Fueling Heroes: Restore SFFD’s Iconic 1942 Coffee Unit No. 1
In the heat of a multiple-alarm fire, when crews were pushed to their limit, one sight brought instant relief: Coffee Unit No. 1. Built on a 1942 Chevrolet that began life as an auxiliary pumper, it carried 30 gallons of hot coffee, and the morale of the whole department, to the front lines for decades.
It still rolls out for parades and for the 1906 commemoration at Lotta’s Fountain, but after years of service it needs a full restoration to stay on the road.
★ The restoration is just getting started. Be one of the first supporters to put Coffee Unit No. 1 back on the road. Every gift, large or small, moves it closer.
Secure checkout on Zeffy · Apple Pay, Google Pay or card · Give once or monthly
One Gift Keeps the Whole Story Going
Your gift to Guardians of the City supports everything we do: a free museum, commemorations San Franciscans have kept for more than a century, honors for today’s first responders, and historic vehicles that bring the story to the street.
A Free Museum, Run by Volunteers
At the San Francisco First Responders Museum & Safety Learning Center at 655 Presidio Avenue, visitors walk among the apparatus and artifacts that tell the story of San Francisco’s first responders, including the first fire engine ever built in California. Admission is free.
Our exhibits also travel, bringing the history of the Fire, Police and Sheriff’s departments to civic events across the city.
Keeping the 1906 Commemorations Alive
The 120th anniversary Golden Hydrant commemoration, 2026. Photo: SFFD Captain Jonathan Baxter.
Lotta’s Fountain. Two years after the 1906 earthquake and fire, survivors gathered at Lotta’s Fountain to meet old friends and celebrate the rebuilding of their city. That gathering has continued every April 18 since. In 2026, San Francisco marked the 120th anniversary there.
The Golden Hydrant. On April 19, 1906, the “Little Giant” hydrant at 20th and Church Streets was found to still have water, and it’s credited with stopping the fire from spreading further into the Mission. Every year it’s repainted gold, and everyone present is invited to help.
Honoring Today’s First Responders
Guardians of the City presents awards recognizing San Francisco’s firefighters, officers, deputies, dispatchers and the people who stand with them, connecting today’s service to the history we preserve.
These moments matter to the honorees and their families, and they remind the whole city that the story of its guardians is still being written.
History on the Streets
A 1967 SFPD patrol car, a historic ambulance and classic fire apparatus bring San Francisco’s public safety history out of the museum and into parades, ceremonies and community events, where crowds and kids can see it up close.
A Community That Shows Up
Fire, police, sheriff and EMS, alongside volunteers, families and neighbors: Guardians of the City brings San Francisco’s first responders and the people they serve together. Your gift keeps those gatherings happening.
Your gift helps
- Preserve the collection: conserve irreplaceable artifacts and antique apparatus.
- Keep the museum free: open doors for every visitor.
- Sustain the commemorations: the 1906 ceremonies at Lotta’s Fountain and the Golden Hydrant.
- Honor first responders: awards and recognition for those who serve today.
- Keep history rolling: historic vehicles at parades and civic events.
- Build for the future: our planned Safety Learning Center.
Secure checkout on Zeffy · Apple Pay, Google Pay or card · Give once or monthly
Other Ways to Give
Planned Giving
Include Guardians of the City in your estate plans and leave a legacy for future generations.
Learn about planned giving →Donate an Artifact
Have something from San Francisco’s Fire, Police, Sheriff or EMS history? We’d love to hear about it.
How to donate an artifact →