Donation funds new Big Mountain fire truck
Firefighters from Whitefish Fire, Kalispell Fire, Evergreen Fire and Rescue and Columbia Falls Fire joined the team from Big Mountain Fire and Rescue to fight the massive fire on Slopeside Drive on Big Mountain on Nov. 2, 2017. (File photo)
A Texas couple constructing a home on Big Mountain has made a $600,000 donation to allow for the Big Mountain Fire Department to purchase a fire truck.
Robyn and Mark Jones of Westlake, Texas, made the donation for the purchase of the truck and other safety equipment to the Big Mountain Firefighters Association.
The 2017 HME HAF51 Rescue Tower will allow the fire department to better respond to fires particularly with increasing building sizes on the mountain, according to the Big Mountain Fire District, which has recognized a need for an apparatus with an elevated stream following a Nov. 2, 2017 structure fire on Slopeside Drive on Big Mountain. The size of the fire and prevailing winds greatly hindered the firefighters’ ability to extinguish the blaze even with help from seven county fire departments providing mutual aid, according to a release.
Following the incident, the Big Mountain Firefighters Association began fundraising for a new fire truck.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous gift from the Jones,” said Rhona Meislik, Treasurer of the BMFA Board of Directors and its lead fundraiser. “The fire department must be properly equipped to fight fires that start on Big Mountain. Since 2001 the BMFA has worked to solicit funds to support their equipment needs. We were two years into a fundraising campaign for the truck when Robyn and Mark Jones funded the purchase of the truck.”
The Joneses are currently building a home on Big Mountain.
“Whitefish is becoming a very important place for our family to gather,” Mark Jones said. “We are grateful for the warm welcome we have received from the Whitefish community and appreciate the opportunity to contribute to its well-being. We wanted to make sure the local first responders had the necessary tools to carry out their important work.”
Ben DeVall, Big Mountain Fire Chief and BMFA President said the department continues to have incredible support from the property owners within and adjacent to the district.
“With 87 percent of the district budget going to our firefighters’ payroll, large capital expenses would not be possible without the fundraising efforts of the BMFA,” he said. “Mark and Robyn’s generous donation makes replacing our 1996 structure engine a reality.”
The fire truck is due to arrive this summer and the Big Mountain Fire Department is planning to hold a community open house to feature the truck.
For more information about the nonprofit Big Mountain Firefighters Association,contact them at BMFAMT@outlook.com
The Whitefish Community Foundation was instrumental in helping the Big Mountain Firefighters Association to complete the gift transfer for the purchase.