The Aspen (CO) Fire Protection District is pushing two funding proposals for the November 25 ballot. According to an aspentimes.com article, the two proposals are a mill levy extension of 0.24 mills and a new sales tax of 0.5%.  

These proposals come as wildfire season continues to grow in intensity. Director of Community Wildfire Resilience, Ali Hammond confirmed that wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency.  

Fire Chief Jake Anderson shares that the district has not only seen an increase in calls, but increased wildfire mitigation is increasing revenues. The department lost over $400,000 in revenue this year and Anderson anticipates losing more.  

Mayor Rachel Richards acknowledged that the cost of these factors for the department will be significant but expressed some concern over the levy and tax. 

The also district points out that spending money now could mean not spending as much later on. By fixing overdue station maintenance, it will extend the life of building systems to save taxpayers money over time. 

The post Aspen Fire Protection District Pushes Funding Proposal  appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Dam B Volunteer Fire Department received a new brush truck on August 2. According to a kjas.com article, Brush Truck 24 was welcomed with a push-in ceremony by residents and members of the fire department. The truck will reside in Emergency Services District 5. 

The brush truck was constructed by Skeeter Emergency vehicles in Hillsboro, Texas. Marketing Director, Israel Bowman attended the push-in ceremony. He shared that the truck is customized to fit the needs of the fire department.  

The price of the apparatus was under $250,000 and the department was able to make a down payment of about $100,000.  

Dam B has seven vehicles total with this new addition.  

The post Texas Volunteer Fire Department Receives a New Brush Truck  appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Before deciding to repurpose a reserve pumper, departments need to scrutinize several factors—foremost among them is maintenance. Bill Adkins emphasized the importance of understanding the costs and extent of repairs required. “Is it going to be worth putting money into it?” is the starting question. Valve overhaul, pump packing condition, and primer function are maintenance priorities, especially if a truck has sat unused for a long time.

If a reserve pumper clears the initial maintenance and capability hurdles, the next phase involves modifications aimed at enhancing water-moving capacity. Soccodato stresses that sufficient intake valves and proper pump plumbing are foundational. Without multiple adequately sized intakes, a rig simply cannot supply large volumes of water.

• Water Delivery: Designing Rigs to Move High Volumes of Water
• Water Delivery at FDIC 2025
• Moving Water: Supply Lines

Both Adkins and Soccodato agree that turning reserve pumpers into water supply apparatus generally serves best as a stopgap measure. Budget constraints often prevent departments from purchasing new, purpose-built supply units. Converting existing reserves allows departments to maintain operational readiness for complex water supply operations without substantial capital outlay.

The post Moving Water: Equipping Reserve Rigs for Water Delivery appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

SOUTH HAVEN, MI—Spencer Manufacturing, Inc., a provider of customized fire apparatus, has released the Initial Attack – Stock build #1671, adding to its growing lineup of inventive and efficient builds.
The in-stock Spencer Initial Attack is built on a Ford F-600 chassis and equipped with a full-body pump. It can move over 2,000 gpm using Hale’s Qmax-XS 1,500-gpm pump.

This configuration brings big-truck pumping power to a compact initial attack platform—typically the first apparatus to arrive on scene. With a smaller, more agile body designed for rapid response in remote, rural, or wildland environments, the truck provides maximum water flow in critical early moments of a developing fire, enabling faster and more effective suppression.

“We’re proud to bring forward innovations like this that make crews more effective and better equipped to protect their communities,” says Grant Spencer, president of Spencer Fire Trucks. “Our best innovations come directly from the field. By staying flexible and truly listening to what departments need, we’re able to design apparatus that solve real-world challenges and help firefighters do their jobs more safely and efficiently.”

Features of the Initial Attack include:

• Ford F-600 XLT chassis
• 6.7-liter V8 diesel engine
• 19,500-pound GVWR
• Spencer Solid-POLY™ body
• L2/R2 transverse compartment
• Ladder storage
• Suction hose storage
• Whelen CenCom Core® lighting package
• Whelen Liberty II lightbar
• Whelen M Series warning lights
• Whelen M9 EZ scene lights
• Hale Qmax-XS 1,500-gpm pump
• SmartFOAM 2.1A with 10-gallon cell
• 300-gallon water tank
• Two 200-foot 1¾-inch speedlays with foam
• Hosebed 2½-inch foam discharge

The Initial Attack stock unit #1671 is available now for immediate delivery

About Spencer Fire Trucks

Spencer Manufacturing, Inc. was founded in 1986 by volunteer firefighter Brian Spencer in South Haven, Michigan. Nearly 40 years later, the family-owned company continues to serve departments across the country with purpose-built fire and rescue apparatus.

Known for its unlimited customization, flexible build process, and exceptional craftsmanship, Spencer works side by side wi