Morongo Valley Fire Dept. using crowdfunding to buy new fire engine
The Morongo Valley Fire Department is looking to raise $500,000 on a GoFundMe site to purchase a new fire engine.
Their current main fire engine is more than 10 years old and upkeep on the engine has become too expensive.
“We are in extreme fire danger here due to the fact that we have the winds that come up through the valley, the Santa Ana’s that come up, and also our terrain here, if you look around our mountains this engine won’t get up some of our roads,” says Jock Johnson, Fire Chief for the Morongo Valley Fire Department.
The department wants to buy a four wheel drive fire engine with a strong chassis. The current truck only has two wheel drive.
With only around 3,500 people living is Morongo Valley, there is a very low tax base. That’s why the fire department launched a GoFundMe page to get the cash they need.
“Our little community can’t fund this big giant engine, but the people who drive on this highway are really from out of the community, it’s the Marines going to the base, it’s the people going to the national park. It’s the bird watchers going to Morongo,” says Donna Munoz, General Manager of Morongo Valley Community Services.
They are hoping to raise the money by Christmas.