A retired Esquimalt (B.C., Canada) Fire Department 1988 Mack truck will see a second life in training, as it was donated to the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C., reports timescolonist.com.
The apparatus, which would normally be put up for auction, is currently housed at the society’s North Vancouver training center, according to the report. It was in service from 1988 until a few years ago.
Such Mack trucks from that era are incredibly durable, officials say, as they have few electronics, are simple to use, and rarely break down. Indeed, this apparatus is still in good shape. They add that the donated truck will travel around to remote, apparatus-less communities with instruction-giving staff.
The department has a history with the First Nations’ society, as it hosted a First Nations’ firefighter competition in 2017 and will be doing so again this year, the report says. It’s the society’s first fire truck since its formation in 1986.
The apparatus could have probably fetched around $2,000 at auction, but this way it will keep going for upwards of another 15 years, the report says.