On May 6, 1901, Truck 10 was organized at 2067 East Clearfield Street about a half block east of Frankford Avenue. This truck company was on the northern end of the burgeoning Kensington mill district, and about a mile from the developing Frankford section of the city to the north.
The company’s first apparatus was an 1881 Hayes/LaFrance 80 ft. wooden tillered ladder, pulled by 2 horses, which had been in service with Truck 3.
The designation “truck” was changed to “ladder” in 1950. On June 21, 1956, Ladder 10 moved into a new combined station on the southwest corner of Kensington & Castor Avenues, about 10 blocks to the northeast. In this combined station along with Ladder 10, was Engine 7, Rescue 2, and Battalion Chief 10.
Ladder 10 remains at this location today, and its old station still stands as a residence with very little change to the building’s façade.
On the night of January 7, 1980, I was standing across Tacony St. watching a 5-alarm fire at the Bradco Supply Co. (building materials) at 4350 Tacony St.. The property took up almost the whole block from Church St. to Duncan St.. It’s rear backed up to the Penn Central railroad track’s main line to New York. Normally, Ladder 15 in Frankford would have been first-in to this fire, but they were out on another fire. So, Ladder 10 was first-in. While watching the fire, I was listening to the fireground radio channel on my portable scanner where you could hear all the tactical action. I heard Commissioner Rizzo(Car 1) arrive on the fireground parking on Church St. near the railroad bridge. For some unknown reason, the Commissioner, instead of walking up Tacony St. to the front of the building, decided to walk up the railroad tracks to the rear of the building. After being there a few minutes, he asked for a ladder company to come cut a hole in the propertiy’s fence so he could enter the property. Not positive it was Ladder 10, but likely since it was first-in. This is probably the only time in PFD history that a Commissioner has requested that a hole be cut in a fence so he could enter the fireground!