Moran city fire department receives new brush truck

By Lynsi Musselman

The Moran City Volunteer Fire Department received a new fire brush truck from the Texas Forest Service on Monday.

Moran currently has one fire engine used to respond to house fires, vehicle crashes, and grass fires that can be reached from the road.

“We have an agreement to respond to any rural area fires within a 10-mile radius and to help Albany if needed,” City of Moran Mayor and Volunteer Fire Chief Steve Taggart said.

The 2001 Stewart Stevenson 2.5 ton brush fire truck will be used off road to help the department respond to more fires, saving rural homes and land.

“The fire department has been trying to get an off road truck for many years,” Taggart said. “Paperwork was signed with the Forestry Service for the truck a year and a half ago. This essential truck is a big plus for Moran,” Taggart said.

The fire department also received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Forest Service for a slip-on hose unit with a tank and pump.

Taggart said department members are in the process of bolting the unit onto the back of the truck.

The slip-on unit has a two and half ton water tank with capabilities to pump 250 gallons a minute with 40 psi. The pump can also draft water with a minimum of 12 vertical feet.

Taggart said the new truck needs a light bar, sirens, a speaker, and flood lights added. The truck also needs to be painted safety green to match the existing street engine.

“This a specific paint that is thick and can withstand going through mesquite brush,” Taggart explained. “We operate strictly off of donations, and money is needed to get these items purchased to properly operate the truck for fire response and rescue.”

Shackelford County and other area residents affected by the response of the fire department can mail donations to The City of Moran Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 97, Moran, TX 76464