ost people hope they will never ride in a police car, but John Bujosa is finding hundreds who can't wait for their next chance. Bujosa is the founder of the Emergency Vehicle Owners & Operators Association, an organization that encourages the ownership, preservation and enjoyment of retired police cars and other emergency vehicles.

"I founded EVOOA in 1996 after recognizing that no one club met my particular interests," says Bujosa, a former auxiliary police officer in New York City with more than 30 years in law enforcement. He currently is the computer systems administrator for the Spokane, Wash., Police Department. "In discussing my interests with others I learned that they also felt the same way. Our interests involved all emergency vehicles rather than being limited to police cars, fire trucks, etc. Many of us also collected public safety articles, not vehicle related. Within two months I had 80 members signed up."

From 'Rods to Squads
Bujosa, 47, says his fascination with emergency vehicles predates his law-enforcement career: "My interest goes back to the '60s when as a kid in New York City I rode in several police cars, fire trucks, etc. I've collected pictures of emergency vehicles and other articles since I can remember." Now, he owns four ex-squad cars: a restored 1985 California Highway Patrol Ford Mustang, a couple of 1963 Plymouths and a 1987 Winston-Salem, N.C., Ford Crown Victoria.

Other EVOOA members own a smorgasbord of vehicles: antiques such as a 1924 Ford Model T patrol wagon, modern police cruisers like a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice as well as fire trucks, hearses, motorcycles and tow trucks — just about anything that ever rolled down a road in the interest of public safety. Ownership, however, is not a requirement for joining.

The 411 on 911 Vehicles
In the three years since its founding, EVOOA has grown to nearly 300 members in the United States and eight foreign countries, attracting aficionados from as far away as Japan and Switzerland. Most members, Bujosa says, learned of the EVOOA by word of mouth. The Web site developed a little more than a year ago with the help of Web-savvy member Dave Arnold and has given the group more international presence. The EVOOA site is an easy-to-use, comprehensive source of information and entertainment for emergency-vehicle enthusiasts, starting with a mock siren that activates with a mouse click. Quick-loading photos of more than 40 members' vehicles are on file, as are photos of another 30 cop cars and ambulances submitted by non-members. A lengthy classified ad section indicates a thriving market for old emergency vehicles and parts.

Still under construction at the EVOOA site is a page entitled "Staying Within the Law" with dos and don'ts for current emergency-vehicle owners and wannabes alike. The page should be finished later this summer. In the meantime, Bujosa warns that ownership of an old police car doesn't give civilians authority to careen down public roads with sirens wailing and lights flashing. "You can drive any of these vehicles so long as you stay within the law, and the law varies from state to state, city to city. Common sense sometimes is the best guiding factor," he says. "We always ask members to cover their lights, have a disconnect switch under the hood for all emergency equipment and cover their [exterior] markings. Make an honest effort to demonstrate you are not trying to impersonate a police officer."

Reported by Rick Popely for cars.com

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MEMBERS INDEX
Take a look at the range of vehicles owned by members of EVOOA.

MOBY DEATH
Take a look at one man's great, white 1975 Cadillac Superior hearse.