Cayce, KY Fire Chief meets Massachusetts Chiefs who coordinated tanker truck donation at 2022 FCAM Conference

The Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM) is pleased to announce that Cayce, Kentucky’s fire chief met two Massachusetts fire chiefs at the FCAM Conference, after FCAM helped to coordinate the donation of a tanker truck to the Cayce Fire Department following the destruction of all their apparatuses in a tornado late last year.

On Wednesday, 2 March Cayce Fire Chief Wade Adams met Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel and FCAM President Michael Winn in person for the first time on the second day of FCAM’s annual Professional Development Conference at the DCU Center in Worcester.

The meeting between the three chiefs followed the generous donation of a tanker truck by the Rochester Fire Department as part of Kentucky tornado relief efforts late last year.

Upon learning of the devastation that a December tornado had left in its wake in western Kentucky, FCAM President Winn reached out to the Kentucky Association of Fire Chiefs offering assistance. President Winn was then put in contact with Chief Adams whose fire station and apparatus fleet were destroyed by the tornado.

In need of new apparatus, Chief Adams requested a tanker to assist his department in rebuilding their fleet, which would help them protect and provide safety to their community.

To find a tanker for the Cayce Fire Department, President Winn reached out to all FCAM chiefs asking for assistance and the Rochester Fire Department offered to help.

The Rochester Fire Department, which had a 3,000-gallon 1988 FMC tanker/pumper that was in the department’s reserve fleet, offered to donate the tanker and a large diameter hose to Cayce.

‘Words can’t begin to express our department’s gratitude to the Rochester Fire Department for their generous donation that helped us in rebuilding our fleet following the devastation left by the tornado that struck our town,’ Chief Adams said. ‘I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Massachusetts and attend the FCAM conference as it gave me the chance to say thank you to Chief Weigel and Chief Winn in person.’

With the assistance of FCAM, the Rochester Fire Department coordinated the delivery of the tanker to Kentucky. The tanker left Massachusetts on Monday, 10 January and arrived in Cayce on Tuesday, 11 January. The tanker was transported by RYCO Excavation employee Jim Wiksten, who served for 35 years with the Middleboro Fire Department.

The tanker, which is being kept at a workshop at one of the area’s farms due to the station being destroyed, is used to protect the community’s 28-mile coverage area as the department works to rebuild its station and fleet.

‘Upon learning of the devastation that occurred in Kentucky and the impact it had on the Cayce Fire Department, we immediately assessed ways in which our department could assist them in their recovery efforts,’ Chief Weigel said. ‘With the support of the Rochester Select Board and FCAM, we were able to release one of our reserve apparatuses to help the Cayce Fire Department rebuild their fleet. Having the opportunity to meet Chief Adams at the FCAM conference and hear the ways in which the tanker assisted his department was truly an amazing opportunity.’

FCAM President Michael Winn added: ‘The Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts was pleased to help coordinate this effort alongside the Kentucky Association of Fire Chiefs, the Rochester Fire Department and the Cayce Fire Department. At the end of the day, the fire service is all about helping one another and that’s exactly what we did. We are exceptionally proud that this year’s FCAM conference was able to host this meeting as it allowed us all to come together in person for the first time.’

The annual conference, held on 1–3 March, gave fire chiefs from across the state the opportunity to learn about industry trends, attend presentations and workshops, and network with one another.

Approximately 400 fire professionals and over 50 vendors attended this year’s conference. Special guests included General Stanley A. McChrystal (ret.), a retired four-star general; Rick Lasky, a 40-year veteran of the fire service; Chief Gary Ludwig, the Fire Chief of the ISO Class 1 Champaign, Illinois Fire Department and more.