Brevard Fire Rescue Brush Truck Effort Wins National Award

By  //  June 13, 2014

saved Brevard County millions of dollars

ABOVE VIDEO: Brevard County Fire Rescue’s Wildfire Mitigation Captain, Ryan Sumlin, offers tips on how you can be part of a firewise community. Learn how to protect your family and property by better preparing before a wildfire strikes your area. 

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Brevard County Fire Rescue has received national recognition as a 2014 National Association of Counties Achievement Award winner for the success of its in-house building of 19 brush trucks.

Above are two photos showing a military surplus vehicle (before) and the Type 4 brush truck it became after the build. (BCFR Image)
Brevard County Fire Rescue built 19 customized brush trucks. Military surplus vehicles were purchased, top photo, and then converted to operational Type 4 brush trucks, above photo. (BCFR Image)

Brevard County Fire Rescue received recognition in the Financial Management category, saving Brevard County millions of dollars.

In 2010, Brevard County Fire Rescue identified the need to replace its aging brush truck fleet.

This coincided with a time when the nationwide economic recession caused operating revenues to decline due to depressed property values.

Tasked with managing the brush truck fleet, Wildfire Mitigation Capt. Ryan Sumlin and then Fleet Manager Tom Hare seized the opportunity to expand the use of free military surplus vehicles by having the department’s own fleet personnel do the full builds of 14 Type 4 trucks and five Type 6s.

Ryan Sumlin
Ryan Sumlin

At a time when operational efficiencies were critical, the uncommon practice of doing all the work in-house allowed Brevard County Fire Rescue to custom-build the vehicles to fit their needs while saving the county $3 million. 

The program is a model of how a department can manage its resources and personnel to produce quality products customized to its needs all while saving the county a substantial amount of money.

Brevard County Fire Rescue essentially tapped a new revenue source by using its own people.

NACO ACHIEVMENT PROGRAM STARTED IN 1970

The leadership of the fleet manager, who transitioned into a role where he led the fabricators in the fleet build, demonstrates how identifying and encouraging the staff to use their talents can lead to proven measureable results.

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Brevard County Fire Rescue produced its own fleet of top-quality customized brush trucks that will best serve the community. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)

Brevard County Fire Rescue produced its own fleet of top-quality customized brush trucks that will best serve the community.

The National Association of Counties Achievement Award Program started in 1970 and is a non-competitive awards program that recognizes innovative county government programs.

Awards are given in 21 different categories including children and youth, criminal justice, county administration, environmental protection, information technology, health, and many more.

Brevard County Fire Rescue recieved national recognition as a 2014 National Association of Counties Achievement Award winner for the success of its in-house building of 19 brush trucks. (BCFR Image)
A wildfire can strike at any time. Brevard County Fire Rescue urges homeowners to take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildfire occurs. Brevard County Fire Rescue recieved national recognition as a 2014 National Association of Counties Achievement Award winner for the success of its in-house building of 19 brush trucks. (BCFR Image)