OKC Firefighters Get Engine 1, First Truck On Scene After Murrah Bombing, Ready For Marathon

Oklahoma City fire firefighters spent their morning preparing Old Engine 1 for the Memorial Marathon.

Engine 1 was the first fire truck on the scene after the Murrah building bombing.

“It never left,” says District Chief, Scott Douglas. “It never left the scene until fire crews were cleared, which was several days.”

Stories of those days are reflected in red and chrome. On Friday, Engine 1 returned to its former home, Fire Station 1.

Firefighters washed and detailed the rig. It will be positioned near the finish line for the big race as a reminder for all those who run.

It’s also a reminder for the crew that spent the morning with it.

“You catch them looking at it and you know what’s going through their mind,” says Douglas. “What happened that day? What was it like to be a firefighter that day? What did those firefighters see?

“I have thought about it. I think a lot of us have,” says Kruse Holliday. It was his first time seeing Engine 1.

“It’s a little surreal to know the history behind it, to know that this was the first engine on scene,” Holliday explains.

He was just 6 years old when the bomb went off.

“I remember a lot of panic,” Holliday recalls. “Everyone checking their kids out of school. I mean nobody really knew what was going on.”

He hopes all those who see the newly cleaned engine will also be reminded of those who responded, and most importantly those who were killed.

“We’ll never forget what happened that day.”