This year’s winter meeting – traditionally held in Syracuse in mid-February — fled the icy clutches of upper New York State for the far balmier climes of Florida. The 1987 Annual Convention hosted by our Florida members in sunny Coral Gables, featured our first winter fire apparatus muster. Yes, palm trees and old fire engines are compatible. The Summer Convention & Muster came back to Syracuse in August, as it did every other year.

But the big news this year was the establishment of the SPAAMFAA Archives at the Antique Automobile Club of America’s famed Library and Research Center in Hershey, Pa. Spearheaded by Central Pennsylvania member Ed Peterson and in the works for several years, the AACA/SPAAMFAA agreement was finalized this year. Our long-held dream of a safe, accessible repository for collections of fire apparatus photos, sales literature, owners’ manuals and other reference material had finally become a reality.

Two new chapters – Central Ohio and Metro St. Louis joined SPAAMFAA’s ever-growing family this year.