PRESS RELEASE
RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRE
June 10, 2008
NORTH KINGMAN: The Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District #1 responded to its first structure fire since forming last week in the former Hualapai Valley Fire District. The district received several calls for a reported structure fire Tuesday at approximately 1700 hours, and responded with the Fire Chief, one (1) Battalion Chief, five (5) engine companies, one (1) ladder company, one (1) water tender, and a Paramedic Squad with a total of 21 personnel. Upon arrival in the area of Carver and Bank St., fire personnel encountered one single wide mobile home well involved with fire, a second single wide burning, and a small vegetation fire. Utilizing the accepted fire service practice of protecting the exposure or lesser involved fire first, firefighters quickly controlled the adjacent structure and vegetation fires before attacking the primary structure. An adjacent motor home was saved from any damage, and the initial structure received significant damage, estimated at approximately $60,000 for structure and contents.
Assistance was provided by Mohave county Sheriff’s Department, American Medical Response Ambulance, and Unisource energy. During the incident, fire personnel from Hualapai Valley FD and Valle Vista FD responded to two separate incidents without interfering with the structure fire assignment.
Several significant issues came to light during this fire, which was apparently started by discarded smoking materials. A nearby fire hydrant was blocked by vehicles and onlookers, and an uncooperative citizen interfered with firefighters. In addition, property owners are reminded that they are responsible for clearing weeds and debris in their yards during fire season and in the alleys immediately adjacent to their property. Failure to abate these hazards can result in rapid fire spread through native vegetation.
No injuries were reported, however at least one pet perished in this fire. The American Red Cross provided aid to the six occupants including two infants that occupied the primary structure. For additional information, please feel free to contact Battalion Chief Jason Scott at (928)757-3151.
Wayne L. Eder
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District #1
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PRESS RELEASE
NEW FIRE DISTRICT NAMED
June 5, 2008
Mohave County, AZ: With the final resolution passed by the Hualapai Valley Fire District Board of Directors, a new fire district in Mohave County was named today. The completion of the three way consolidation between the Hualapai Valley/Valle Vista Fire District; the Chloride Fire District, and the Truxton Fire District occurred at a special meeting of the Board of Directors, necessitating the naming of the new district. After discussing numerous possibilities, the Board of Directors decided on the name as the Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District #1.
The new district board is comprised of Jimmie Bodenhamer, Ed Schrum, and Gary Seieroe of North Kingman, and Valle Vista residents Victor Riccardi Jr. and Mike Neal. Jimmie Bodenhamer was elected as Board Chair by board members, and Ed Schrum was elected as Board Clerk. Wayne L. Eder, former Fire Chief/CEO of Hualapai Valley Fire District, and former Volunteer Fire Chief of the Truxton Fire District was appointed as Fire Chief/CEO of the new Fire District.
Several resolutions were passed to lay groundwork for the new fire district, including two annexations resulting in the addition of approximately 58.45 acres to the new fire district, and the authorization to begin the annexation of approximately 17 square miles in the area known as “Inland Valley”, north of the fire district. The new districts budget will be approximately $5.5 million beginning July 1, 2008, with a service area of approximately 65 square miles with eight fire stations.
The new name will refer to the Fire District, a political sub-division of the State of Arizona as outlined in the Arizona Revised Statutes. Each former fire district will utilize its individual name as a fire department, or a division of the new fire district. Tax payers can expect improved services from the new district as operations and services expand. With new apparatus on order for several areas, and continued funding from grants, the new fire district will continue to grow into rural areas of Mohave County.
For additional information, please feel free to contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151.
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
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PRESS RELEASE
Patti Lewis Purchases Training Site for HVFD
Valle Vista: As the Hualapai Valley Fire District has almost quadrupled in size in the last five years with annexations, mergers, and consolidations, the need for an expanded training facility has become a priority. The districts Valle Vista/Antares Rd. Fire Station #6 began receiving improvements in 2007 to serve as a training center, however it was quickly determined that the site would not accommodate all of the districts needs. Luckily, Hualapai Valley resident and former Chair Person of the Board of Directors for the Hualapai Valley Fire District began working with Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder to secure additional property. Through Ms. Lewis’s generous assistance, two lots of approximately 1/3 acre each are being purchased adjacent to the Antares Rd. Fire Station. A third lot is also being pursued to give the department an approximate 1 2/3 acre training site. Ms. Lewis made a gracious donation of $10,000 to purchase the land for the fire district.
