Navy Leverages Local Expertise, Saves Taxpayer Dollars with Innovative Fire Truck Build

To meet the challenge of protecting the vast and remote Boardman Naval Training Range in Oregon, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Northwest delivered a groundbreaking solution: a custom-built wildland firefighting truck designed to handle the range’s rugged terrain and unique demands.

The project, developed through local expertise and resourceful repurposing, strengthens fire suppression capability while saving the U.S. Navy an estimated $300,000.

The concept originated with Commander, Navy Region Northwest federal firefighter, Eric Wentworth, and NAVFAC Northwest transportation director, Brian Coffee. After discussing the need for a vehicle equipped to handle the unique terrain in Boardman, Wentworth told Coffee of his family history with vehicle adaptation. Wentworth’s father, a lifelong firefighter in Moses Lake, Washington, had decades of experience adapting and building similar trucks. His proven designs provided the foundation for a vehicle capable of operating in austere conditions and delivering water with precision at distances exceeding 200 feet.

“Providing the right transportation equipment to support safe operations of the bombing range and to protect Navy and civilian property is a top priority,” said Coffee. “This project directly addresses that mission.”

While conceived for Boardman, the effort quickly grew. NAVFAC Northwest’s transportation staff saw an opportunity to meet another urgent need at Naval Station Everett. Last year, the Naval station lost its heavy-duty dump truck to engine failure. With market costs rising and COVID-19 pandemic production delays, leaders sought a cost-effective replacement.

Working with the Navy Tactical Vehicle Program office managed through NAVFAC Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center in Port Hueneme, California, NAVFAC Northwest secured two surplus Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements—known as MTVR—dump trucks. Both trucks underwent service and inspection upon arrival in the Pacific Northwest. The first MTVR went into immediate service at Naval Station Everett, replacing the lost dump truck and saving the Navy more than $200,000. The second vehicle received a full repurposing for the specialized firefighting mission at Boardman, which included removing the dumb bed and winch, prior to sending the vehicle to a local fabricator specializing in custom tankers and water trucks.

“We took the best ideals from Washington firefighters’ projects and adapted them into what would optimally perform the mission at Boardman,” said Coffee. He credited the collaboration between federal fire department personnel, Grant County Fire District partners, and NAVFAC Northwest transportation staff for ensuring the truck’s specifications met the range’s needs.

The collaboration resulted in a state-of-the-art wildland firefighting tender with twice the capability of its predecessor. Designed to withstand harsh operating conditions, the truck delivers critical firefighting power exactly where it is needed.

“This is a big win for the Navy,” said Coffee. “If this model was replicated at other remote locations across the country, and around the globe, it could increase firefighting capability and save the Navy millions while reutilizing old vehicles.”

The project—from identifying the chassis in California to fielding the finished vehicle in Oregon—took just over six months to complete. Now designated as Tender-74, the fully-mission-capable vehicle deployed to Boardman on Aug. 20.

“This project was the best of both worlds,” said Coffee. “Vision, innovation, collaboration, and logistics expertise all combined to provide operational personnel on the ground the tools they need to succeed, all while saving the Navy hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is what makes our job rewarding.”