PORTIA, AR – The Portia Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) is able to serve the community better thanks to the addition of a third pumper truck to the fleet, which will serve as the new main engine.

In addition to the three pumpers, the department also has a brush truck, according to The Times-Dispatch. The 1991 GMC commercial pumper has a 750-gallon tank and can pump 1,000 gallons per minute. The truck also has a deck gun, which shoots the water up higher, which will assist with fires in trees and two-story buildings, according to Portia VFD Chief Greg Duckworth.

The truck was funded through a $40,000 USDA Rural Development grant and a $15,000 Arkansas Rural Services grant. The city matched with $25,000, only $15,000 of which had to be financed; $10,000 was appropriated from the town’s general fund, while the remaining $15,000 was financed through Regions Bank.