Colusa bids on fire truck

When firefighters assigned to strike team assistance come back from fighting wildland fires, they are very often tired and weary.

The same goes for their fire trucks, said Colusa Fire Chief Randy Dunn.

Dunn said Colusa’s Type 3 grass fire engine has not had a break since being deployed to Butte County on June 21 – the second deployment for the 1978 fire engine in the past month.

Dunn said the aged truck is on its last legs and in need of a replacement – hopefully with a used truck from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“Our engine is pretty tired,” Dunn said. “It’s burning a couple of quarts of oil a day. It has to be replaced.” 

The Colusa City Council Tuesday authorized Dunn to bid on a used truck, and agreed to allow the fire department to borrow the money from the water fund to pay for it. The department plans to pay the loan back with strike team money received for responding to major incidents in the state.

The engine earns $56 an hour while in service to other areas. 

Dunn said strike team responses are already way ahead of the norm and he expects to see more deployment throughout the summer.

“We usually don’t get called out until August,” Dunn said. “The fire season hasn’t even started and we have already been called out twice.”

Dunn said the Type 3 engine currently in use in Butte County needs to be replaced because it requires frequent repair with parts not easily found.

“There are repairs that are still needed for this engine that will be costly,” Dunn said. “The last deployment to the Humboldt fire resulted in a list of several things needing repairs for safety purposes.”

Of course, bidding on a used fire engine is not the same as getting one. Dunn believes the city can pick up a used vehicle for about $12,000, but said the process is very competitive with no guarantee.

“It’s like winning the lottery,” he said.

Dunn said if the department cannot get a used truck from Cal Fire, the city would have to look at other options to replace the vehicle. The department has applied for a grant with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with its emergency vehicle needs, but that too offers no guarantees.

The strike team currently deployed in Butte County since June 21 includes Colusa, Maxwell, Williams, Sacramento River, and Olivehurst. Firefighters are rotated every five to seven days, Dunn said.