Filed Sun, Jul 17, 2011 by Scott Engle
Just after midnight 356 Volunteer Fire Department located near the
Trinity/Polk County line was lost to a fire. Fire Chief Jessie Baker
arrived on scene and was only able to sit at the street and watch as
flames consumed the fire station, the tanker , two brush trucks and one
rehab truck.
Other fire departments responded to the fire but it was to late to save the equipment.
This morning the volunteers are watching and wondering what they will
do to protect this small community. The only insurance on the trucks
was liability insurance. The station was uninsured. Unlike departments
in Montgomery County funded by tax dollars , these departments are
funded by donations. There are no paid staff. A lot of the equipment is
obtained from other departments as hand me down equipment. Fuel being a
major expense at this time pretty much depleted their already small
budget when the Trinity County wildfire erupted just a few weeks back.
356 Fire Department spent over a week battling the fire with extensive
fuel costs.
This morning Onalaska Fire Department made their brush truck
available to the 356 Fire Department for as long as they needed. They
will need new protective gear for the fire fighters, self contained
breathing apparatus for entering burning buildings, fire hose, fire
trucks and a new building.
http://montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/?p=29887
