Home Local News Hoffman Fire Department donates trucks to United Cajun Navy for disaster relief

Hoffman Fire Department donates trucks to United Cajun Navy for disaster relief

One of two trucks donated by the Hoffman Fire Department sits at the Marston Station before being driven to the mountains for relief efforts. See more photos below. Photos by William R. Toler - Richmond Observer

HOFFMAN — Two older fire trucks are on their way from Richmond County to Black Mountain to help in disaster relief efforts in Western North Carolina and elsewhere.

Volunteers with the United Cajun Navy drove to the area on Monday to pick up the trucks from the Hoffman Fire Department at its Marston Station.

“This is a worthwhile cause,” said Chief Frank McKay.

One is a 1985 Grumman that the department bought from the Aberdeen Fire Department, according to McKay. The other is a 1989 FMC, which is one of three purchased new by the county for the Hoffman, Derby and Mountain Creek fire departments.

McKay said the trucks were retired from the fleet about six months ago. They department tried to sell them and McKay said there were a few inquiries but they never sold.

After talks between the department and the United Cajun Navy — “a volunteer-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disaster relief and support during emergencies” based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to its website — the trucks were donated.

According to Ray Ortiz, one of the trucks will be used by the United Cajun Navy’s Rapid Response Team.

“For future natural disasters, we’ll be in contact with the local emergency command, we’ll stage with them as the storm moves in,” Ortiz said. “Once it blows over, we’ll go right in with all the local emergency officials, beginning to do operations for whatever that storm calls for.”

The other truck will be given to one of the departments in the mountains, but Ortiz wasn’t sure which one. However, it said it would be put into use “almost immediately.”

“I know there’s departments up there that need a replacement truck,” Ortiz said.

As a volunteer, Ortiz said he has been “boots on the ground” since the second day after Hurricane Helene devastated many mountain counties, “doing everything from search and recovery and search and rescue to supply drops” and making sure residents stay warm this winter.

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Ortiz, who is based just outside of Winston-Salem, was joined by volunteers Michelle Funk and Aaron Welling of Springfield, Missouri.

The two trucks, Ortiz said, are “a very sizable donation” for the United Cajun Navy.

“We’re very grateful, very thankful, ready to get them to their new home and get them in operation,” Ortiz said.

According to McKay, the Derby Volunteer Fire Department also donated air packs and self-contained breathing apparatus bottles.

In 2020, the Hoffman Fire Department donated one of its older trucks to the Tylertown Volunteer Fire Department in Hoke County.

Click here to read that story.

NOTE: This story has been updated to include the Derby donation. 6:05 p.m. 1-14-25.