SPRINGFIELD – Hurricane Sandy caused massive destruction along the East Coast, destroying homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. While the recovery will take a long time, a fire truck donated by an Illinois community will go along way toward helping one hard-hit New Jersey community recover.
The fire truck, donated by the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District (FPD), is en route to Union Beach, New Jersey on a freight train today thanks to a cooperative effort between the fire protection district, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and CSX Transportation.
Shortly after the storm struck the East Coast, Rutland-Dundee FPD Fire Chief Richard Thomas contacted State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis, saying his department had a fire truck they could donate. Chief Thomas was aware the fire department in Union Beach, New Jersey suffered extensive damage from the storm and needed the truck, but didn’t know how to get it to them.
Matkaitis contacted IEMA Director Jonathon Monken, whose agency has established public-private partnerships with several businesses. Monken contacted CSX, which made arrangements to deliver the fire truck to New Jersey at no charge. The 1984 Pierce Dash Pumper was loaded onto a CSX railcar this morning and is expected to arrive in New Jersey within a week.
“This is what fire departments in Illinois do, we help our neighbors in need,” said Chief Thomas.