Fire trucks are expensive. An A-1 pumper truck in Mississippi runs about a quarter million, double that for a custom truck. While there are programs, grants and state aid to help counties and municipalities defray some of that cost, that is still a lot of money for rural counties to put up.
To make matters even worse, sometimes fire trucks break. Decatur Volunteer Fire Department learned that last month when the computer in its 2004 truck broke down, a $15,000 repair.
But Mississippi is the hospitality state, and Duffee Fire Department showed that in style last week, lending DVFD one of its trucks while the broken pumper is in Louisiana getting repaired.
Now, that may seem like a nice thing to do, but I don’t think many realize just how nice Duffee’s actions truly were. Mississippi has some fairly strict rules about fire trucks. A department’s fire rating is dependent, in part, on the availability of an A-1 pumper ready to roll when a call comes in. That put DVFD in a tough spot of possibly taking a hit to its fire rating because of a bad part.
Additionally, Decatur is one of the more active fire departments in the county, providing protection to both the town of Decatur and parts of the county, including Newton County School District and the sheriff’s office.
Duffee’s willingness to lend a hand exemplifies the spirit of community and service to others that makes Newton County great. Fire departments can be a bit territorial about their trucks, understandable when dealing with a $250,000 piece of equipment, but Duffee put aside any selfishness to help others.
Thanks to them, homes, businesses and schools continue to enjoy quality fire protection and Decatur Volunteer Fire Department can fight fires without worrying about its fire rating.
If you see a member of Duffee Fire Department over the next few weeks, I encourage you all to take time to thank them. Make a point to thank all our fire fighters and first responders for their efforts. They deserve it.
Thomas Howard is the managing editor of The Newton County Appeal. He can be reached at thoward@newtoncountyappeal.com
