Medicine Bow turns down free truck

The Medicine Bow Town Council decided not to accept the free fire truck offered from the Carbon County Commission Monday evening.

Council members had a special meeting to discuss whether or not they would accept a 1990 Pierce Pumper firetruck, which the Carbon County Commission agreed to offer the town of Medicine Bow for free. The offered truck was one of the county’s older trucks from Hanna.

Commission members were not present at the meeting, which took place at Medicine Bow Community Hall. As part of this fiscal year’s budget cuts in Carbon County, county commissioners and Carbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford agreed to withdraw support from the Medicine Bow Fire Department, which used both its own equipment and county fire equipment.

The county equipment was taken from the Medicine Bow Fire Department June 22, with the equipment to be redistributed among other departments while other pieces will be sold.

Councilwoman Kenda Colman said she felt the offered two-wheel-drive truck used by Hanna, which she said was originally for sale, was not a necessary addition for Medicine Bow’s two other firetrucks. The town’s two trucks include a 2009 Pierce truck and rebuilt 1979 E-ONE truck, according to Colman.

“It’s not equipment we need to benefit us,” she said. “We also don’t know of what strings are attached with the commissioners giving us an additional vehicle, we don’t know what comes with it. Mr. Rutherford can sell the truck or give it to another municipality.”

When compared to the town’s newer truck already in use, Council member Shane Blakeman said he did not feel the 23-year-old offered truck had large enough tank capabilities for holding water.

“With a 1990 fire truck that holds 500 gallons, what’s it going to do for us anyway?” he said. “All we’re going to do is insure something we can’t really utilize. I don’t see any gain from that.”

Mayor Kevin Colman said the offered truck from the Hanna department would be replaced with an updated, better-equipped model. He noted its similarity to the 2009 truck that Medicine Bow already has.

“They will be replacing it with a wildland based version, sort of like the truck we already have, with four-wheel drive capabilities and dual monitoring stations,” he said. “When you think about it, we already have a truck that has more capabilities than the one they’re offering.”