VALLEY MILLS, Texas (KXXV) — The Valley Mills Volunteer Fire Department is raising money to help save lives.
- The VMVFD needs a new tanker
- Volunteer firefighters say equipment has a lot of wear and tear
- A new tanker will cost $40,000
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“We were able to save a lot of the cattle that were on there," said former mayor Ray Bickerstaff.
The former mayor and volunteer firefighter for the city of Valley Mills said sometimes saving a livestock means saving a life.
Ray Bickerstaff said the fire department's five-to-seven minute response time to an emergency can be critical depending on the situation.
“Unfortunately, they still had to put down about 15 or 20 of the cattle but we were able to move a lot of them out of the way when we we're putting the fire out," said Bickerstaff.
But to stay on top of calls the department needs a new truck, and the expense can quickly add up.
“Expenses are a lot more than what people realize for a volunteer fire department, especially. we wear equipment out, we wear trucks out. We have to have things fixed all the time, and radio," said volunteer firefighter Mike Smith.
The new truck, a 3500 tanker, will cost around $40,000 but he said it will make a difference.
"One of the beauties of this, this is a very old Mack. There’s just a handful of us that can drive it because it’s a standard shift," said Bickerstaff.
To support the fire department, visit its Facebook page.
