Basin Electric vehicles find new purpose with a local fire department

When the time came for Basin Electric’s Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) outpost in Huron, South Dakota, to purchase new vehicles, the team knew they wanted to find a good home for their former side-by-side all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and utility truck.

Logan Rietveld, Basin Electric journeyman-substation electrician, and Tyler Horn, Basin Electric apprentice substation electrician, are both volunteer firefighters for Wolsey Fire Department, and they quickly suggested that the department could make use of the retired vehicles.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to support our community than by donating our retired equipment to a local small town fire department to be used for many years to come,” says Rietveld.

Wolsey, South Dakota, is minutes from Huron and services the area, so if there was ever a fire at the TSM shop, Wolsey Fire Department would likely be the first to assist.

The majority of calls to Wolsey Fire Department are for grass fires, so having an ATV with tracks like the one from Huron TSM is extremely beneficial for responding to those calls. The ATV can hold a tank of water and carry multiple firefighters through harsh terrain that a larger truck might struggle with.

The utility truck will be outfitted similar to an existing work truck that the department has.

Donations like this are just one of the ways Basin Electric and its employees support our communities. Horn says that when the opportunity to get involved in the Wolsey Fire Department came up, he didn’t hesitate.

“I have lived in Wolsey most of my life, so after moving back home and finding out that the Wolsey Fire Department was in need of new recruits, I joined,” says Horn. “I have always liked helping people and being part of the community. It feels good to be doing something important for the safety of everyone in the community.”