"Wyatt Ranches and the Wyatt Foundation have really been there for our emergency services in Duval County," Garcia stated. "In your worst hour, when you call with an emergency, these people have really played a major part to help our Duval County citizens get those emergency services."

Wyatt Ranches donated $127,000 to Benavides Fire Rescue, the volunteer firefighting and rescue organization for the City of Benavides and a vast area of Duval County. The funds, procured through the Wyatt Foundation, were earmarked for the purchase of a fully-equipped metropolitan rescue pumper, the refurbishment of an existing tanker truck to support the rescue pumper, unexpected costs to complete a new fire station that was already under construction, and the remainder was used for the annual Christmas toy-give-away program organized by the Fire Department.

Juan Garcia, the Fire Chief for the City of Benavides, approached the Ranches in Summer 2016 and made a presentation for the fire-fighting apparatus; and, when funds from the City ran short to complete the fire station, Garcia returned to the Foundation and asked for additional monies.

"Wyatt Ranches and the Wyatt Foundation have really been there for our emergency services in Duval County," Garcia stated. "In your worst hour, when you call with an emergency, these people have really played a major part to help our Duval County citizens get those emergency services."

In recent years, Wyatt Ranches donated two fully-equipped, state-of-the-art ambulances to Duval County, and made other donations to support overtime sheriff patrols and community-oriented police activities.

The new quint truck would replace Engine 2, which is due for replacement within the Fire Department’s 20-year replacement cycle, as well as  Rescue Pumper 4 which would be sold but not replaced.

The versatility of the quint as well as its ease of use has made it appealing. As the name suggests, the truck serves five functions: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders.

It would have an aerial device of at least 75 feet, which would allow roof access without the use of ground ladders. “For firefighter safety, I think it’s better for them to be on a ladder attached to a truck rather than one on a burning building,” Town Manager Joe Colangelo said in an interview.

“A lot of volunteer departments are going this route,” Chief Jerry Ouimet said. This is partly because the truck requires a smaller crew of four, important in a situation where there isn’t a staffed station.

“This is the way modern-day firefighting will take place,” Selectboard member John Kerr said at the board’s Dec. 20 meeting.

“It’s just more functional,” Colangelo said of the quint.

When it comes to narrow driveways, the truck would definitely be more functional. Ouimet said that it would be far easier with the multi-functional quint to address such scenarios.

The truck will allow Newton Fire to respond to more quickly respond to high-hazard and rescue situations without having to rely on equipment and firefighters from Boston or other communities.

The creation of the Rescue 1 unit also represents the first time since 1977 that the Newton Fire Department has added personnel, according to a memo from Chief Bruce Proia.

The department has lost 64 positions over the past four decades - with the outsourcing of ambulance services and the deactivation of several stations - but is now in the process of adding 12 firefighter spots to help staff the truck.

Proia said Resuce 1 would allow the department to better respond to incidents like the fatal Sweet Tomatoes crash in March or the 2008 Green Line accident that killed one and injured many others.

In August, firefighters helped a construction worker remove his foot from a concrete mixer at the Kessler Woods development. But Newton Fire had to wait for Boston firefighters to arrive with specialty equipment, Proia said.

"Now we'll be able to have it in the city of Newton to readily respond and we'll also be available to the entire metro fire region as well to help them out," Proia said.