WVFR New Tanker

In November 2008, WVFR received our new fire tanker from KME (Kovatch Motor Equipment) to replace ‘Old Betsy’ our 37-year old Ford C8000 pumper/tanker. While necessary, this replacement is extremely costly with a price tag of $460,000.

How can a new fire truck cost so much?

· For starter, you can’t buy a new tanker “off the shelf”. It must be custom-designed to a fire company’s unique specs - and custom built, from scratch - literally.

· The truck is strong enough to haul 2,000-gallon of water on rugged roads and up steep hills in all types of weather.

· The truck is equipped with a Compressed Air Foam System, (“CAFS”) which mixes air, foam and water enabling water to stay on the surface and soaking in rather than running off. CAFS helps us put out fires more effectively by increasing the fire-extinguishing capability of water three-fold: our new 2,000 gallons water capacity is expected to perform as 6,000 gallons of water!

· Other state-of-the-art equipment include a 1,250-gallon-per-minute pump, digital monitoring systems, and electrical systems

· The truck is equipped with a cab big enough to carry six firefighters and compartments big enough to carry all kinds of firefighting gears.

All of this comes at a cost. FEMA will provide us with $238,000. However, with a $460,000 contract price and a delivery date of late 2008, we need to raise $222,000 by the end of the year. We have written several grant proposals and are actively fund-raising. We appreciate any monetary contributions: everything helps!