Brockway Fire Truck
Brockway Fire truck.
This was found to be the number one local infrastructure need of the community during all of the meetings. Given the extremely dry conditions, recent history of fires in Montana and around the community the need to have a good reliable fire truck was something everyone felt critical. It would help provide improved safety and more sense of security for the community and the volunteer firemen. It would potentially help prevent a disaster from wiping out someone’s livelihood or home. The current fire truck is a 1954 model. The truck is a bit temperamental and only a few know how to operate it which is risky. It is in need of retirement.
To have a better and more reliable truck to help protect life and property in our community will help the current community members feel more secure and might help someone considering a move to our community to view the community more favorably. A fire could devastate a family and/or a business and plunge them immediately into poverty. The fire truck is a preventative measure to avert poverty and disaster.
A committee was organized to find a truck, help build a truck, raise funds for the truck. The total cost of the truck being purchased and equipped is just over $19,000.
Brockway will have a sense of pride and accomplishment by raising the funds in addition to the Horizons funding from NWAF. A 1984 Kenworth truck has been acquired and all the tanks and related equipment has been mounted. The truck is to be painted and newer tires and a low-profile light bar mounted by the end of July, 2008.
For a small community to take on an expensive project and to find a way to get it done has been a great boost to the community. In addition, another great fund raising partnership was developed in working with the McCone County 100 Club who works on emergency service needs for the entire county.