Last week the Whitesboro Fire Department placed a new brush truck in service.
Brush 251 is a custom-made brush truck on a four-wheel drive Dodge chassis.
The brush truck seats two personnel and has a 350-gallon water tank powered by a Hale pump.
The timing for the arrival of the new truck could not be better. Fire danger is elevated for the north Texas area and the need for an additional grass truck has already proven itself.
The truck being replaced by Brush 251 was placed out of service late last summer, and the department has been down to one brush truck since them.
Assistant Chief Jeff Patterson worked closely with the city to make the truck a reality for the fire department.
“We cannot thank our City Council and City Management team enough for the continued support of the fire department which helps us further our mission to ensure our citizens are safe,” Patterson said.
He went on to invite everyone to a short “Push-In Ceremony” on September 19 at 7 p.m. at the fire station.
Firefighters can use the whip lines attached to the bed of the truck to extinguish fires as the truck moves around, or can use the hose reel to stretch hose line deeper into areas where the truck can not access.
Brush 251 also came with a full complement of tools as well as several pieces of safety equipment to be used by the firefighters on the truck.
Brush 251 has wireless headsets allowing for hands-free communication between the crew, double locked doors for the spots on the back where firefighters ride, and a lighting package that includes a rear directional bar to help with safe operation in traffic and cases of limited visibility.
The brush truck also includes a winch mounted on the front bumper, a small onboard foam tank and in-line foam operating system, and mounting systems for the tools, nozzles, and an ice chest.
The custom aluminum bed was designed by a committee the fire department put in place for the project last year. The truck was built by and purchased from Metro Fire Apparatus in Mansfield, Texas.
The brush truck will be a workhorse for the fire department. It is small and light, and has the basic equipment necessary to get in quick and begin work right away on the fire line.
The lighter weight and shorter wheelbase and frame will allow the truck to operate in much tighter areas than its predecessor, and the two-person crew will be able to operate safely and efficiently when called into service.
