The Powder River Fire District in southern Johnson County recently received a retired field truck from its electric cooperative Powder River Energy Foundation Corporation (PRECorp Foundation).

Through the efforts of the PRECorp Board of Directors and the PRECorp Foundation Board of Directors, the surplus vehicle donation program is designed to assist rural volunteer fire departments obtain response vehicles that have been rotated out of PRECorp’s active motor fleet.

“As PRECorp retires trucks and other used equipment no longer suitable for active fleet use, we put those vehicles and equipment up for sale through an auction on the eBay site,” said PRECorp CEO Brian Mills.

In 2023, the PRECorp Board authorized offering one of the units back for possible donation to a local rural volunteer fire department (VFD). The Oshoto VFD in Crook County received a truck in 2023.

In May, the Powder River Fire District, Kaycee, received a 2017 Ford F550 diesel truck. Chief Mark Haines said the department already had a pumping unit ready to install onto the F550, and he expects the truck to be ready for service this summer. Haines said the donation of the PRECorp vehicle and the pumping unit (from the Bureau of Land Management), has likely saved the department about $300,000 if they were to purchase this brush fire unit brand new.

Commitment to Community and the needs of the communities PRECorp serves is one of the seven cooperative principles under which the company operates. The PRECorp Board considers requests from local fire departments for the opportunity to make a one-time donation of a vehicle. If the Board determines a surplus vehicle is available, it gives preference to departments who have project-ready equipment on hand. This would ensure the unit is ready for service as soon as possible.

The PRECorp Foundation manages applications from its communities and their volunteer fire departments who have an immediate need. Departments who have received a vehicle are not eligible to receive another vehicle. “While PRECorp will continue to sell and recover revenue from fleet retirements through eBay auctions, the intent of the program is to hold back a vehicle occasionally to satisfy these needs for the benefit of our member/owners,” Mills said.

PHOTO CAPTION: Powder River Fire District Board President Matt Carr, left, and Chief Mark Haines, right, present commemorative challenge coins to PRECorp Foundation Board President John Flocchini and PRECorp CEO Brian Mills, on the occasion of PRECorp’s donation of a Ford F550 to the department for fire response in southern Johnson County.