The Brownsville Fire Department is equipped with some new ambulances that can be used in off road conditions.
The three all-terrain response units will be able to go into areas standard ambulances are unable to access.
Fire Chief Jarrett Sheldon said the off-road ambulances will be used on the hike-and-bike trails, along the border fence, along the river terrain and even Boca Chica Beach.
“Any terrain that can be challenging,” these units can be dispatched to, Sheldon said.
They will also be used during the parades and any downtown event where large crowds gather.
The off-road ambulances are 14 feet long and 5 1/2 feet wide and can easily carry about six passengers.
The units were purchased through a $170,933.43 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program. The fire department received them in late July.
Sheldon said the department decided to purchase these emergency vehicles given the growth of the city.