Edgartown Fire Dept. recently collaborated with Bulldog on a custom Brush Truck Unit from Bulldog’s Brush Breaker fire truck line. “The Winston” was specially constructed to meet the needs for the Chappaquiddick area covered by the Edgartown Fire Department, which includes the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
The Ford F-550 4×4 chassis was first fitted with a utility style body to provide the necessary equipment storage. The chassis and drive line were converted to accommodate Continental 365/80R/20 Super Single tires. Fire Chief Alex Schaeffer selected these tires to allow the truck to navigate the sandy beaches, brush filled areas, dirt roads, and dunes and brackish water of Chappaquiddick on Martha’s Vineyard. Bulldog also customized the front and rear bumpers of “The Winston” for Edgartown. The front bumper was equipped with a winch for rescue capabilities, as well as turret and ground sweeps for “pump and roll” firefighting capabilities. The CET skid unit has a 21 HP Kubota diesel engine. “The Winston” was fitted with a 300-gallon water tank and 10-gallon firefighting foam cell. This custom brush truck has a pre-connected line for larger firefighting capabilities when needed, and is outfitted with two pre-connected hose reels. A custom designed rear compartment for backboard storage was added for use in remote rescue situations. The truck was also outfitted with open storage for easy access to long handle tools.
“The Winston,” part of the Bulldog Brush Breaker line, was designed to trek where other trucks cannot. The remote sector of Chappaquiddick on the island requires specialized fire protection solutions for this area. This specialty brush unit will take on narrow roads, fields, swamps, trees, sand dunes and beaches with the utmost ease. In the New England region, the Brush Breaker is often used in thick brush, sand, swamp, and other rugged terrain to knock things down and create a barrier for containing fires.
We would like to thank Fire Chief Alex Schaeffer along with the Edgartown Fire Department for their vision and collaboration with Bulldog Fire Apparatus on this project! We know “The Winston” Brush Breaker will serve citizens of Chappaquiddick and Edgartown Fire Department for many years to come.
