WFFD Converting Military Truck to Fight Wild Fires
By: Mechell Dixon
Updated: March 8, 2013
Raging brush fires became a big reality for Wichita Falls fire crews nearly two years ago when flames quickly spread through a neighborhood off Missile Road.
But officials say for this brush fire season they have a new truck that will take fighting wildfires to a higher level.
Sparks are flying at the Wichita Falls Central Services Complex and it's all because of this gigantic truck.
"This is our new GI five-ton truck that we just got in. We're gonna turn it into a brush truck," says Lt. Casey Ramsey.
It's a military surplus truck from Fort Sill that was donated by the Department of Defense and it is expected to be priceless once it's finished and used to battle area brush fires.
Often times, volunteer fire fighters will tackle flames from the front and back of brush truck.
But Lt. Casey says once this new truck is finished it will allow several crew members to tackle flames at the same time.
"There will be a driver. We will have a guy in front of the truck with an inch and a half hose line for knockdown and we'll have two whip lines behind the cab and obviously a real line on the very back," says Lt. Ramsey.
And Lt. Ramsey says crews are anxiously awaiting for this truck to go to work.
"We're hoping it won't be quite as bad this year but we do have a little bit of moisture right not so we may actually get a little bit of growth initially but everything we're hearing is it's gonna turn dry again," Lt. Ramsey says.
The new truck will 800 gallons of water and eventually several hundred gallons of foam.
It is expected to be finished and ready to roll into fields just in time for the beginning of wildfire season which officially starts late next month.
