Maryland Fire Company Donates Engine To Firehouse Destroyed By Kentucky Tornadoes

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ) -- The season of giving is far from over for Reese Volunteer Fire Company, which is about to make a charitable donation for the greater good after a tornado devastated a fire station in Kentucky a few weeks ago.

Capt. Ken Hyde Sr, spokesman for the Reese Volunteer Fire Company, said they were trying to sell their pumper, Engine 92, for the last six months. They had replaced the older engine, which held 1000 gallons of water, with a newer model that holds 2,000 gallons. Nobody was buying the apparatus so they decided to donate it instead.

"Once the tornado hit Kentucky some of the board members started talking about maybe we should do something else with it," Hyde said. He got in touch with a fire chief in Fulton County, whose station was leveled in the storm, all vehicles crushed and destroyed.

They discussed donating the truck, and the rest is history.

"We realize the fire department is a brotherhood and if something catastrophic like this happened to us, we would hope somebody to help us in the same way and take care of our company in the way we were trying to take care of the one in Fulton County," Hyde said, as they made preparations to ship the pumper out on Thursday.

Local businesses and at least a dozen other volunteer fire companies all chipped in to help with the cost of fuel, shipping and more. They will be having a 'send-off' party Wednesday night before the big departure on Thursday.

In:
• Carroll County