The Blaine County Rural Fire Department has received a major boost to its firefighting capabilities thanks to the gift of a new fire truck.
The donation comes from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Lewistown, which recently updated its fleet and wanted to support its rural counterpart.
The new firetruck comes equipped with safety features and firefighting technology, which will go a long way in providing the Eastern portion of Blaine County and the surrounding ranching communities of Savoy with an essential resource to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies in the rural area.
“We are incredibly grateful to the BLM for providing this truck,” said Blaine County Fire Warden Kraig Hansen. “There's a lot of BLM to the North of Highway Two, and there's a lot of BLM to the south. And this structure will be going both directions. We have farmers and ranchers down there that are willing to go to pretty much any fire we have. So, all we got to do is call them.”
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The fire department serves a smaller community and countryside where resources and funding are limited. The Bureau of Land Management recognized this need.
Sawyer Kindle, a BLM assistant engine captain, said, "Resources are hard to come by and they can be fairly expensive. So if we can donate something old of ours, I think it's very beneficial for us to help the folks who are more local than some of us can be. It's nice to have that collaboration."
The Blaine County Rural Fire Department plans to put the fire truck into service immediately, and has expressed appreciation for the donation, acknowledging the positive impact it will have on emergency response.
Among the communities in Blaine County: Chinook, Harlem, Fort Belknap Agency, Hays, Lodge Pole, Turner, Zurich, Lloyd, and Savoy.
