According to a report from Tri-County Weekend, the Elk Run Volunteer Fire Company (ERVFC) in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, recently received a “new” fire engine from a donor in town that has ties to a Long Island, New York, fire department that was on the frontlines during the attacks of 9/11.
The tactical rescue truck was originally in service with the East Farmingdale (NY) Fire Company (EFFC), located on Long Island. The vehicle was one of the first responder engines in New York on 9/11.
The ERVFC first made the announcement on its Facebook page three weeks ago.
The big announcement that we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve been in the Elk Run area in the last week, you might’ve…
Posted by Elk Run Volunteer Fire Company on Saturday, January 16, 2021
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ERVFC Assistant Chief Josh McAfoos said an anonymous individual in town had offered the department the truck, knowing they needed one, and the department accepted. as it will help to keep the miles down on the newer engine, helping it last longer.
ERVFC Captain Randy Wright said this individual donor often goes to auctions and has donated trucks to other local departments as well. The truck came with Hurst rescue tools and class B foam, which the department didn’t have before and will be helpful when the ERVFC needs to respond to fires at nearby Punxsutawney Airport.
The truck came from the Lick Hill Volunteer Fire Department (LHVFD) in Butler, Pennsylvania. When some ERVFC members traveled to Butler to see the truck, the LHVFD members shared its history with them.
The apparatus was used as a tactical rescue truck that only responded to building collapses while in New York.
McAfoos and Wright also said that, considering the history of the vehicle, the new addition will have a special place in their hearts, and EFFC members have been appreciative of the interest the ERVFC has shown in the history.
The EFFC had an image airbrushed on the truck’s side to honor the seven men who died that day.
