LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue has a new tool to help people during flooding emergencies — a Hi-Water rescue truck built from a military surplus vehicle.
The department acquired the truck for free through a partnership with Florida Forestry Services after recognizing the need for better water rescue capabilities following recent hurricanes.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with the Fire Chief.
"We recognized that after Hurricane Irma, and then again, after Hurricane Ian, and then the following hurricanes that we had after that," Fire Chief Robert DiLallo said.
The department converted the military surplus vehicle to make it work for the agency.
"We basically put the cover on it, and we put the bed in the back and the fold down ladder where we can put several people and evacuate people from high water situations," DiLallo said.
DiLallo said the truck is designed to reach people trapped in flooded areas south of State Road 82, where unpaved roads become rivers during rainy season. Unlike before, crews can now drive through deep water to reach stranded residents.
"We can go out there and run emergency calls and bring the people back out to State Road 82 and put them on in our ambulance," DiLallo said.
For DiLallo, the new truck represents more than just equipment.
"We're just super excited that we have the opportunity to have another vehicle that's going to help our community," DiLallo said.
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