The Big Creek Fire Department is upgrading its fire truck fleet with acquisitions from the Calhoun City Fire Department and the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
The department is retiring two 1960’s model military trucks, one a 5-ton and the other a 2.5-ton.
Big Creek Mayor Dwight DeVall said the 2.5-ton truck will be returned to the Forestry Service in Pearl. Big Creek had the truck in service for over 10 years.
The trucks are being replaced with a 2-ton 1984 International transferred to Big Creek from the Calhoun City Fire Department.
“We put all the equipment on it to put it in service – pump, hoses, ladders, etc.,” DeVall said. “This tanker truck will carry 1,035 gallons of water.”
The other new addition is a 2008 Freightliner purchased from the Forestry Service.
“We removed the tank and bed from the old 5-ton military truck and placed them on the 2008 Freightliner,” DeVall said. “Randy Yancy, of Vardaman, painted the truck for us, and Parker Brothers’ Used Trucks of Derma put the bed on. We bought all new equipment to put the truck in service.”
DeVall said the truck will hold 2,000 gallons of water and has a high pressure pump.
“We can use this truck as an attack pumper truck or tanker truck,” he said.
“All this took many long and hard hours from the Big Creek Fire Department members, but we are all very proud of these two units,” DeVall said. “This puts our little department in better shape to be able to serve the folks of Big Creek, Calhoun and parts of Grenada County.”