Photo: District of Spallumcheen

A retired Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department fire truck has arrived in Guatemala.

It's a long way from the North Okanagan to Guatemala, but that is the trip an Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department truck made after being donated to the Central American country.

While the retired ladder truck was too old to meet operational requirements for Canada, the truck still had life left in it and it found a new lease on life in San Marcos.

Faced with the question of what to do with a retired fire truck, the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department with support from councils of the Township of Spallumcheen and City of Armstrong found a great solution. Working with the disaster relief organization Amedica, the retired engine was donated to the San Marcos Fire Department.

In 1992 the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department took delivery of its first ladder truck, a 50 foot Tele-Squirt truck.

After 30 years of service the truck aged out of the fleet and was retired.

Working through the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Service Commission, Spallumcheen and Armstrong came up with the idea to gift the truck.

In May 2023, the donation of the truck was approved.

“The Pierce Tele-Squirt Aerial fire truck has served both of our communities well for many years. We are glad to see a country, such as Guatemala, greatly benefit from this donation,” said Armstrong Mayor Joe Cramer.

The truck arrived at the community of 47,000 people April 9. The truck was driven home to its new fire station that evening and greeted by residents of San Marcos the next morning where it received the traditional baptism of hose streams and was blessed by the local priest.

“To know that we can provide support to another community and region in another area of the world gives us great pride...this decision reflects how fortunate we are to live in an area of the world that we can be in a position to donate such integral infrastructure in another country is fantastic,” said Christine Fraser, Spallumcheen mayor.

Amedica representative Cpt. Neale Brown, president of Amedica said “the entire Departamento (Province) is absolutely thrilled with it and held a parade celebrating its arrival.”

Spallumcheen Coun. Joe Van Tienhoven was instrumental in making this donation possible.

The retired truck was replaced with a new E-One 78 Quint Ladder Truck in the spring of 2019.