Ty Conklin wanted a better way for his biker buddies to make their last ride. Bikers don’t much like cages; that’s part of what makes them bikers.

After a buddy’s funeral, he and some friends were sitting around a bar, considering possibilities. Ideas were exchanged; drawings were made.

A company was born.

I once did a funeral with a horse-drawn hearse, where that hearse met the procession for a last-mile ride. I also had wreckers, pick-ups, and fire apparatus used as hearses. Letting the hearse reflect the deceased is a perfect way for the director to round out his service to the family.

Retired firefighters in Arizona are working to create an appropriate vehicle for firefighter funerals. Traditionally, a firefighter has apparatus in attendance at their funeral. In some cases, the truck is still used to carry the casket to the cemetery. But these days, with trucks costing over $500,000, and carrying much specialized equipment, it’s no longer as practical to use apparatus as a hearse. Pallbearers may not be able to lift the casket as high as needed as well; hose beds (where the hoses and casket ride) are higher than they used to be.

Retired firefighters in Tuscon, led by Frank Tamayo, a 25-year veteran of the Tuscon Fire Department, have come up with the Last Alarm Foundation. Their plan is to restore a 1954 Mack L Sedan Pumper as a firefighter’s hearse. Check them out, and see if you can help.