What makes all emergency vehicles special is the nature of their work. What makes this particular emergency vehicle special is the nature of its work and how it relates to history.

When citizens were fleeing one of America's darkest hours, this fire engine was speeding toward the trouble.

"This is a unique piece just because of the history of it," said Randy Fisher, who's been the service manager at 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services for six years. "That alone is worth its weight in gold as far as memories go. The truck has been drawing a lot of attention because it was at the (Twin) Towers on the day of the (9/11) attacks, a day we will never forget. I wanted it to be part of history. I wanted to see it recognized this year."

Located at 501B E. Main St., New Holland, 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services is currently performing work on a very special fire engine. The local authorized dealer and service shop for all types of emergency vehicles is refurbishing, repairing and generally reconditioning a former Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) tower ladder truck that served honorably on Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

"The truck is in pretty rough shape," said Fisher. "(The owner) wants to be able to drive it. Setting up the ladder is probably not going to happen. We've gotten it to a point where it can be driven, but there are other issues with it."

The former FDNY ladder truck that 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services is working on is a 2001 Seagrave Truck Number 9 Aerial Scope, with a bucket on the end of its ladder. To this point, 10-8's technicians have performed about 25 hours of work on the ladder truck, replacing windows and a thermostat and checking its engine and brakes.

The tower ladder truck was first taken to 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services for reconditioning in September of 2025.

"It's just fundamental stuff for now," said Fisher, a resident of Lititz. "We're a Seagrave dealer, and the owner reached out to us. He needed help, and we told him we'd help him out where we can. Renovations do get pretty labor intensive."

Paul Medeiros, a resident of North Carolina who is associated with the Virginia Fire Museum and the Old Dominion Historical Fire Society, is the owner of the Seagrave ladder truck.

"(10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services is) helping out because of the meaning of the project," said Medeiros. "They're a humble group. They're helping me as much as they can. We're on hold with five grand into it."

Medeiros' 2001 tower ladder truck was damaged at the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11. Four of the fire engine's 14 crew members lost their lives at the Twin Towers that day.

"We knew about 10-8, so we took it there," said Medeiros. "They've done a lot of work, but they're in a holding pattern now. If I can get some donations, we can keep it rolling."

Medeiros originally purchased the tower ladder truck for $10,000 at an auction site.

"It happened fast," said Medeiros. "The truck was going to a scrap yard, and we saved it. Trucks like that get decommissioned and they get torn apart. I've been through a lot with it."

Medeiros' plans for the 2001 Seagrave fire engine include getting it drivable so the truck can take part in a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy in Harrisburg in July.

"That's what we're hoping will be our outcome," said Medeiros.

"I would say we're about halfway to where (Medeiros) wants it to be," said Fisher. "We want to make sure it starts. He may want to do something to it himself. But no one is getting rich on this project."

A full-service Seagrave fire trucks and Life Line ambulances dealer, 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Services typically performs about two renovations a year.

"It's a smaller part of our business," said Fisher. "The emergency world is very unique. There's a lot going on with a fire truck. We do everything the customer asks, and we give them a quality product."

To learn how to donate to the project, call or text Medeiros at 704-634-5660.