Times-Chronicle Staff
He’s tough, rugged and boasts a tight turning radius, treading where most of his ilk cannot.
And the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) loves him. But they can’t have him.
Tee-hee.
Okay, they can borrow him, but Willowbrook’s got first dibs.
The newest member of the Willowbrook Volunteer Fire Department is aptly named “Hilly Billy,” a new water tender in service.
“We recently purchased a used water truck and our members made modifications in-house to allow it to be used in the fire service,” said Fire Chief Tony Iannella.
The department’s older tender no longer qualified for house insurance ratings due to its age, so the new purchase was necessary to maintain home insurance discounts.
“Through careful budgeting, money earned through a wildfire deployment last year, and some grant money, we were able to make this purchase without any increase in taxes, in fact, the budget was decreased,” Iannella said.
He noted the department now has twice the water hauling capacity to deal with local incidents, and it gives them the ability to help neighbouring communities when the need arises.
“The other benefit is that we can send this truck away to help with wildfires without leaving our own community without a water tender,” the fire chief said, noting they have a secondary tender in use.
Iannella stated the new truck was nearly completed when they received a plea from the BC Wildfire Service to assist them with the Nk’Mip Creek wildfire.
So, Willowbrook members quickly put the finishing touches on the truck and deployed it for the BCWS.
“The truck quickly became a favourite with BCWS due to its tight turning radius and ability to go where most other tenders could not, earning it the nickname “Hilly Billy,” which we have happily adopted,” Iannella said.
He explained that the money earned through these BCWS deployments allows the department to purchase equipment, upgrade trucks, and do repairs without increasing taxes.
“So, this is a win-win situation for both the department and our taxpayers.”
