This past week Franklin County Fire Chief Brian Brewer and Department Mechanic David Wilhoite delivered a surplus Fire Truck to Letcher County, Kentucky. The vehicle was removed from the Franklin County Fire Department’s fleet through their vehicle rotation program. Therefore, it has not been in active service for over a year. Previously, the department tried to sell the vehicle; however, they were unable to find a buyer after multiple attempts.
That led Chief Brewer to suggest that the apparatus be donated to the Letcher County Fiscal Court at a recent fire committee meeting. “The flooding in Eastern Kentucky was devastating, and in some of the communities, they lost all their fire protection equipment overnight,” Brewer said. “Fire protection is a vital service for every community, and the donation of this truck will allow them to have an engine for fire protection in their community.”
Franklin County Judge/Executive Huston Wells commended the Fire Chief on this initiative. “Chief Brewer has exceptional leadership abilities. He saw the need in Eastern Kentucky and he found a way that we could provide valuable assistance to our neighbors,” Wells said. “That is the kind of ability and foresight that I saw in Chief Brewer as he was working his way up through the ranks of our department. We are lucky to have a person of his caliber leading the fire protection service in our county.”
Letcher County Judge/Executive Terry Adams accepted the donation on behalf of their local Fiscal Court. They will assign the apparatus to a station in Letcher County where it can be most beneficial. The aging vehicle is still operational and is only in need of a few minor repairs. Therefore, it can be put into active service, protecting the citizens of Letcher County, almost immediately.
