Women’s Bay VFD Receives New Wildland Fire Truck

Jay Barrett/KMXT

The Women’s Bay Volunteer Fire Department has a new quick-response wildland fire truck, thanks to a deal with the Alaska State Division of Forestry. The vehicle, built on a one-ton pickup truck chassis, is designed to get into remote and off-road areas first to allow firefighters knock down fires quickly, according to Forestry officials Ken Crookshanks and Darren Rathman.

— (Brush Truck 1 46 sec "Just being light and … keep feeding that vehicle.")

Women’s Bay Fire Chief Dale Rice explained what it means for his department to have a new vehicle with those capabilities:

— (Brush Truck 2 18 sec "It means we’re not … to the more remote areas.")

Crookshanks said the Division of Forestry is giving Women’s Bay use of the truck in exchange for the department being first responders on wildland fires on state land:

— (Brush Truck 3 31 sec "This is a win-win for … a great deal for Dale.")

The new fire truck is classified a "Type 6 Brush Truck," and comes with a 225-gallon water tank and the capability to spray fire-retardant foam as well. The members of the Women’s Bay Volunteer Fire Department underwent training on the vehicle right after it arrived on the ferry a couple of weeks ago. Rice said his department doesn’t yet have space to store it inside, but he might be able to make a deal with the Bayside Fire Department once its new addition is complete.