Boone County Fire Protection donates two fire tankers to rural fire districts
COLUBMIA MO. (KMIZ)
The Boone County Fire Protection District transferred ownership of two fire tankers to the Van-Far and Northwest fire protection districts.
The districts will each receive one 2000-model Pierce Freightliner that are designed to transport large quantities of water and operate as pumping units.
The two tankers were recently taken out of service after 25 years in Boone County. The donations come as the district continues its ongoing equipment replacement program.
Boone County Fire Protection District Chief Doug Westhoff said it is a "blessing" to be in a position to be able to donate the tankers.
"We are in a position where we can offer this kind of assistance for other organizations that are starting up or have needs in the state of Missouri," he said.
BCFPD said the rural districts did not ask for a donation, and were prepared to pay around $5,000 for the vehicles. Westoff said the department then talked with BCFPD's board of directors and decided that the "neighborly" thing to make a donation to the districts.
"If the department were to sell the tankers on the open market would not be near the benefit that the communities are going to see," Westhoff said.
The tankers are being donated at a time when purchasing new fire engines has become increasingly expensive and a logistical challenge. According to the International Association of Firefighters three fire manufacturers now control 70% of the U.S. production market. This has now led to prices rising in cost and longer wait times for delivery of new vehicles.
George Kramer, Fire Chief for the Northwest Fire Protection District said the donation could not have come at a better time.
"Today is a great day. We are incredibly grateful to the Boone County Fire District, to donate something like this that we could not afford on our own." Kramer said.
He said the cost of a brand new tanker is nearly $1 million and would take three-to-four years to receive.
Brandon Straube, Fire Chief for the Van-Far Fire Protection District, said the donation is critical to its department's operations.
"The demand for this apparatus is very critical as we don't have fire hydrants in the rural parts of our communities, so we rely on these tankers to haul water to the fires," Straube said.
He said with the new tanker, the department now has an additional 1,500 gallons of water on wheels to help with fighting fires and frees up funds that can be used in other areas.
"The donation frees up funding that can come down the road to replace other critical infrastructure in the district, and it allows us to put an apparatus that's much needed in service right away," Straube said.
Both departments who received the tankers believe they could be put into service as soon as next week.
