Expand / Collapse search
☰

Tampa Firefighters Museum grows as fire department marks 130 years of service

By
Published  May 9, 2025 6:05pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Tour of Tampa's Firefighter Museum

Tour of Tampa's Firefighter Museum

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

The Brief

    • The Tampa Firefighters Museum is growing as Tampa Fire Rescue marks 130 years of service.
    • TFR is adding a 1925 fire truck to the collection that will be parked at the museum.
    • The former fire station became a time capsule of TFR's rich history, displaying gear, equipment and other artifacts that were used by firefighters throughout the years.

TAMPA, Fla. - More than a century of history is on display in downtown Tampa.

The Tampa Firefighters Museum is growing as Tampa Fire Rescue marks 130 years of service. The museum is in the original downtown fire station, across the street from the current station.

READ: Tampa cigar company reflects on the industry during the 1950’s when factories expected to be robbed

The backstory:

"The building that we're standing in was constructed in 1911," Bill Wade, a retired Tampa Fire Rescue Captain with the Tampa Firefighters Museum, said.

When the downtown headquarters moved across the street, the building sat empty from 1978 to 1995. The building was likely to be demolished, unless something was done with it.

"And a group of firefighters went to the mayor at the time, Dick Greco, said. 'We'd like to create a fire museum,'" Wade said.

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

Dig deeper:

The former fire station became a time capsule of TFR's rich history, displaying gear, equipment and other artifacts that were used by firefighters throughout the years.

"Long back before people had a phone in their house, they had alarm boxes on the street corner," Wade said. "So, if there was an emergency, folks could go to the corner, pull the alarm box, that would send a signal to the fire department." 

The museum showcases an old fire truck, old uniforms, a recreation of the original dispatch system and even some equipment that was used before fire trucks rolled through the doors.

"It was the last Tampa Fire station built with horse-drawn apparatus in mind," Wade said. "In 1911, the horses were being phased out for motorized vehicles."

MORE: Former Rays executive weighs in on Rays' past and future ahead of new book

The museum also pays tribute to firefighters who responded to the Twin Towers during 9/11 and to fallen TFR firefighters who were killed in the line of duty. There's also an exhibit that honors some of TFR's trailblazers.

"Tampa Fire Department added three ladies to the ranks back in 1978," Wade said.

What's next:

This weekend, TFR is adding a 1925 fire truck to the collection that will be parked at the museum.

"Not only is this a fire truck of historical value, but also, it ran the streets of Ybor City from basically 1925 to the 1950s," Wade said.

As TFR celebrates 130 years of service, the museum continues to grow with the city's history.

READ: Commemorative cigar pays homage to Tampa Smokers, marks beginning of baseball season

"It's important to reach out to the community and remind them of the history, not only of the city, but also the fire department," Wade said. "The history of the fire department is the history of this city and vice versa." 

TFR is holding an open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its training grounds, located at 116 South 34th Street. The 1925 truck will be on display, and there will be live demonstrations and activities at the event.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

TampaTampa Bay History