“I fully support the current Board of Directors, Fire Chief, and our firefighters. I am happy to help make sure that our firefighters receive the best training possible”. (Lewis 5/08)
The existing site currently utilizes a pump testing pit for district and area fire engines to conduct annual pump tests; a 100’ radio tower to improve area radio communications for fire radio frequencies; a roof ventilation prop; an aircraft firefighting training prop; and a propane firefighting training prop. Once the property is fully transferred to HVFD, and appropriate permits are received, a structural firefighting live fire training facility will be installed. Currently, all of the components for this facility have been purchased and delivered to the Antares Rd. site and are awaiting installation. Future plans call for a helicopter landing pad to accommodate air ambulance and firefighting helicopters, and a training classroom. The Antares fire station will also expand to accommodate nine (9) firefighters that are being hired thanks to a FEMA SAFER grant.
“Patti Lewis has always been a strong supporter of our fire district. In 2005, she donated 1 1/3 acres of land on Stockton Hill Rd. for our fire station 3. In addition, she served as a director for approximately four years, generously giving her valuable time to assist the fire district”. (Eder 5/08)
This facility will not only benefit the Hualapai Valley and Valle Vista Fire Departments, but also the Fire Departments of Truxton and Chloride, as well as the Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire District; Grapevine Mesa Fire District; and Bureau of Indian Affairs Structural Firefighting Program in Valentine, AZ. It is anticipated that approximately 150 firefighters per year will be trained at this facility when it is fully operational.
For additional information, please feel free to contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151.

Resident Patti Lewis (L) presents a check for $10,000 to HVFD Board Clerk Ed Schrum to purchase property for a new fire training facility at the Antares Rd. Fire Station.as HVFD Board Chair Jimmie Bodenhamer (L); and Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder (R) look on.
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
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PRESS RELEASE
NEW CONSOLIDATED FIRE DISTRICT FORMED
May 7, 2008
MOHAVE COUNTY: Following 12 months of effort and planning, the final resolution was passed today bringing three county fire districts together to form one new consolidated fire district. The Hualapai Valley Fire District Board of Directors voted unanimously today at a special meeting to accept the resolutions passed on Monday May 5, 2008 by both the Chloride Fire District and the Truxton Fire District to form a three-way consolidated fire district. Property owners in all three districts, and the former Valle Vista Fire District which merged with Hualapai Valley FD in 2007 were notified by mail of the public hearings held this week in each district. Members of the public were invited to provide input to all three Boards of Directors prior to their decision to consolidate. Public comments were primarily positive, with several property owners asking questions at each meeting.
In order to consolidate, each District Board of Directors was required to meet on three separate occasions and pass resolutions to consolidate. Each step required a unanimous vote by the separate boards, and the signing of resolutions prepared by the Mohave County Attorney’s Office-Civil Division. The new District Board will meet on June 5, 2008 to name the new fire district, and to establish the basis for the new organization. The following are the statistics for the newly formed fire district:
· Area Served: Approximately 65 Square Miles
· Estimated Budget: Approximately $6.2 million (effective 7/1/08)
· Tax Levy Rate: 2.88
· Total Fire Stations: 8 with 2 proposed in 2008/2009
· Total Fire Apparatus: 16 Fire Engines
1 Ladder Company
1 Paramedic Squad
3 Water Tenders
2 Brush Engines
3 Command Vehicles
1 Utility Vehicle
· Total Personnel: 58 Full Time/20 Volunteers
· Estimated Population: 30,000
The new fire district will serve the communities of North Kingman/Butler, Valle Vista, Hackberry, Valentine, Truxton and Chloride. In addition, the district will begin annexing 17 square miles that made up the former Inland Valley Fire service area next month. The district will begin transitioning operations over the next two months, with the full transition to be completed in July. The existing Chloride Fire District and Truxton Fire District Boards of Directors will dissolve, with the new Board to be formed on June 5, 2008.
Proponents of the consolidation stressed the many benefits, including elimination of duplicate services, reduced costs paid to Mohave County, centralized dispatching and administration, and increased overall revenues thanks to grants, contracts and Inter Governmental Agreements (IGA’S).
