CityBus Donates Retired Vehicles for Rescue Training

CityBus, Lafayette, IN, is to donate nine retired buses and six paratransit vans to the Lafayette Fire Department (LFD) for vehicle extrication training. This donation will help LFD’s technical rescue team prepare for complex emergencies involving large commercial vehicles.

“We’re proud to support the Lafayette Fire Department in enhancing emergency response capabilities,” said Bryan D. Smith, CityBus CEO. “Repurposing these retired vehicles for training ensures first responders have the tools they need to protect our community.”

The vehicles have exceeded their useful life, as defined by FTA, but, thanks to CityBus maintenance staff, they remained in service well beyond their expected lifespan, ensuring the community received the greatest return on investment. LFD will handle transportation and logistics for the donated vehicles.

“The donation of these vehicles will significantly enhance our ability to replicate real-world conditions that our team would typically face on calls,” said LFD Assistant Chief of Special Operations Cody Roby. “Being able to train with actual heavy-duty vehicles will allow our personnel to gain hands-on experience that is critical to their development and preparation for emergency response situations involving large commercial machinery, buses, trucks, and similar vehicles.”