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Sean Quinby, founder and executive director of Last Alarm Foundation of North Carolina. (Clark Curtis/For WDN)

1942 Ford Maxim X50 (Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

By Clark Curtis for the Washington Daily News

The mission of the Last Alarm Foundation of North Carolina (LAFNC) is to provide deceased firefighters with appropriate and dignified transportation to their final resting place––their “Last Alarm.” Founder and executive director, Sean Quinby, is a career Air Force firefighter. He served 20 years of active duty, and 20 years and counting of civil service, where he is the current fire chief at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. “Recently I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase the 1942 Ford Maxim X50 firetruck that first served at Seymour Johnson Army Airfield in 1942 during WWII,” said Quinby. “I had seen the vehicle in parades over the years and told its owner, Elbert Dixon, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and vehicle mechanic, to let me know if he ever wanted to get rid of it. That call finally came when Dixon, in his 90’s, told me he was getting too old to keep it and he didn’t want it to go to waste, so he gifted it to me. I didn’t want it for a personal toy, but had a vision of making it into a funeral coach, so it could continue to serve the community as it was intended for years to come”

As Quinby pointed out there are a couple of glaring needs to that need to be addressed. One, modern firetrucks are not built to carry the caskets of deceased firefighters. Secondly, there is also a population of those who don’t get the same honors as those who have served for many years under the roof of the same fire department. “90 percent of the firefighters in our country are volunteers who have served out of the goodness of their hearts, and didn’t receive a dime,” said Quinby. “All too often they move from state-to-state and are often forgotten. What a better way to thank them and their families for all of their service and sacrifices, than showing how much we care with the time honored tradition of transporting them to their final resting place.”

But first, the 80 year old truck is in need of some significant restoration, in order for it to continue to serve. This will include removing the entire exterior body and hose bed from the frame truck, having all of the parts reconditioned or replaced, a new paint job, and equipping the hose bed to carry and display the caskets. “Through the foundation, it is our hope to be able to raise the necessary funds to rebuild this truck into a fitting funeral coach,” said Quinby. “It will be used for firefighters and first responders all over the state who have passed, whether in the line of duty or following retirement, as they all deserve this honor.”

When the restoration work is completed, the truck will also be used for fire safety education, parades, community events, and fundraisers. But in the end Quinby said, “I can think of nothing better than to one day receive a phone call saying, “a friend of ours in Washington served in the fire department for 20 years and we want to recognize their service. Would you come and help us with the burial?” My answer would be, “absolutely!”

Quinby envisions a day when they will have an entire fleet of trucks that will not only serve North Carolina, but the rest of the country. More information about the Last Alarm Foundation of North Carolina can be found on Facebook and the web at www.lastalarmnc.org.

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