After the success of the 2007 Valle Vista/Hualapai Valley merger, the three way consolidation appears to be a sound way for the fire districts to improve services while efficiently utilizing public funds.
For additional information, please feel free to contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at 9928)757-3151.
Wayne L. Eder
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
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PRESS RELEASE
Valle Vista Fire Department Awarded Federal Grant to Hire Nine Additional Firefighters
March 2, 2008
Valle Vista, AZ: The United States Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the award of a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant in the amount of $948,825 to the Valle Vista Fire Department to hire nine (9) additional full time firefighters. The grant was written by and will be administered by Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder of the Hualapai Valley Fire District, which merged with the Valle Vista Fire District on February 9, 2007. The nine new personnel will be hired within the next 90 days, and will be assigned to the Antares Road fire station in Valle Vista. Firefighters will work 24 hour shifts, with a total of three personnel on duty at a time. This will bring the total staffing available in Valle Vista to six (HVFD Duty Chief; 2 at Station 5; 3 at Station 6). The department was also notified of a pending award of approximately $116,000 for Valle Vista which will be utilized to purchase protective clothing, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, and an air compressor system to fill breathing air cylinders.
The SAFER grant is a multi-year grant, with Federal funds utilized on a matching rate for four years, with the participating fire department assuming all costs on the fifth year. The Hualapai Valley Fire District was awarded a SAFER grant in 2005 in the amount of $600,000 to hire six full time personnel for the Stockton Hill Fire Station. Departments that participate in this grant must insure future funding levels will be adequate to maintain the program after the grant expires. HVFD annexed over six square miles near the Stockton Hill fire station to insure tax funding in the future for the 2005 grant. Similar annexations have occurred in Valle Vista and Hackberry to cover the recent SAFER grant.
When HVFD and VVFD merged in early 2007, the goal of the combined Fire District Board of Directors, consisting of Jimmie Bodenhamer, Ed Schrum, Eugene Newman, Jim McCarthy and Patricia Lewis was to improve emergency services in the Valle Vista area and the northern parts of North Kingman. The Fire Board directed Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder and former Valle Vista Fire Chief Victor A. Riccardi, Jr. to begin improvements to Valle Vista to bring that department more in line with the existing Hualapai Valley Fire Department. Improvements in Valle Vista included the remodel of VVFD Fire Station 2 (HVFD Station 6) on Antares Road to accommodate paid firefighters in a fire station previously staffed by volunteer firefighters. The remodel has been ongoing, with not only living quarters added, but also training props, a fire pump test facility, and a 100’ radio tower to improve communications in the area. The fire station received full time firefighters working 12-hour shifts in November 2007, keeping the station open from 7AM to 7PM seven days per week, with volunteer firefighters covering the fire station at night. The latest SAFER grant will allow the department to keep this facility open 24/7.
Meanwhile, former VVFD Station 1 (HVFD Station 5) on Concho Dr. received its own improvements. The Valle Vista Fire Department previously utilized a mix of full time and on call personnel to staff this fire station. HVFD simplified this process by assigning six full time personnel to Valle Vista in February 2007, with two personnel on duty 24/7. In November 2007, the department committed to staffing this station with at least one Paramedic 24/7, resulting in improved medical response from this fire station. A former Valle Vista fire engine (Engine 503) was outfitted as a Paramedic engine company at a cost of approximately $25,000 to improve response capabilities to a variety of emergencies. This engine is now permanently staffed with one Firefighter/Paramedic and one Firefighter/EMT 24/7.
