The Tahlequah Fire Department upgraded its equipment in June with the purchase of a new 2017 Ford to aid them with brush and grass fires in the city, county and surrounding area. Fire Chief Ray Hammons said he is proud to have the new truck and thankful they city administration recognized the need.
The previous brush truck was a 1980 Chevy 1 ton, which was bought brand-new. Hammons said it was Tahlequah's first rescue truck, and until the department bought a new rescue truck around 2005, it was used for both services.
"Our old brush truck started out as Tahlequah's and Cherokee County's first rescue truck in 1980 and was considered one of the sharpest trucks in the state. Together, this truck and its equipment and the men who responded with it for over 20 years, saved many lives, and back then, we responded throughout the whole county due to the fact no one else had rescue tools," said Hammons.