FIRE RESCUE ADDS BRUSH TRUCK TO SERVICE; THANKS U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE FOR DONATION

BIG PINE KEY, FL – Monroe County Fire Rescue recently added a 2013 Ford F-450 Heavy Duty Brush Truck to its fleet thanks to a donation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, strengthening the county’s ability to respond to wildland and brush fires in the Lower Keys.

The truck was transferred to Monroe County after the agency identified an opportunity to share fire suppression equipment with partners who could benefit from additional resources. The vehicle will be stationed at Fire Station 13 on Big Pine Key.

Brush trucks are designed to access areas that larger fire engines cannot easily reach and are particularly useful for fighting wildland fires in remote or environmentally sensitive areas, like Big Pine Key. The truck carries a 300-gallon onboard water tank that delivers up to 1,500 gallons of water per minute.

In 2017, following Hurricane Irma, Big Pine Key experienced a significant wildfire that burned approximately 80 acres of wildlands.

“This is a great example of agencies working together to protect our communities and natural resources,” said Monroe County Fire Rescue Chief R.L. Colina. “The donation of this brush truck strengthens our wildfire response capabilities in the Lower Keys and helps ensure our firefighters have the equipment they need to respond quickly and safely.”