We have at long last the newest addition to our fire fighting apparatus; our BRAND NEW Type 6 engine! This marks the first time our department has ever had a new engine and it will soon inherit the E5446 designator from our hard working 2001 Ford 450.
Originally announced by State District 1 Senator Mark McQuire back in August of 2023, $2m in State funding was allocated to purchase 10 new Type 6 engines for volunteer fire departments including Briceland, Garberville, Palo Verde, Telegraph Ridge, and Whitethorn in southern Humboldt as well as Covelo, Laytonville, Leggett, Piercy and Westport in northern Mendocino county.
Local news outlet Kym Kemp covered this story most recently in February when our neighbors in Telegraph Ridge received theirs. Although the grant funding and build out process took quite some time, it didn’t take long to get a call to action. As C5400 was en route from Oregon with the truck just entering the Briceland Fire District for the first time, an emergency medical situation unfolded and, before ever being stowed away at our Fire Station, it was in service responding code 3.