Agencies Work Together To Create Community Fire Truck

Last year The Courier reported on a truck donated from Hi-Line Ford by Norm Sillerud to be remodeled into a firetruck to be used in Valley County. That truck was completed and has just found a home in Opheim.

Former Long Run Fire Department Chief Bob "Sparky" Hanson explained that the state helped pay for the equipment that now sits on the truck bed. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) agreed to pay for all the equipment on back, valued between $110,000-140,000. The cost for the county for the truck was only $2,000. The equipment is on loan, which means if they needed it for another location they could take it back for an extended time.

Fire Marshal Dan Carney said that all agencies working together to provide much needed equipment was a good thing. Don Pyrah, of the DNRC said that there were five engines like this in the area, two in Glasgow, one in Nashua, one in Opheim and one in Lustre.

"Everything came ready, except people and water," Hanson said.

Pyrah said that the trucks like this started to go out around the state after a bad fire year in 2007. He said that the legislature saw a need to rebuild and refurbish the fleets around the state. He said that it is a hybrid program that helps the county bear the costs.

The Long Run Fire Department held a fundraiser at the Ridgerunners on April 18. Funds raised will help supplement the budget for equipment and help raise funds for expansion of the Long Run Fire Department bay. Hanson said that they already have a concrete slab down for an additional five bays. They hope to have half of the funds raised and get the shell up by the end of summer. Hanson said half of the funds for the extension will be from fundraising and the other half will be from the county.