AHOSKIE – When it comes to saving lives and protecting property, you can never have enough equipment.

Thanks to the generosity of Dominion North Carolina Power, members of the Ahoskie Rural Volunteer Fire Department (ARVFD) have added a vital piece of public service equipment to their fleet of vehicles.

ARVFD Assistant Fire Chief George Bradley says the department will use the truck to transport large equipment to and from accident and fire scenes, like vehicle extrication gear.

That new addition is a 2001 Ford 550 service truck. It was recently delivered to the department by Dominion North Carolina Power staff.

“It will be a big help because it’s the perfect size to carry important firefighting equipment. Thanks to Dominion, we can get essential equipment to the scenes quicker and at no cost to tax payers,” said Bradley.

Mike Doughtie, Manager of Operations and Construction for Dominion North Carolina Power’s Ahoskie District, spoke on behalf of his company.

“We’re glad we had the opportunity to donate the truck to the Ahoskie Rural Volunteer Fire Department, knowing they’ll put it to good use,” Doughtie remarked. “It’s a great feeling to know it will work to protect lives and property for our friends and neighbors in Ahoskie and Hertford County.”

As a native of the St. John community in Hertford County, Doughtie said he knew the donated vehicle would definitely assist the Ahoskie Rural firefighters in better serving their community. He also praised the efforts of Dominion North Carolina Power employee Thomas Ward, who is a member of the ARVFD.

“Thomas approached me a couple of months ago about doing something to help out the Ahoskie Rural Fire Department,” Doughtie said. “We truly are committed to giving back to the communities we serve. This is one of the ways we can do that. It makes me proud to say I’m part of that effort, but it makes me even prouder to say that we have employees like Thomas that are involved in the communities in which they live and work each and every day.”

As far as getting the new vehicle prepped and ready to add to the ARVFD fleet, Bradley remarked, “The guys can’t wait to paint it red and get the lights on it. A big thank you to Dominion NC Power for the generous donation and support to our community.”