By George Slaughter
The Katy Fire Department added a new truck to its fleet Monday—and at a big discount, too.
The truck, a light medium tactical vehicle (LMTV), was built at the BAE Systems plant in Sealy. It has a 2.5-ton capacity and can be used to carry people and cargo. It has less than 3,000 miles on it.
These trucks have been used in the recent hurricane recovery efforts.
According to Military.com, this type of vehicle is the “U.S. Army’s primary set of strategically deployable vehicles that perform general resupply, ammunition resupply, maintenance and recovery, and engineer support missions.”
Today, the Oshkosh Corporation builds the trucks.
Katy’s new light medium tactical vehicle (LMTV) on display outside City Hall Monday night. (George Slaughter photo)
Upon learning that the federal government had four such trucks in surplus and were selling them at a significant discount, Fire Chief Russell Wilson and Assistant Fire Chief Kenneth Parker left for San Antonio early Monday morning to purchase a truck.
They got a good deal, paying only a four-figure price for a truck that sells for six figures.
Parker drove the truck back to Katy yesterday afternoon. Along the way, a call came from Mayor Chuck Brawner, who favored the purchase. If the trucks were that inexpensive, could a second one be purchased?
Unfortunately, the answer was no. The others had been purchased, including one for The Woodlands.
Wilson said discussion is ongoing about whether the city will repaint the vehicle. In any event, emergency light and the city seal will be placed on it as it is with other emergency vehicles. The vehicle is expected to be kept behind Fire Station #1, 1417 Avenue D.