Riley County (KS) Fire District No. 1 posted the following news release on its Facebook page Thursday:
“Say hello to Brush Truck #115! This (new to us) brush truck is now in service at Station #115 Konza Valley. Brush #115 will respond immediately to brush fires and vehicle fires in the area around HWY 177 and I-70 and aid anywhere in the county as needed. It replaces a 1969, 5-ton military truck. The new truck has 4-wheel drive, carries 750 gallons of water, and is an excellent addition to the fleet!
“It’s also important to note this truck represents a major cost savings for the department. B115 was purchased used, and Deputy Chief of Operations Doug Russell worked with several other staff and volunteer department members to complete assembly of the fire fighting components such as the water tank, fire pump, hose reels, front automatic nozzle and all associated plumbing, wiring, emergency and scene lights. Purchased new from a dealer, this piece of equipment would have cost in excess of $200,000! By doing the work ourselves, we spent less than $55,000 for an important firefighting apparatus. We want to say thanks for the hard work! Well done to Doug Russell and crew!”