Sacramento may donate fire engine to Walnut Grove's volunteer fire district
WALNUT GROVE — The Sacramento City Council will decide Tuesday whether or not to approve donating one of the city's surplus fire engines to Walnut Grove's all-volunteer fire district.
The Walnut Grove Fire Protection District has been fighting fires with its Engine 495 for about 35 years, longer than Warren Teteak has been a volunteer there.
"We have a lot of responsibilities and not a lot of money," said Teteak.
Teteak said they have a yearly budget of about $400,000. A new engine costs around $300,000, so getting it donated is a game-changer that could save property and lives.
Sacramento Fire says it has a surplus of fire engines and has already replaced the 2008 Type Three Wildland Fire Engine that it plans to donate to its neighbor in the delta.
"It's going to be able to carry four passengers," Teteak said. "It's going to have a larger water capacity. It's going to have a pump that doesn't leak."
Sacramento Fire said the engine it is donating still has life left in it, especially for a small department that may not use it as much, simply because there are fewer calls.
"The fire departments out here really need all the resources they can get," said Travis Sansing, who lives in Thornton.
Sansing was one of many Delta residents who were excited about the fire engine upgrade.
"I have my boat in the community and the restaurant burned down about a year and a half ago and if we have more fire trucks to respond, the more the better," said Julie Pearson, who has a boat in Isleton.
Engine 495's service in Walnut Grove may be at its end, but it does not mean it's done helping other communities.
"It could be transported over the border to a small volunteer department in Mexico, and they'd be as happy getting this as we are getting from Sac City," said Teteak.
Teteak said that in the past, Sacramento Fire also donated one of its boats, which has been super helpful in their operations.
Teteak said Walnut Grove is anticipating the donation to be approved and the new engine to be delivered by the end of the month.
