By LouAnn Cobb
Lyons News – October 11, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – October 28, 2013
Following a brush fire in August 2012 in Little River that destroyed one home and severely damaged another, the LR Fire Department applied for and received a grant from the LR Community Fund to purchase an additional 6×6 Brush Truck.
“The truck was a gift to Little River from the Kansas State Forestry Department in Manhattan,” said firefighter Rusty Ramage. The grant, in the amount of $25,000, was approved and used to make improvements to the truck that included most of the equipment on the truck.
Renovations took place at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility. Inmates provided free labor to build and repair the Brush Truck. Their cost included materials only, Ramage said. They painted the truck in red camouflage.
In addition to the interior and exterior paint, improvements included new seat covers, all electrical and the attached Little River Fire Department sign and fire department symbol made out of metal-laser cutouts.
A special feature to the truck included a remote nozzle, mounted to the front, that can be operated from the inside of the truck’s cab, allowing water to go directly from the pump to the fire. The truck also has a fire hose on a reel and a 1200-gallon portable tank that is especially helpful during grass fires when extra water is needed.
The new truck will be housed in Little River but used throughout Rice County as well as surrounding counties when the need arises, Ramage said. All firefighters have received training on how to operate it.
To help cover the cost of the remote nozzle, LR Fire Department ill host a Hog Roast Sunday, October 13, beginning at noon at Holy Trinity Parish Hall in Little River. The public is invited and a free will donation will be accepted. The meal includes the hot dog, beans, chips and a drink. Proceeds will also be used by the LR Fire Department to purchase water and Gatorade that is much needed when fighting fires.
During the feed, tickets will be available for a raffle that includes seven guns (rifles). Winners will be announced at the event.
In September, Ramage took the red camouflage brush truck to the “Go Trucks Go” Parents as Teachers event held at the Celebration Centre in Lyons. It was a big hit among toddlers, big brothers and sisters, moms, dads and grandparents, who all climbed on board for a chance to sit in the driver’s seat.
Hidden under that seat is a small label that reads, “This truck built by the inmates of Ellsworth Correctional Facility.”
It took a catastrophe to bring about the change that “sparked” the interest in pursuing a grant that could be used for the purchase of the brush truck. The new addition will offer protection to the people of Rice County and beyond for years to come.
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