BEND, Ore. — A beer delivery truck is probably the last thing on most firefighters’ minds during a response, but it’s exactly what a fire department in Oregon has ordered up for mass-casualty incidents.
The Redmond Airport Fire Station bought the modified beer truck for $1,200 to carry far more items than a normal fire truck could, according to KTVZ.
Designed to serve 100 patients, the truck came with a cornucopia of EMS supplies, including 80 long back boards for spinal immobilization, two fixed power generators to provide lighting and power away from the vehicle, gloves, oxygen masks, splints, IV fluids and more.
Prior to acquiring the rig, the airport’s fire station had a vehicle only designed to respond to 37 patients.
The Port of Portland had offered to truck to several other airports, but had been turned down.
“Before they could offer it to somebody else, I bought it and paid $1,200 for it,” said Redmond Airport Manager Carrie Novick.