Fond du Lac Fire Dept Gets 6-Wheel ATV

The Fond du Lac Fire Department now has a 6-wheel ATV that will allow it to fight fires in areas a traditional fire engine wouldn’t be able to get into. Assistant Fire Chief Steve Beer says they don’t get many calls for corn field or grass fires like more rural fire departments do. However he says there are undeveloped areas in newer subdivisions where the ATV will come in handy. He says it will also be a benefit during festivals like Walleye Weekend when sending an engine to a fire might not be practical. Beer says in the old days a firefighter would carry a backpack containing five gallons of water into grassy or woody areas, but that also put the firefighter at risk of getting injured. He says the ATV also helps them prevent injuries. The ATV was included in the department’s capital improvements budget this year. It was purchased from Fred’s Fastrac Sales and carries 80 gallons of water, has 400 feet of forestry hose. It also carries multiple extinguishers, a chainsaw and ax.