The 2017 Model tanker is the first tanker the fire department has ever had, Armstrong said. It was built by Fouts Brothers and has a 3,000-gallon capacity tank. It also boasts a 1250 GPM pump. It took six months to build the tanker once it was ordered.

“It’s as large as any pumper we already have. It can be used as a pumper,” Armstrong said. “It can be used on car fires, or grass fires, or any where there is no fireplug protection.”

The cost for the tanker is $217,299. The Cherokee Nation donated $50,000 toward the purchase and the U.S. Department Agriculture came up with another $50,000, Armstrong said. The City of Sallisaw paid $117,299 in funds it already had budgeted for the tanker.

The city already contracts with Metro for two ambulances, each staffed by two certified paramedics, capable of providing advanced life support. The paramedics can communicate with hospital medical personnel about a patient's condition and administer drugs on site under a doctor's direction.

"They're going out and they're saving people because that's just the kind of people they are," said Mandy Wardle, the fundraiser's organizer. "So we're trying to make a difference and make sure that they are capable to keep doing that."

Ultimately the volunteers are happy to help the community.

"It makes you feel good," Kelly said. "You're supporting your community, you're helping your community."