Tulsa Tough Donates To Fire Department Victimized By Vandal

Each year during the Tulsa Tough cycling event, the Avant Fire Department helps out, providing a rest stop on one of the weekend's long rides through the country.

Now it's Tulsa Tough's turn - after an act of vandalism last month cost the department its medical response vehicle. Saint Francis and Tulsa Tough offered a hand to help restore what was lost.

Among the fire departments working a huge house fire shot by Osage SkyNews 6 Saturday night is the Avant Volunteer Fire Department. They worked half a dozen grass and structure fires over the weekend.

A job made more difficult by the loss of the department's newest fire truck. Last month the truck was stolen, taken for a joy ride and burned.

It and every thing on it were destroyed when the truck flipped over and was destroyed by fire.

1/17/2014 Related Story: Skiatook Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing, Destroying Fire Truck

On Tuesday, Saint Francis Tulsa Tough Director Malcolm McCollam presented a check to Chief Gene Atkins of the Avant Volunteer Fire Department. There was also a donation of medical supplies - made at Lee's Bicycles in Tulsa.

"I'd like to present you with this check from Saint Francis Tulsa Tough," McCollam said.

What made last month's loss of that fire truck so devastating is that it is both a fire truck and the department's medical response vehicle.

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"We didn't have any way to do any kind of medical runs at all," Atkins said.

The value of the vehicle and the equipment lost is in the neighborhood of $120,000. The donation won't replace everything, but it'll get them started on the way back.

"This will make a very big different," Atkins said. "It will get us going a long ways."

A long way back to responding to emergencies in the community the way they'd like to.