Slideshow: Bartlett VFD transform military vehicle in fire truck

A military transport truck was transformed into a fire truck for the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department.

The 1990 BMY military transport truck was given to the department through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program.

“We had to completely sandblast and repaint the truck,” Bartlett VFD Chief Steven Wentrcek said. “We sent it to a local welding shop and they did the railing, front bumper, tail board and roll bar. We also added storage and a tank so we can use it as a tanker for [both] structure fires and wildland fires.”

The Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program donated $20,000 in order for the department to get the vehicle. A bumper turret was also donated by Mason Turkey Farms.

The skid unit has a 30 gallon foam tank, a 300 gallon per minute pump and a dump valve. The bumper turret is a device that is mounted on the bumper which mimics the motions of a firefighter holding and moving a hose and is designed for wildland firefighting.

The truck has already been beneficial in responding to requests for assistance with flooding. Last weekend, the Bartlett VFD was called on for mutual aid to two high water rescues in Milam County.

“We had nine inches of rain in four hours and our local crossings had 3 to 4 feet of water,” Chief Wentrcek said. “Getting a call for this truck specifically was very rewarding for our department’s volunteers who dedicated so much of their time in converting it into a firefighting vehicle.”