The Alaska Fire Service Museum Association (AFSMA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 83-1684207. All contributions are tax deductible.  AFSMA mission is to preserve Alaska's firefighting history. Fire represents an ever-present danger in Alaska. As a result, firefighting has played a crucial role in shaping the state's communities and land. Through the museum experience, visitors will learn about the firefighting heroes of yesterday, as well as the historic fires that have shaped our history.

The museum offers a unique opportunity to see and touch many of the documents, tools, and equipment deployed to combat fires in early Alaska. Before the adoption of Uniform Fire Codes in the 1950s, fire was a constant threat to every community and its citizens, and major fires were a given. Thus, firefighting has played an essential role in shaping both Alaska's communities and land.

Fire occupies a primal spot in the human psyche and experience. It is mesmerizing and comforting when contained but can be exhilarating, even terrifying, when unleashed or uncontrolled. Fire is elemental to human existence and is innate to man's history and experience. It remains endlessly fascinating to humans, and as such, AFSMA seeks to capture and preserve historical items related to firefighting in Alaska, such as building records, logs, reports, news articles, periodicals, hardware, rolling stock, and tools-and-equipment.

Unfortunately, many tons of surplus fire service materials now reside in landfills across the state, leading to a significant loss of documentation and historical items. AFSMA was formed in 2018 with the purpose of preserving Alaska's fire service history and restoring the 1921 American LaFrance fire truck, which is the centerpiece of the museum. The truck is Alaska's and Anchorage's first motorized fire engine and is over 100 years old. However, after a century of operation, it is now in need of a complete overhaul.

Our first major effort, then, is to rebuild and restore this apparatus, and we are seeking donations to help fund this project. To this point all work has been done by volunteers. Work on the engine as one done by a retired Master Emergency Vehicle Technician with over thirty-five years of experience. However, the most significant cost factor has been that a hundred-year-old truck requires parts that have to be made by hand, just as those parts were hand forged by tool and die maker in 1921. All donations will be greatly appreciated as we move forward in restoring Anchorage's historical past.

In closing, AFSMA is an imperative for preserving Alaska's firefighting history. The museum offers a unique opportunity to learn about the firefighting heroes of yesterday and the historic fires that shaped Alaska. The restoration of the 1921 American LaFrance fire truck is a crucial part of this effort, and your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you for considering this vital effort.