JACKSON CO., Okla_ The Headrick Volunteer
Fire Department in Jackson
County has a brand new
firefighting truck. "Engine One" didn't cost the department a thing.
Thanks to a Rural
Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant for more than $99,000 from the Southwestern Oklahoma
Development Authority.
7News Reporter
Jonathan Rozelle took a quick ride around a part of Headrick in it, and it
rides pretty smoothly. Headrick Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jason Finch
said it means something even more.
Headrick VFD
said there's no more waiting on fire departments in other towns with larger
trucks to come over and help fight a huge blaze. Chief Finch and some of his
crew said they can hardly believe it's actually here.
"It's an
awesome feeling," Finch said. "We've been working on it for two years now
through SWODA to get a REAP grant, and it finally came through."
It's not new; it's
a 1991 model, but it's a lot newer than their current 1973 truck
It does a lot
more, too.
Chief Finch
said there are three important features on this fire truck that none of his
other trucks have. The first is this deck gun. It allows firefighters to shoot
water on fires, where water from hoses may not be able to reach. The second is
the top mount pump panel. It gives the operator the ability to control the
water pressure to hoses. The last is that this truck pumps about 1,250 gallons
of water per minute.
Chief Finch
said in the past they'd have to rely on crews from Altus
or the town of Friendship
to show up with their huge tank trucks to fight a huge structure fire in town. Both
of those towns are about 15 minutes away from Headrick.
"Sometimes,
it felt like my hands were tied," Finch said, "But we would do the best that we
could with what we had."
He knows how Engine
One will change that.
"We can
get in and get started before they can get here," Finch said, "Which could
possibly save a house and the family."
Jason's wife Joy,
who's also a first responder, said the truck also came with its own
defibrillator. While Jackson
County EMS
does respond to Headrick, the time it takes them to get to town is often a
matter between life and death.
"We do
have an older population," Joy said. "We do cover this area, and we'll be able
to respond if someone has a heart issue."
"It's just
a great feeling," Jason said. "I thank SWODA and everybody that was behind
us."
Jason said with
the new truck in place, they're now looking into expanding the department's
building, so they can add a tanker truck to their rescue vehicle roster.
