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AFD helps Texas Ranger Lance Berkman donate a fire truck to West, Texas
Rangers designated hitter Lance Berkman hasn’ t lived in the Waco area since he was about six years old, but when he heard of the devastation and heartache wrought by the fertilizer plant explosion in West, he told team officials he wanted to help.
Rangers staffers contacted West and learned that the city needed a fire truck and firefighting gear to replace what was lost in the April 17 blast that killed 15 people and injured more than 200. Berkman was on board with the idea immediately. The truck, which Arlington Fire Department Battalion Chief Bill McQuatters procured through a vendor, has Berkman’ s name and jersey number 27 on the door. McQuatters said the vendor, Union Grove, Alabama based Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, was the same one the department used last year to help outfielder Nelson Cruz donate a fire truck and ambulance to his hometown.“ It runs well. It pumps well,” he said.“ We got it here and polished it up. It will be a good truck for them.”
The Fire Department is donating nozzles, debris hooks, an axe, and at Berkman’ s request, is looking into air packs that he would also donate. McQuatters said it was easier to procure this truck than the highly specific one needed in Nelson Cruz’ s Dominican Republic hometown, where there are no fire hydrants and the roads are often unpaved.“ Hopefully we can do more” of these kinds of donations, he said.
Berkman presented the refurbished white and red pumper to city officials of West, Texas on Saturday. July 5, 2013, just before the Rangers versus Houston Astros game.
Another Successful Muscular Dystrophy Association Fill the Boot Campaign
FY2013 was another successful year for the AFD / APFF / MDA partnership. For the past five years, this joint effort has continued to increase the amount of money raised by our members for MDA’ s Fill the Boot campaign. This year, thanks to everyone who participated, we raised more money than 2009, 2010, and 2011 combined. Congratulations to the crews from 9-A for collecting more than $ 12,000, 7-B for collecting $ 8,000 and 7-A for collecting $ 6,000. The 2013 effort raised a total of $ 67,283. The money raised helps over 190 children attend MDA summer camp in Texas and also helps to fund 19 MDA clinics in Texas. One of these clinics, Neurology Associates of Arlington, is located in our city.
DUTY / HONOR / COMPASSION / EXCELLENCE
Working Together to Make Arlington Better.
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