The new truck has a 400-gallon water tank and a water turret on the front bumper, which can be operated remotely by a volunteer from inside the truck.

Beard plans for the truck to be used as the department’s first-out, fast-response vehicle.

Established in 1974, Simms District VFD serves a population of 2,500 people over an area of 171 square miles.

Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, a cost-share program funded by the Texas State Legislature and administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural VFDs for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training.

The accident occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of South Barrington Avenue, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Two of the victims suffered critical injuries and two others have minor injuries, according to Humphrey. One person was trapped in the wreckage.

In giving the station the lead role in the parade, the committee is recognizing both the firefighters and the station's connection to the history of the parade, said Betsy Lafferty, a member of the parade's board of directors. The Towson parade boasts the distinction of being one of the oldest Independence Day parades in Maryland, with photos of the fire department's celebration dating to the early 1900s.

Michael Ruppert, one of four captains at the station, will march in the parade while, as the fire engine will follow, flashing its lights and blowing its siren.

The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. with a flyover by jets of the Air National Guard. The route runs from the corner of Bosley and Burke avenues, in front of Towson University, then heads north on Bosley to Allegheny Avenue, and back south on Washington Avenue. The parade ends at Washington and Towsontown Boulevard, only a few steps from the American Legion Towson Post 22.

With the aid of the Fire Museum of Maryland and the Baltimore County Public Library system, Lafferty found vintage photographs of the Towson Fire Company's Independence Day celebrations dating to 1910. In one, photos of political candidates hang from the firehouse windows and American flags are raised from nearby buildings. A combined horse-drawn wagon and chemical fire engine are getting ready to roll, as the parade is beginning.