Department firefighters pose with their shiny new trucks. | Photos provided by the Smith River Fire Protection District.

Two brand new rescue engines arrived at the Smith River Fire Protection District this week after the volunteer department purchased them from a company in Texas.

Training officer Steve Williams told the Outpost the volunteer fire department paid $200,000 a piece for the twin Ford F550s.

The trucks before they departed Fouts Bros in La Grange, Texas.

“We secured a lender [to pay for the trucks], but have the funds available to pay them off if we needed to,” Williams said.

The trucks are classified as type six fire engines and will carry full basic life support medical equipment and a set of hydraulic extrication tools. The trucks also have 300 gallon water tanks fitted with pumps and hose reels.

The district’s two active stations in Smith River and Hiouchi will each receive one of the trucks, which will replace their current outdated equipment.

“At station 1, it will replace a 1996 ford rescue truck that only had the ability to respond to medical emergencies,” Williams said. “At station 2, it will replace a 1995 GMC Suburban that again was only equipped to effectively respond to a limited number of calls.”

The trucks passing through Arizona on their way to Del Norte County.

Because of the classification of the new rescue engines, Williams said that any volunteer firefighter with a valid driver’s licence will be able to drive them, making the department more versatile when responding to emergencies.

“These new trucks will only require the driver to possess a Class C driver's license, which opens up a great deal of ability for all firefighters to respond to fires,” he said. “Our other vehicles with fire suppression capabilities require a commercial drivers license that only a limited number of firefighters possess. We will be able to respond to all types of emergencies in a much more effective and efficient manner.”

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