LaPlata Community Fire Protection District
On July 17, 2025, members of the La Plata Community Fire Protection District picked up the department’s new mini pumper from Fouts Fire in Milledgeville, GA. In April, the department started looking for a new fire engine. We had decided a mini pumper is what we wanted, so we looked at new and used models that met our wants and needs and keep the cost as low as possible.
In June, at our business and training meetings, firefighters looked at quotes and pictures of the trucks we had found. We were in agreement that the one from Fouts Fire was what we wanted. On June 16, 2025, we took it to the district board meeting. Captain Aaron Pippin made the proposal for the firefighters, showed we had done our due diligence to find the best truck for the best price. By the end of the night, the board approved the purchase from Fouts Fire.
On July 17, 2025, we flew to Georgia to receive our new engine and a little pump training before driving it back to LaPlata. For the next 4 weeks, we were busy with driver training, pump training, and loading and mounting equipment. On August 15, 2025, engine 703 was put in service, replacing a 40-year-old pumper and on the 16th, ran its first call.
The truck is a 2024 Ford F-550 with a 4-man cab chasey and 2 air pak seats. It has a 6.7 diesel engine with an automatic transmission and a 1500 gpm Hale pump with a 300-gallon water tank and a 15-gallon foam tank. There is a custom-built box with roll-up compartment doors, two 1¾ inch pre-connect cross lays, one 2½ inch pre-connect in the hose bed, a 12-foot extension ladder, two 8-foot hard suction hoses, and a 600-foot 4-inch supply line.
Sunday, August 17, 2025, from 1400 hours to 1600 hours, we held a Housing Ceremony for our new Engine 703 and an Open House for patrons of the district and surrounding communities we serve to join us.
We would like to thank some special guests for joining us: Representative from Senator Cindy O’Laughlin’s office, Lois Bragg, State Fire Marshal Tim Bean, University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Institute Director Harry Ward (who started his career path with the LaPlata Volunteer Fire Department), and the City of LaPlata Mayor Dusty Sawyer.
FFAM
