High water rescues in the flood-prone areas of Mastic Beach will get a lift thanks to a new Army surplus truck acquired by the fire department.
The rescue vehicle, purchased from the Terryville Fire District for $6,000, can ford through more than four feet of water, a capability emergency volunteers were in dire need of in the spring when two major nor’easters flooded the Mastic Peninsula. The vehicle joins a second one in the department fleet obtained from the Town of Brookhaven geared to rescue people and pets during storms.
“We hope we don’t have any more nor’easters or hurricanes like Superstorm Sandy, but if we do, these rescue vehicles will be a great help,” said Bill Biondi, department commissioner. “The new truck can get us into areas of four feet of water, maybe a little higher. If we get more flooding than that, we’re all in big trouble.”
According to the commissioner, using the relatively inexpensive surplus truck is “much better than sending in a million-dollar fire truck.”