Letter: Idea could invent firefighting equipment

To our leaders in the commissioners court, this is only a idea, but why don’t you look into the idea of obtaining a special unit to fight fires? In road construction, a special unit for wetting down the road bed is used that can carry up to 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of water. The units spray in the back but can be converted to spray in the front. Also these units can be driven on the road at 40 mph.

After converting the sprayer to the front, this unit can be made to spray up to 80- to 100-foot path and is very capable of working in heavy brush or rough terrain.

There is a possibility Midland County would more than likely be more than willing to share in expenses in a venture like this. Also I am sure the major oil companies would more than likely be glad to fund expenses for better firefighting equipment to protect their oil fields.
We have an abundance of water truck companies that would probably be more than glad to head out in a major grass fire.

Most of this equipment can be gotten at army depot or salvage yards — water trucks, dozers, low-boys, water pumps — and probably get it free.

If for some reason you have any doubts about the capabilities of a unit like this for fighting fires, ask the firefighters that have to fight grassfires almost daily if a unit that can spray a fire line a 1/4 mile long in approximately 16 to 20 minutes would work. These men and women are the ones who really put their lives on the line daily.

Hopefully we will not get to see a major grass fire, but the odds are that the possibility does exist. With two of these units on location, you could possibly put out a major grass fire in a matter of two hours.

Even the major insurance companies would probably be glad to help pay for expense instead of having to pay for burned homes tank batteries, well sites, drilling sites and lost of lives.
Just an idea, please think about it.