By Heather Clower
The Parsons Advocate
When operating a volunteer based organization, one has to be conscious of their needs and possibilities. Company 10 Chief Kevin White had this in mind when he went on a wait list to be considered for surplus equipment as a part of the Excess Personal Property Program (FEPP) made available through the USDA Forest Service. Recently, the Parsons Volunteer Fire Department received a 2004 F-550 to add to their fleet with White saying, “This has been about two years in the making.” “These opportunities don’t come up very often,” he added.
Even though the new unit is referred to as the brush truck, White explained, “It’s not deemed just for brush fires.” This vehicle can be used for down trees, debris, carrying equipment, and can be used to lay supply lines to large trucks in hard to reach locations such as driveways during a fire. The unit offers approximately a 300 gallon water tank and pump that can be used when necessary. A memorandum of understanding between the forest service and fire department White described as,”It’s ours for as long as we have use for it.”
Kim Bowley, representative of the Zone Fleet with the USDA Forest Service on the Monongahela National Forest offered further information relating to the FEPP program. “The federal government has the option of donating fire equipment to local volunteer fire departments.” The forest service utilizes their equipment for about ten years before they go into the pool to be donated. “We did that in conjunction with the West Virginia Division of Forestry,” Bowley added. “We really couldn’t do it without them. It’s a great thing and I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said. Thanks to grants received, all maintenance can be done to the vehicles prior to the unit being sent to their new jobs requiring minimal input from the fire departments. According to White, a new unit such as this can run as much as $180,000. Thanks to the work put into it prior to being donated, Company 10 only had to invest approximately $8,000 to paint, decal, and outfit the truck. “The return on our investment is great,” White confirmed.
Terry Walter “Walt”, the Fire Management Officer with the U.S. Forest Service with the Monongahela and Allegheny National Forest, was the former owner of the brush truck. His responsibility is to be in charge of the fire programs within the Forest Service. “We could have put it up for sale on auction, but decided no, it needs to go to a fire department,” said Walter. He recalled multiple occasions where Forest Service and fire departments work hand in hand dealing with forest fires and search and rescues events. “It’s just the right thing to do,” he added. Helping across the different groups and organizations is something the Forest Service takes pride in, such as their recent donation of 50 brush jackets they gave the state.
Even though Company 10 did have a vehicle being used for this purpose, it was a repurposed rescue truck that wasn’t as accommodating to the cause and intended use of the “new to the fleet” brush truck. White concluded and assured, “We are grateful to the Forest Service for their donation for the unit that our men are well trained on.”
