EDWARDSVILLE - The donation of a 1982 Pierce minipumper truck will assist one Louisiana volunteer fire department hit hard by the recent hurricanes.

"How do you repay someone for this? Our department could not have afforded to buy something like this on our own," said Fire Chief Kent Richard of the Little Chapel, La., Volunteer Fire Department.

The Edwardsville Fire Department will present the truck to Richard at the City Council meeting Tuesday night at City Hall.

Edwardsville Fire Chief J. Brian Wilson chose to donate the truck after spending two weeks in the New Orleans area after both hurricanes had hit.

"You can read about it and watch the coverage of TV, but until you see it for yourself, you can never really understand the full impact of what those people had to endure," Wilson said.

Wilson went with the state's incident management team to help the New Orleans Fire Department get back on its feet.

The donated truck was no longer needed in the department's fleet because it is primarily used for small fires and ambulance calls. With the department's coverage area becoming more residential and commercial, there was less of a need for this type of truck, Wilson said. The value of the truck is unknown.

Richard welcomes the truck because the department's 10-square-mile coverage area is primarily rural.

"This is the only donation we've gotten," Richard said. "It would serve the true purpose of what the truck is designed for."

Little Chapel is about 20 miles north of the Gulf Coast. The Fire Department has 12 volunteer firefighters and an annual budget of $6,200.

During the hurricanes, the department's station suffered as much as $20,000 in damage. Richard said all extra expenses are only possible through donations and annual benefits.

Since the hurricanes, Richard said the 14 neighboring fire districts have created an automatic aid agreement, which extends Little Chapel's coverage area to almost 40 miles.

"This truck is not only going to benefit Little Chapel, but each of these other departments also," Richard said.

For example, there are no plans to reform the neighboring fire district of Pecan Island, La., because its station, equipment and trucks were washed away during Hurricane Rita, Richard said.

Wilson said the donation has been made possible by the generosity of the City Council and Mayor Gary Niebur. While in Edwardsville, Richard's accommodations will be paid for by the Edwardsville Firefighters Local 1700.

Contact reporter Jennifer Kapiolani Saxton at [email protected] or 345-7822, ext. 23.