“It’s a six-by-six OshKosh, 3,000-gallon truck,” said Alvin “Cab” Bentley, ARFF Division Chief, of the new-and-improved vehicle. “The size of truck directly correlates to the amount of fire protection you’re supposed to have as determined by length of aircraft and number of daily departures.”

The new vehicle was received by Bentley and the Station 7 team on Jan. 6, 2026, with a price tag of $1.5 million.

“You need to be meeting the FAA requirement 100 percent of the time and if you don’t, it’s a big deal,” Bentley said. “It’s all about getting the people and crew away from that fuselage in the event of a fire.”

Bentley said airport Executive Director Richard Strickland’s vision to hire a full-time airport mechanic, Kirk Reinson, was a game changer. The trucks are driven 365 days a year and brought up to operating temperature on a regular basis.

EYW handles about three aviation emergencies per month, which can include landing gear issues, warning lights, or engine problems, Bentley said.

In order to ensure firefighters are properly trained and the trucks are in tip-top shape, the Federal Aviation Administration inspects and tests performance of both the team and equipment on an annual basis.