A Sandy Hook, KY, Fire Department was damaged badly when it rolled into a ditch last week while responding to a house fire, according to a report published by WSAZ News Channel 3.
The report said the shoulder of a dirt road collapsed, causing the pumper to roll on the driver’s side into the ditch. No injuries were reported, the television station said.
The impact crushed the cab, the drivers’ door and may have ruptured the tank, according to the report.
Compounding matters the fire department was already down a fire truck due to engine failure, the television station reported, adding that the loss of two trucks reduces the pumpers by 50 percent which could effect response times.
The department’s total budget is only $26,000 annually from which all expenses must be met, leaving no funds to repair the damaged vehicles and none to find a used replacement, which could cost up to $30,000, according to the report.
The department plans on looking for grants to help replace or repair the apparatus, the station reported.
