OWLS HEAD – The dedication last month of a restored 19th century fire wagon, converted into a funeral caisson and given as a gift to the New York City Fire Department, brought a “family” of firefighters from across the country to the Owls Head Transportation Museum.

Working for a fire department is “more than just a job,” Assistant Chief Adam Miceli of Rockland Fire Department said recently. “It’s a way of life.

“When September 11 happened, it was like something happening to our family,” he said.

The restoration of the 1890s fire wagon was done by Andy Swift of Firefly Restorations in Hope and Ken Soderbeck of Hand in Hand Restorations in Jackson, Mich. The occasion was marked July 27 at the Owls Head museum. The fire wagon turned funeral caisson will be pulled by people when honoring fallen NYC firefighters.

The event was attended by hundreds of fire personnel from across Maine and other parts of the country.

“Certainly, anytime that anyone puts the effort in to honor firefighters, it’s our duty to show up,” Rockland Fire Lt. Dennis Camber said recently. “I wanted to see it, and I also wanted to show my appreciation.

“It certainly makes you feel appreciated,” he said, and makes one know that people understand what firefighters go through each day.

Alan Leo, Thomaston’s emergency medical services training director, was at the dedication as well. He, too, went to show his respect for fellow public safety members who lost their lives in New York City.

“It’s too bad they had to lose over 300 firefighters and EMS personnel before they became [heroes],” Leo said.

Talking about the dedication ceremony nearly brought tears to Leo’s eyes. The dedication event meant so much to him because “that caisson is the last ride a firefighter is going to take,” he said.

Leo said the Sept. 11 attacks changed the way he will approach future emergency situations.

Before that date, he would show up at an emergency scene and “just jump in with both feet and do what has to be done.”

“Nowadays, you jump in with both feet, but you take a few seconds to see where you’re jumping.

“I dare say, if the same thing happened again in New York City, they still would go into the building, but they’d take a second to rethink how they’re going to do it.”