HEPBURNVILLE, Pa. — A fire truck sits outside the Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Company near Hepburnville. The engine will be filled with fire equipment and driven to first responders in Burnsville, North Carolina.
"Working with the North Carolina fire marshal's office they determined that they have the need for an apparatus and we decided we're gonna donate it, the township was gracious enough two years ago to donate this engine to us so we're returning the favor and donating it down to a department that lost everything," said Nathan Confer, Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief.
A message went out to fire chiefs throughout Lycoming County asking them to help. Some chiefs responded that they had equipment to go with the apparatus. Items will be filled up on Saturday at Picture Rocks Volunteer Fire Company. The fire company is also donating some fire hose.
"Old Lycoming fire department they're working on possibly donating all of their hurst extrication equipment to go with it, and there's a couple other departments that haven't gotten back to me yet but they're looking to also donate and ground shaker is a transportation company here local, they're donating their time, the equipment, everything to transport this down for us to north carolina for free," said Fire Chief Confer.
Nathan Confer, Fire Chief at Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Company, says the fire department is a big brother and sisterhood. If someone needs something, others will step in to help. Confer also says sometimes, during major floods, fire departments are overlooked when it comes to losing items.
"Just as much as any of the other residents in the towns, and this is something we can do to help them get back on their feet to provide the service that they are dedicated to do."
Fire departments in North Carolina who lost everything lose the ability to help out their communities.
"With the apparatus going down there with the equipment on it, it just gives that back to them that they're able to go do the job that they signed up to do, protect the community that they so much love," said Fire Chief Confer.
Three members of the Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Company will be leaving for North Carolina Tuesday morning to drive down the engine and fire equipment.