BOONE, Iowa—The Boone Firefighters Association has announced plans for a new fund raising effort. The Association released this statement:

You’ve been asking for new Boone Fire shirts and the wait is almost over. Come support your local firefighters at the Boone Valley Taproom on August 23rd from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. where we will be releasing our newest shirts for Truck 8-66. Stay and enjoy a Platform Pilsner, a refreshing beer that the folks at Boone Valley Brewing have made special for this event. We will have adult and youth sized shirts available at the event.

For the past few years, members of the Boone Firefighters Association have been trying to find ways to raise funds to support the Boone Fire Department while helping support the community that we live and work in. We’ve had incredible support in the past with t-shirt sales and have decided to expand our collection. Beginning this fall, we will begin selling a series of shirts that will showcase our fleet of fire apparatus, each filling a crucial role in providing fire, EMS, rescue, and hazmat protection to our community. We will be releasing a new shirt each year for the next few years. After working with local artist Harrie Vonk, this fall we will be releasing a shirt featuring Truck 8-66. We are excited to partner with Boone Valley Brewing Co. who is brewing their new Platform Pilsner for our launch party at the Boone Valley Taproom on August 23rd from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Truck 8-66 is a 2007 platform aerial ladder truck built custom for the Boone Fire Department by Pierce Manufacturing. Truck 8-66 responds to structure fires in the City of Boone and as needed for fires outside the city limits. It also responds to assist other communities, primarily for the use of the 95-foot tower ladder. The platform ladder provides our firefighters with a “bucket” to work from to perform tasks such as rescues from areas that would otherwise be unsafe or inaccessible. It is also capable of flowing large volumes of water from the 2 nozzles located on the front of the platform. Aside from the aerial ladder, Truck 8-66 has a great deal of compartment space and carries a wide variety of equipment to assist with fire suppression and rescues. The cab seats a driver and 5 fully geared firefighters with breathing apparatus built into the seats so that firefighters can get to work immediately once they arrive at an emergency scene.

Please come try the new Platform Pilsner, enjoy the company of friends and support your local firefighters at the Boone Valley Taproom on August 23rd from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Artist Harrie Vonk with his drawing, standing in front of 8-66

The drawing of the Boone Fire Departments 8-66 which will be featured on the new Boone Fire shirts

(contributed release and photos, Boone Firefighters Association)