Truck 14 was organized in 1906 at 2936 Ridge Avenue in the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia. Its location gave better truck coverage to the western side of North Philadelphia, East Falls, and Manayunk.

Its first apparatus was an 1882 Hayes/LaFrance 85 ft. wood tillered aerial which had been in service with Truck 4. Its second apparatus was an 1894 Hayes/La France 85 ft. wood tillered aerial which had been in service with Truck 7.

Its first motorized apparatus was a 1913 Knox-Martin three-wheel tractor pulling a 1905 American LaFrance 85 ft. tillered wood aerial. This apparatus was originally assigned to Truck 4 in Center City, but did not fare well on Center City streets, and in 1915 became another hand-me-down to Truck 14.

In 1950, the designation “truck” was changed to “ladder” and Truck 14 became Ladder 14.

On May 23, 1962, Ladder 14 moved six blocks to the northeast into a new station having been built for Engine 45 on the site of its old station on the northeast corner of 26th & York Streets. This was part of a plan started in the early 1950s to consolidate single-house ladder companies with engine companies to save money on maintaining stations.

On the night of January 12, 1963. Ladder 14 was first-in ladder to what turned out to be a 7-alarm fire at St. Elizabeth’s School on the northeast corner of 23rd St. & Montgomery Avenue. Towards the end of the fire when it looked like the fire was being brought under control, the 23rd St. side wall suddenly collapsed into 23rd St. crushing Ladder 14 and Ladder 18 which had been nose-to-nose on the other side of 23rd St., and killing Fireman John McKernan, Ladder 14, and Fireman Charles Senior, Engine 20.

Today, Ladder 14 is still at 26th & York along with Engine 45 and Medic 25.