LaGRANGE – On Friday, the Troup County Fire Department asked the Troup County Board of Commissioners to amend the department budget to allow the fire department to buy equipment to turn one of the department trucks into a brush truck.

Brush trucks are generally used for fighting brush and grass fires in areas where it is difficult for regular fire trucks to reach, and depending on the design, can hold around 200 gallons of water.

“This is an existing pick-up truck where we would add to it and the equipment to make it a brush fire truck,” said Troup County Fire Chief Dennis Knight. “… It would respond to brush and woods fires and go places where the big fire trucks couldn’t go, whether that be off road or… across hay fields. It could be used in rural areas where the larger fire trucks can’t go.”

According to Knight, the county received roughly $14,020 in unbudgeted revenue from the sale of surplus fire equipment that could be used for the purchase.

The truck that the department plans to convert is currently used for tasks like transporting pallets.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners plans to vote on the budget amendment during its regular meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Ave.