Brush 24 was created using a retired MTV, or Medium Tactical Vehicle, that is on loan from the Florida Forest Service. This vehicle was used for US Army military service until being retired and ownership transferred to the State of Florida. Our MTV was manufactured in 1997 by the Oshkosh Corporation and is powered by a Caterpillar C7 6 cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine with 330 horsepower. Top Speed is 55 mph with a range of 300 miles.
When TIFD received the truck it was painted all white due to Department of Defense requirements that the vehicle be “demilitarized” before the State could allow it to be loaned out. The staff at Treasure Island Fire Rescue spent many hours removing the white latex paint and restoring the rear of the truck to a serviceable finish. Thanks to a generous donation from American Legion Post 158, the cab was wrapped in colors matching our other fire department apparatus with emblems displaying our respect for those serving in our military.
Our primary purpose in obtaining and restoring this piece of equipment is to provide an all-terrain vehicle capable of operating in flood conditions. This vehicle is capable of traversing standing water up to 3.5-feet deep. We have also equipped our high water vehicle with off-road brush and wildland firefighting capabilities as part of our loan agreement with the Florida Division of Forestry, thus the identifier “Brush 24.” We utilized a rehabilitated portable 9-horsepower wildland firefighting pump and purchased two, 275-gallon water storage tanks from a local supplier giving Brush 24 a 550 gallon water capacity.
