Old verse the New!

What a different world we live in! In today's day and age when the box tones drop guys roll to the scene in a multi dollar fire engine capable of flow thousands of gallons of water per minute with the flip of a switch or the opening of a valve. And in most communities they go endless water from a hydrant.

And the biggest complaint is the weight of all their gear they have to wear.

Little do they know how easy they got it compared to what the fellah's had to deal with back in the day of the old hand pumps commonly referred to now ah days as Handtubs.

Have to hook up the horses race to the fire crossing your finger that there was some type of water source to connect to or draft from.

Then once you got water it was All hand working the breaks pumping the Tub. Up and down they work breaks trying to flow that water. And boy let me tell you, you got to have a strong set of arms, back and lungs, It is not easy!

So, some say firefighter today are nuts for running into burning buildings. Others might think manning the breaks is nuts. But a little know secret is some thinks it is fun and call it a weekend hobby.

Each summer a group individual associated with the "Handtubs of New England" get together and come up with a schedule of when and where they are gone to meet to see who can go all the way, and who will fall short.

Then keeping with that schedule crews make their way to the sits put their Tubs on display awaiting their turn at the field and then when time comes Flag's up!