four years before an opportunity arose to return it to a former Tucson fire station.

That former home was Tucson Fire Station No. 2 on Fourth Avenue. Tim and Sally Worfield purchased the station and wanted the historic engine back at the site. The Worfields donated the truck to the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation so volunteers could restore it. Its return connects the restored vehicle not only to the museum but also to the building and neighborhood where it once served Tucson residents. The donation also allowed the foundation to complete work on an engine with a direct connection to the city’s fire service history.

The foundation now faces an uncertain future because most of Tucson’s historic fire engines have been restored, while fewer volunteers are joining the effort. Members have not yet determined what their next restoration project will be. Even so, the work has already preserved a collection of vehicles tied to a defining local story. Fitzgerald said one of the most meaningful parts of the project was spending time with fellow retired firefighters, whose weekly work sessions recreated the camaraderie of a fire station.

The restored engines, including the 1928 American LaFrance, are available for viewing at the Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum. They are also expected to appear at the next Dillinger Days in January, when Tucson again highlights the Hotel Congress fire and the arrest that followed. For people who live in Tucson, the display offers a chance to see the equipment used during the 1934 response and to consider how an ordinary emergency call became an event that put the city into national criminal history.