Hartley Fire & EMS is among first responder agencies in the Texas Panhandle feeling the strain of the prolonged drought and fire danger in the area. Now, they’re looking to the community for support to raise enough funds for additional equipment.
“Hartley Fire and EMS is in the middle of one of the most active fire seasons we have seen, and we are asking our community for help. We need to raise $160,000 for a new brush truck,” reads a letter shared Thursday, May 7 in a post on Facebook. “We have exhausted every grant option available to us. There is no outside funding coming. It comes down to this community, and it comes down to now.
Our current fleet is not enough. This fire season has confirmed it. Every call we run, we are operating with equipment that is stretched thin.”
The fire department has responded to major wildfires in the region, as well as other grass fires of varying sizes — sparked by dry fuels, strong winds and little to no humidity. As recently as Monday, May 4, crews were dispatched to FM 998 west of Hartley for a vehicle on fire that had also started a grass fire. The fire department said the vehicle fire had been extinguished by a passerby, but the grass fire was spreading rapidly in rough terrain. With support from multiple agencies, the fire was contained in about three and a half hours.
“You depend on us to show up when everything is on the line. We need your help to make sure we can keep doing that,” the letter continues. “The new truck will be a Ford F-550, built to match our existing Truck 735, so our firefighters can operate without hesitation when it matters most.”
To donate, send checks made payable to Hartley Fire to PO Box 32, Hartley TX 79044 , or use their online options on Cash App, PayPal or Venmo. The department said every donation counts, no matter the size.
“We show up for Hartley and our surrounding communities every single day. Please show up for us.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Hartley Fire EMS looks to community for support in active fire season
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
