During a Nov. 26 event at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Rio Puerco Field Office in Albuquerque, the BLM donated a 2016 wildland fire engine to the Cuba Fire and Rescue Department (CFRD) through its Rural Fire Readiness (RFR) program to enhance wildfire response.
The new engine, capable of holding 550 gallons of water, becomes CFRD’s second wildland firefighting vehicle.
“It’s like we’re kids in a candy store at Christmas,” said Mark Young, CFRD’s wildland coordinator. “Because this piece of equipment is fantastic for our wildland division. Up to this point in time, we have only had one vehicle and we have to guard it in case something happens right around Cuba.”
According to Young, the engine will allow Cuba Fire and Rescue to assist the U.S. Forest Service or any other departments that may need assistance without taking the department’s lone wildland engine away from the village.
“This gives us a chance to get on the scene that much quicker and be more efficient,” Young said. “This will be called a first response vehicle for our department, and that’s very important.”
According to William Briggs, BLM New Mexico Assistant State Fire Management Officer, the RFR program transfers surplus firefighting equipment to local fire departments near BLM-managed lands. The program repurposes equipment that is no longer needed by the BLM, ensuring it remains valuable in wildfire suppression efforts.
“With the acquisition of this truck, it gives us the ability to have a secondary unit in the event of multiple fires or larger fires,” Cuba Fire Rescue Battalion Commander Ryan Carter said.
Funding for the program comes from congressional allocations, with the average salvage cost for equipment ranging between $4,000-$4,500. A panel reviews applications from local fire departments, prioritizing those with strategic importance to the BLM’s fire response efforts. Eligible trucks are carefully evaluated before being awarded to ensure they meet the needs of recipient departments.
The gifted engine was one of three the BLM gave to fire departments in New Mexico. The others went to the Datil Fire Department in Catron County and the Bonito Fire Department in Lincoln County.
“They’re kind of a frontline response for us around Fort Stanton,” Briggs said. “There’s a lot of BLM [land] over there, a higher threat in that chunk of ground. So again, it helps them, it helps us, by having that response.”
According to Biggs, many local fire departments rely on older trucks, some dating back to the 1980s or 1990s, making these donations vital.
“If there’s any opportunity to help [Cuba Fire and Rescue] out, help out the (other) fire departments that we work with, it’s a win for us and for you guys, too,” Briggs said.
Briggs said local fire cooperators are encouraged to apply for surplus BLM fire engines through the RFR program in the future. He said this marked the first time the BLM has been able to donate surplus firefighting equipment to other departments.
“If interested in the program, please reach out to your local BLM District Fire Management Officer for more information,” Briggs said. “We are thankful for the committee that reviews and ranks all applications to aid in our selection.”