Thanks to Holmen area residents’ generosity and appetite for fun — and brats and hot dogs — the Holmen Area Fire Department is better equipped to battle wildland fires this spring.

Last week, the department completed the equipping of a six-wheeled Polaris Ranger all-terrain vehicle. The original bed of the vehicle was removed and replaced with a custom-made rig that includes an 80-gallon tank, several hose lines and a pump with a system that injects foam into the water to help in fire suppression. The rig also has room to store rescue gear.

“It’s a pretty nice little piece of equipment,” said Todd Shaffer, a lieutenant with the HAFD. “It’ll be very, very useful.”

The department, which serves Holmen and the towns of Holland and Onalaska, expects the ATV will come in handy for responding to emergencies on the area’s biking and walking trails, as well as hard-to-get-to grass fires.

The ATV still needs a few finishing touches, such as decals, but it is ready to roll should the need arise. The completion of the work comes just weeks before one of the annual fundraising events that helped make it possible:the HAFD Firefighters Ball.

This year’s event will be held Saturday, March 29, and for the second time, it will be held at the fire station on Main Street in Holmen. Also like last year, the event will feature two bands. The Rhythm Playboys will perform from 2 to 6 p.m., and Rode Hard and Put Up Wet will play from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The festivities also will feature food, drink, prizes and a raffle, with admission going for $4 in advance or $5 at the door.

The community support at events like the Firefighters Ball and the annual brat and hot dog sale help buy much-needed equipment for the department that are hard to fit into the normal budget.

Proceeds from this year’s dance will go toward purchase of a new thermal imaging camera. These cameras detect the slightest change in temperature to help firefighters pinpoint a fire’s origin and spot where a fire has spread. It can detect hazardous conditions that cannot be seen by the unaided human eye.

Shaffer said the department had a thermal imaging camera, but it is not working and not worth repairing, considering the advances in technology and the increasing affordability. The new models of thermal imaging cameras show temperatures in a wider array of colors, which makes it possible for firefighters to see a lot more detail.

Contact Randy Erickson at randy.erickson@lee.net or (608) 786-6812.

AT A GLANCE

WHAT:Holmen Area Fire Department’s annual Firefighters Ball

WHEN:Saturday, March 29

WHERE:HAFD Fire Station, Main Street

MUSIC:The Rhythm Playboys play from 2 to 6 p.m.; Rode Hard and Put Up Wet plays from 8 p.m. to midnight

ALSO:Food, drink, prizes

COST:$5 at the door, $4 in advance at the fire station.

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