The Board of Oklahoma County Commissioners awarded the Luther Volunteer Fire Department $375,000 as part of an American Rescue Plan Act project. The funds will be used to purchase a new “pumper tanker” engine, an apparatus that combines the power of a fire engine with the capacity to carry thousands of gallons of water to rural parts of the fire district.
“This will allow us to move massive amounts of water to rural fires,”
Myles Davidson, Oklahoma County Commissioner, District 3
Luther’s application was among 140 proposals submitted to the county earlier this year in a competitive process to allocate the remainder of the county’s funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to address economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luther Fire Chief Joseph Figueroa said this award and recent additions to the fire department’s fleet are “good for everyone.”
THANK YOU to the BOCC for supporting the Town of Luther and the men and women of the Luther Fire Department.
Chief Joseph Figuerora
The custom-built apparatus will join a growing fleet of donated and purchased vehicles to improve the fire service. Earlier this year, the Town of Luther purchased “Dolly,” a used heavy brush rig, in a surplus sale. Donald, a used light tanker, was donated by the US Forestry Service. Oklahoma County also donated a used wildland brush truck and a surplus engine formerly in service at the Nichols Hills Fire Department.
LFD is led by a paid fire chief and a squad of 16 volunteer firefighters responding to over 300 calls yearly. The fire district includes the Red Bud Power Plant, Historic Route 66, portions of the Turner and Kickapoo Turnpikes, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Line, and the Deep Fork River. Historically, the department has responded to major disasters, including tornadoes, train derailments, massive wildfires, and routine emergency calls.
Once funds are received, and guidelines are followed, the new pumper tanker engine could be in service in a year or so.
With the windfall of recent additions to the fire department, Chief Figueroa continues to work for more improvements as part of the strategic goals for the department. The next major goal, he said, is pursuing funding for a bunkhouse. The ability to house firefighters will allow interested volunteers from out of town to join the volunteer department and further improve response times.
Thank you, Oklahoma County!
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Notifying the Public of Rights under Title VI
The county operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, or national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with the county through direct electronic mail to okcounty_arpa@accenture.com.