Grant funding is a major component of the success of the HVFD/VVFD merger. By obtaining grants, HVFD was able to actually lower the tax levy rate in Valle Vista after the merger from 3.00 per assessed $100 to 2.88 per assessed $100, resulting in thousands of dollars in savings to Valle Vista property owners. The Valle Vista Fire Department has received the following grants as a result of the merger:
· SAFER $948,825 (Nine firefighters)
· Fire Act $116,000 (Protective Clothing)
· Cascade Grant $6,000 (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus)
· FEMA/CEDAP $12,000 (Thermal Imaging Camera)
· BLM $18,343 (Wildland Firefighting Equipment)
· Homeland Security $125,000 (Dispatch Center)
· Highway Safety $25,000 (New Ambulance)
· Homeland Security $30,640 (Communications Equipment)
· National Park Service $100,000 (Radio Equipment for Dispatch Center)
· TOTAL $1,381,808
Construction of a new dispatch center is scheduled to begin this summer at the Concho Drive fire station, utilizing grant funds. Additional construction at the Antares Road fire station is needed to accommodate the SAFER firefighters and some of the new equipment scheduled to arrive this year. Antares Road will also be receiving additional training equipment, including a structural firefighting live fire training facility this year. Last week, the Antares fire stations driveway, parking area, and pump test pit were all paved to ease operations at the fire station, particularly in inclement weather.
The Board of Directors of HVFD is pleased with the results of the merger. Each month, they receive updates on the progress of the Valle Vista upgrades. With a new fire station to be constructed in Hackberry this year, additional resources will be available to assist Valle Vista from the north. One major project, still underway, is the assignment of an ambulance in Valle Vista to serve the Valle Vista, Hackberry, and Truxton areas. This project has been a priority for a long time, and if all goes according to plan, should be in service in 2008. This will significantly reduce ambulance response times in these outlying areas.

Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic Rick McShea (Left) and Firefighter/EMT Jeff Gilbert
Inspect Advanced Life Support medical equipment at HVFD Fire Station 5 in Valle Vista.

Battalion Chief/Paramedic Brian Davenport (White Shirt) loads fire hose with Firefighter-Driver/Operator/EMT Tim Langle at Antares Rd. Fire Station in Valle Vista.
The improvements in Valle Vista have not gone unnoticed. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) the nationwide organization that rates fire departments for the insurance industry to determine insurance premium rates, recently re-evaluated the Valle Vista Fire Department. The results are still pending, however Valle Vista was able to garner additional credit based on Hualapai Valley’s lower rating. With Valle Vista rated as a Class 6/9, and Hualapai Valley rated as a Class 3, it is anticipated that Valle Vista’s rating will lower significantly, with additional savings for Valle Vista taxpayers. The nine additional firefighters will also provide a significant addition to lowering this rating.
“HVFD is proud of the accomplishments made in Valle Vista as a result of the 2007 merger. We anticipate similar improvements in Chloride and Truxton as we move to complete the consolidation of those departments with Hualapai Valley this year”. Eder, 3/08
“We are extremely blessed to have received two of the SAFER grants in the last three years, allowing us to hire additional firefighters that we may not have been able to afford for up to five years”. Eder, 3/08
For further information contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151. Photos may be reproduced.
Wayne L. Eder
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
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HUALAPAI VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT 2470 Butler Avenue Kingman, AZ 86409 Business (928)757-3151 FAX (928)757-5316 “Arizona’s Premier Rural Fire Department” |
PRESS RELEASE
FIRE DISTRICTS TO CONSOLIDATE
February 22, 2008
NORTH KINGMAN: The Hualapai Valley Fire District Board of Directors voted unanimously at the regular Board Meeting held 2/21/08 to consolidate with both the Chloride Fire District and the Truxton Fire District’s. Hualapai Valley received resolutions from both of its neighboring districts, requesting a three party consolidation. This request came one year after the successful merger between Hualapai Valley and Valle Vista Fire Districts which was completed effective 2/9/07.
A consolidation is different than a merger in several ways. The process for a consolidation requires less steps, and consolidating Boards of Directors do not join the new district, but are eliminated, with the existing largest Board of Directors assuming the role of District Board. Hualapai Valley is comprised of a five member board, while Truxton has a three member board, and Chloride has a two person board. The consolidation will result in a name change for the new fire district, to be determined by the Board of Directors once the consolidation is complete.
To complete the consolidation, each Board must pass a resolution unanimously, after obtaining a certification from the County Assessor stating that no one property owner owns 30% or more of the assessed property value in any of the consolidating districts. This certification was received from the Mohave County Assessor on 2/13/08, and Chloride and Truxton both passed resolutions at regular Board meetings on 2/19/08. The next step requires an impact statement be mailed to each property owner within all three districts, stating benefits and negatives prior to a called public hearing in each district. After the public hearing, the Board of Directors then decide if the consolidation is in the public interest, and three separate unanimous resolutions must be adopted. Once these resolutions are complete and received by HVFD, the consolidation is declared complete, and a new fire district is formed. Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) Section 48-822 covers fire district consolidations.
