Bush buggies, rapid attack or wildland units are all names used for the same thing, Type 4 engines now in use at four of the fire departments in the County of Lethbridge region.
County Fire Chief Darryl Beaton said technically the trucks, armed with water tanks and firefighting equipment, are a type of engine but they are commonly known by other names depending on the department.
The county recently completed a three years program to equip local fire departments with the units.
Coalhurst’s has been in use for about two years while Nobleford, who just got their unit four months ago, was joined by Picture Butte and Coaldale this month.
The units have anywhere from 200 to 500 gallon tanks and three of the units are high pressure, able to send out 10 gallons a minute.
“We’re cost sharing with each of the municipalities,” said Beaton.
The units range in price from $75,000 to $95,000 and the County of Lethbridge is cost sharing on a 75-25 split. Given that most of the grass fires occur in the county, the majority of the cost was covered by the county.
“We have a greater need to fight grass fires in the county.”
The engines are a lighter version of their larger counterparts and can quickly move into fields and ditches in order to fight grass fires.
“You can take them off road,” said Picture Butte Fire Chief Sam West.
“With all the snow and rain we’ve had you’d never get a big truck off road,” said Coaldale Chief Andy Van Rijn.
Mat Conte, fire chief in Coalhurst, said last year with the wet conditions the lighter weight engine was ideal for grass fires.
Van Rijn said the Coaldale fire department also uses their unit to respond to vehicle collisions and other emergency calls such as medical response when an additional unit is required and needs to be quickly on the scene.
In addition to the wildland units, the county has also provided two water tankers for back up water supply in the county, one for north of the river and one for south of the river.
“This is our primary fleet for grass and wildland fires,” said Beaton.
The addition of the wildland units was a component of the county’s 20 year capital replacement plan.
The county is currently working on a new fire services agreement with Coalhurst, having finalized a new agreement with Picture Butte which went into affect in January.
Last year the county signed a new agreement with Nobleford and will soon be working on a new agreement with Coaldale, as the current agreement expires at the end of the year.
The 2006 agreement with Coaldale served as a template for the other departments.
Beaton said under the agreements there is a regular schedule for equipment and vehicle replacement.
“Now we’re on a schedule where we replace before it gets too old.”
He said what makes the agreements work is the willingness of the municipalities to work together.
“This wouldn’t be happening if there wasn’t cooperation between neighbours.”
Ironically the new wildland units are going into service at a time when the grass fire threat is actually fairly low but the fire chiefs warn that could change rapidly as the weather warms up and the wind starts to blow.
Local residents are reminded to use precaution when burning.