May 6, 2026
A Custom Flatbed Truck Made for Emergency Response
Firefighters respond to more than buildings. Check out this custom Knapheide platform body with added compartments and gear that help crews handle brush fires, field fires, and other emergencies.
When Tri-Township Fire Department responds to a brush or field fire, every second counts.
“You may have a field fire that’s burning and threatening livestock. It might be threatening a farm building. It might be a threatening farm equipment,” said Tri-Township Lt. Kyle Dixon. “That’s stuff that helps people in the community make a living. It’s our job to be able to provide a quick and rapid response to help mitigate those types of emergencies.”
In West-Central Illinois, Tri-Township’s Ford F-550 Super Duty multipurpose truck complete with a customized Knapheide platform body and toolboxes now responds to brush and field fires, along with other emergencies.
Ready For All Emergencies
Serving Ellington, Melrose and Riverside Townships, along with a portion of Burton Township surrounding Quincy, Ill., Tri-Township’s 104-square-mile district includes a mix of industrial, residential, farm and recreational land.
It responds to about 700 calls each year, ranging from structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, brush and field fires, and water rescues. It also partners with the Quincy Fire Department, as well as surrounding volunteer fire protection districts.
Finding the Right Truck
Like fire departments across the country, Tri-Township takes great care when buying equipment and trucks. When the pump on its 19-year-old brush truck failed, officials knew it was time to find a replacement.
Most fire departments replace trucks every 20 to 25 years, but funding can be a challenge.
“Trucks are expensive. If you look at a pump truck now, it can cost you anywhere from $700,000 to $1 million,” Dixon said. “We always want to be good stewards of the public’s trust and good stewards of the public’s money, so we try to be respectful in that aspect of it as we move from budget year to budget year.”
Tri-Township reached out to Knapheide and were connected to James Branch, Outside Sales Representative with Knapheide Truck Equipment Center Quincy, who made sure the truck met the needs of the department and the community.
“They need to carry the most important tools and then save the rest of the weight for as much water as they can bring and still be able to get through ditches and over small trees and limbs and creeks, anywhere there might be a brush fire,” Branch said.
“This build was a lot of fun. Not only was it something that we’re proud of as far as just the looks of the truck, but we were also very proud that we got to help a local customer.”
Built With a Purpose
Engineered and customized by Knapheide, the multipurpose truck primarily was designed for brush fires, but it also supports the Water Rescue Response Team for all of Adams County and responds to structure fires, motor vehicle accidents and medical emergencies.
Key features include:
- Crew cab with seating up to five
- Aluminum body
- Roll-up compartments with customed shelving for equipment
- Underbody storage
- Skid unit with 300-gallon tank and 150-foot, 1-inch hose reel
- Interior, emergency and scene lighting
- Custom bumper with step-down
- 16,000-pound winch
- Customized hitch
“This truck is reliable. It’s strong. It’s beefy. It’s hefty. It’s a solid truck. We know that it won’t let us down. We learned to trust this truck. It’s a piece of equipment that we depend on daily.”
- Kyle Dixon, Lieutenant, Tri-Township Fire Department
Service for Communities of All Sizes
From large cities to smaller communities, first responders across the country rely on work trucks built around the realities of their jobs, not one-size-fits-most solutions.
The Tri-Township Fire Department multipurpose truck is one example of how purpose-built work vehicle solutions help crews stay ready when it matters most.
TO SEE HOW WORK TRUCKS LIKE THIS ONE ARE BUILT TO SUPPORT FIREFIGHTING, EXPLORE KNAPHEIDE’S PLATFORM BODY SOLUTIONS.
Watch the Tri-Township Fire Department Story
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