Benefits of the consolidation include improved service to all districts, with a decrease in overhead expenses, such as insurance and other operating costs. Additional revenue may be realized by the reactivation of dormant wildland firefighting contracts held by Chloride and Truxton. While not a requirements of ARS 48-822, the three districts are in effect, contiguous, with intervening Federal lands connecting the three districts. This is particularly important as Hualapai Valley works to annex the former Inland Valley Fire Agency area of North Stockton Hill, as Chloride resources will be available for control of
wildfires in the Cerbat Mountain range which could pose a threat to property owners in the Hualapai Valley area. Traditional wildfire starts occur along the west face of the Cerbat Mountains and burn eastward, posing a threat to structures. With improved response capabilities in Chloride, fire personnel will be able to provide a more rapid response to these incidents, and reduce the threat to structures on the east side. Truxton resources will be able to assist in emergency response in newly annexed areas of Hackberry, as HVFD expands boundaries to serve the community of Hackberry.
With Mohave County currently reviewing a program to charge districts for services provided, a consolidation makes sense. By eliminating two Board of Directors, less fire district tax dollars will be spent on elections, and Hualapai Valley currently has an Attorney on staff, reducing the need for each district to pay for legal advice. As a joint dispatch center is currently being developed, Chlorides current dispatch procedures will be eliminated, and Truxton will no longer pay for dispatch services. Truxton pays HVFD approximately $6,500 per year for dispatch and administration, and those tax dollars will now be available for other projects in Truxton.
Since 2006, the Hualapai Valley Fire District has assisted both Chloride and Truxton in receiving over $589,000 in grant funds(Chloride $227,312/Truxton $361,978) this includes a new fire engine for each district. All existing equipment and vehicles will be retained in the existing districts, and names will reflect the different operating divisions of the new fire district, keeping Chloride, Truxton, Hualapai Valley, and Valle Vista names and logos on fire trucks.
The HVFD/VVFD 2007 merger showed benefits to both districts including reduced operating costs, lower tax levies, improved staffing levels, equipment standardization, and additional grant funding, all of which are anticipated in the new consolidation. The assessed value of the new consolidated fire district will be approximately $160,716,604 with an anticipated first year budget in excess of $6 million. The projected tax rate for the new district will remain the existing HVFD tax rate of 2.88 per assessed $1,000, or $288 per year for a $100,000 property.
New fire stations will be constructed in Truxton at a one acre site to be donated by a local property owner and in Hackberry at another donated site. With existing fire stations, and two to be constructed by HVFD, the total number of fire stations of the new fire district will be nine (9) with a contract BIA fire station in Valentine. An additional station is anticipated on a donated parcel once the Inland Valley area annexation is complete.
Chloride and Truxton are primarily volunteer fire districts, while Hualapai Valley/Valle Vista are primarily paid fire districts with some volunteer firefighters. HVFD will continue to pursue its ambulance service for Valle Vista, which is being reviewed in conjunction with the Department of Health Services, and looks to expand this type of service to Chloride and Truxton.
HVFD will keep the media and public up to date on the consolidation process. If you require additional information, please contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151.
