
The Northeast Teller County (CO) Fire Protection District recently took hold of a new, $330,000 brush truck, reports gazette.com, which has reclining seats, a refrigerator to keep food fresh, a pull-out table for writing reports, and a cabinet that holds luggage and equipment in a dry place.
In addition, the apparatus has room for all necessary gear, a 500-gallon tank, and comfortably holds all equipment. The apparatus was paid for by the county’s capital-replacement fund.
When not used in Teller County, the truck can be deployed to fight fires in other parts of Colorado, or Arizona or California. Officials say, for most deployments, travel time is six days to and from a site, with tent camping at night.
With each deployment, the district is reimbursed by the appropriate agency for the use of the truck and the crews. And because the deployments take them out of the district, the agency also provides reimbursement funds for the home crews that cover the vacancies at the Woodland Park station.