Tuolumne Fire District’s New Fire Engine By Darlene Hutchins
On Thursday, April 23 the Tuolumne Fire District took possession of a new fire engine. There was a unanimous vote by the Tuolumne Fire District Board of Directors to purchase this fire engine. Fire Chief Ben Oyarzo, along with Fire Engineer Todd McNeal, went to Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc. in Holden, Louisiana in October 2008 to begin the process of having the fire engine built. They made a return trip to Holden, Louisiana in April for the final inspection of the engine before Ferrara delivered the engine to Tuolumne. The new engine is a 2009 type III Pumper. The engine is an all-terrain vehicle, which will allow it to travel into areas where other engines may have difficulty reaching. The new engine will primarily be used for wild land fires in the county, but will also be available to be taken out of the county for fire assignments as well. The truck holds 500 gallons of water and pumps at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute. Chief Oyarzo stated, “Before the engine was put into full service a hose had to be added and the radio was installed. On May 8 Engine #733 ran its’ first call. Joe Turner, Chairman of the Tuolumne Fire District, stated, “This engine is an important purchase for the department. We live in an area where the terrain can be pretty rough with steep canyons and gullies. This engine will allow Tuolumne Fire District to better protect our town as well as be a valuable addition for our community. Photo by Bill Hutchins.