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
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HVFD Firefighters train on operation of portable pump
(Left to Right: Firefighter Cody Moore; Firefighter Noah Glaza; Engineer Dan ZanDvliet; Battalion Chief Jason Scott)
NORTH KINGMAN: The Hualapai Valley Fire District recently placed a unit in service designed to supplement its ability to shuttle water to fires in non-hydranted areas. Engine 403 was purchased in December 2007 from the Ovilla, Texas Fire Department near Dallas. The unit, custom built on a 1991 GMC chassis by members of the Ovilla Fire Department is similar to other units currently owned by HVFD. The Fire District had previously decided to refurbish a surplus water truck when the Ovilla unit became available. When it was determined that the Ovilla unit would cost less than the cost of refurbishing a similar vehicle, and due to the fact that the Ovilla unit was being sold with equipment that would have to be purchased, a decision was made to purchase the unit. The Ovilla fire engine was delivered just prior to the New Year, and placed in service in January 2008. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) was asked to come to Kingman to evaluate the unit, and to accept the unit into the HVFD inventory. The ISO representative was extremely impressed with the operation of the unit, which is equipped with a 1,200 gallon water tank and 250 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) fire pump. In addition, the unit utilizes remote control dump valves that empty the 1,200 gallon tank into a 2,100 gallon portable tank in less than 60 seconds. This allows fire personnel to store water on scene while the engine travels to a nearby fire hydrant for filling. The engine is also equipped with two 250 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) floating pumps, which can be placed in swimming pools or other bodies of water to allow HVFD personnel to fight fire in remote areas. With other equipment, such as hose, ladders, and hand tools, the "new" engine is a versatile addition to the fire districts rural firefighting inventory. For a cost of $27,500, the department was able to purchase an outstanding unit, that would have normally cost the district in excess of $150,000 new. Due to the condition of the unit, HVFD expects to receive twelve to fifteen years of service from this vehicle. While currently assigned to HVFD Fire Station 2 at Able X Northern, the engine is eventually destined for the planned HVFD Fire Station 4 in the Statesboro sub-division north of Kingman airport. This unit fills a gap in the districts inventory for a water shuttle apparatus on the east side of the fire district. It is additionally classified as an Incident Command System Type 4 Fire Engine, and will be used to respond to wildland fires under contract with the Arizona State Lands Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Land Management. One of the first things you notice about the new unit is the large Tasmanian Devil cartoon painted on the passenger side by a Texas artist, earning the fire engine the nickname "Texas Taz".
For additional information, please contact Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151.
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HUALAPAI VALLEY FIRE DISTRICT 2470 Butler Avenue Kingman, AZ 86409 Business (928)757-3151 FAX (928)757-5316 “Arizona’s Premier Rural Fire Department” |
PRESS RELEASE
September 10, 2007
Truxton and Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire Districts Awarded Grants for New Fire Trucks
NORTH KINGMAN: The United States Fire Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced the award of similar grants to two local fire districts for the purchase of new fire apparatus. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is a competitive grant program in which fire department submit applications for needed equipment. Lake Mohave Ranchos and Truxton collaborated on similar grant applications through the Hualapai Valley Fire District to seek “pumper/tenders” designed to carry 3,500 gallons of water with 1250 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) fire pumps. The pumper/tenders are needed as water supply in both districts is limited, and firefighters must carry water to fire scenes on apparatus. Truxton does not have the luxury of fire hydrants, and hydrants in Dolan Springs are extremely limited.
Both departments were awarded approximately $205,000, and will be required to put up a matching amount of approximately $11,000. The units are primarily being designed for structural firefighting, however they will be equipped to respond to other types of fires. A firefighting foam system, ladders, hose, and ancillary equipment are being specified with both units. This unit will be the first new fire engine purchased by the Truxton Fire District since its formation in 1980. The unit will replace an older 2,500 gallon water tender which will be retired. Lake Mohave Ranchos will also retire an older water tender as a condition of the grant.
The 2007 Fire Act Program was budgeted at $547 million to assist fire departments nationwide. No more than 25 percent of appropriated funds ($136.75 million) are eligible to be used for vehicle awards. This made the competition for fire apparatus grants extremely difficult, with two awards to neighboring districts at the same time being extremely rare. These awards bring the total number of fire apparatus grants received within the past year to five. They are (with total project amounts):
· Chloride Fire District New Brush Engine $51,000
· Hualapai Valley Fire District New Attack Pumper $187,000
· Valle Vista Fire Department New Rescue Vehicle $100,000
· Truxton Fire District New Pumper/Tender $216,000
· Lake Mohave Ranchos FD New Pumper/Tender $216,000
Each of these vehicles will not only improve service to the community, but will improve safety to responding firefighters. In addition, new fire apparatus will support neighboring fire districts and departments through a mutual aid program.
“The new pumper/tenders will enable the districts to transport a large amount of water to fire and other emergencies when needed, thus improving fire suppression and reducing the potential loss of life and property.” (Eder 1/08)
Questions concerning this release, or any of the grant programs may be addressed to Fire Chief Wayne L. Eder at (928)757-3151.
Wayne L. Eder
Fire Chief/CEO
Hualapai Valley Fire District
Truxton Fire District
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