Two existing fire trucks at the Littlefield Volunteer Fire Department are now accompanied by a new 2024 Rosenbauer Quint, equipped with a 78-foot ladder.
The new addition – described by Littlefield Fire Chief Jamie Gray as divine intervention – came to fruition after receiving donations and grants from various sources and approval from the City Council in 2022.
“Because this truck is so expensive, and they cost so much, we were looking at probably not being able to afford one,” Gray said. “Without these grants and these donations, it made it possible. Otherwise, it probably would have never happened.”
The city council approved the budget for the Rosenbauer Quint in a special meeting on September 1, 2022. The council met at 6 p.m. and concluded at 6:18 p.m.
Mayor Eric Turpen, Eric Saenz, District 1; Michael Rangel, District 2; Buddy Holmes, District 3; Kenny Rucker, Mayor Pro tempore, District 4; City Manager Mitch Grant, Secretary Janine Butler, and Treasurer Andrew Eisenwine were present.
The item for approval was un- “Consider and Approve Action Regarding USDA Grant Program.”
City Manager Mitch Grant explained the resolution and application for the grant. Mayor Eric Turpen made the motion to approve the resolution for the grant application and to match up to $476,277, if awarded. Mayor Pro Tempore Kenny Rucker made a second motion. According to the city’s minutes, the motion passed unanimously.
Before receiving funds, Grant and Gray applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA. The grants, each worth $200,000, were for community facilities and Persistent Poverty.
The duo applied for the grant, by chance.
“This grant came about basically at the last day of the deadline,” Gray said.
After some research, Grant called Gray inquiring about applying for the grant - which needed to be done by lunch.
“We were just (working) like ants,” Gray said.
The City of Littlefield provided $460,682 for a total of $860,682, including funds from the USDA. More funds came from BASF with $30,000 and Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest with $75,000 for a total of $105,000 The grand total came out to $965,682. The current 1993 and 2004 fire truck models lack the features of the 2024 Rosenbauer Quint. For one, neither of the existing trucks is equipped with a ladder, limiting firefighters’ offensive and defensive tactics.
Now, the fire department can respond to fires or medical emergencies at multi-story buildings more efficiently.
“The new high school is twostory,” Gray said. “So, (if) you got somebody that’s on the roof of the high school – or First Baptist Church, or any roof – that’s having a medical event where you can’t just throw them off the roof for EMS, they can be taken down in a systematic way.”
Moreover, the fire department can now fight fires from various angles instead of just horizontally.
“It’s going to improve our service with an aerial application,” Gray said. “With performing an aerial operation of firefighting, you’re able to disperse a large volume of water down and on top of or project it out onto a potential situation.”
Additionally, the truck holds a 1500 water gallon per minute pump.
With these upgrades, Gray hopes to lower the department’s insurance service operation, ISO. This measure evaluates a department’s overall performance, with a lower score being favorable.
Gray said the fire department’s rating currently stands at 4, but it hopes to decrease to 3.
For all of the funding and planning that occurred, Gray wants to graciously thank all donors, City Council members and Grant.