Recent content by EasternEmpire

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) has been pushing this nationally for a few years with varying levels of success. Here in Idaho the State DMV took a run at banning military vehicles using the doesn't comply with FMVSS argument a few years ago. Former military...

These two were delivered today from Barstow. They will be added to the Idaho Department of Lands wildland fire organization for Type 3 Team support. Former Navy EOD out of San Diego. DDID10789913 is a 2008 model, 72k miles. DDID10789914 is a 2002 model, 62k miles. Really great condition...

Hey! It has a red stripe on it. White paint weathers a lot better than red. Those HEMTT M978 tanks fit perfectly on the M916A3 trucks, don't they. :^)

Here is the latest iteration of the M978 HEMTT tanker that IDL converted to use as a wildland fire tactical tender. The trailer is an M989A1 HEMAT trailer designed for the HEMTT with a standard HEMTT tank mounted. The trailer has a diesel pump mounted so that the trailer can be dropped for...

JEB, I don't think you're going to have any luck finding that unimpeachable document, particularly for Humvees. Last year about this time when Idaho was struggling with this same issue, I ended up in email exchanges with the Logistics Division Head at TACOM LCMC and the Director of Safety at...

You might find this thread interesting, JEB. https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?173084-Idaho-title-change!!!!!

Some of the M915A3 tractor trucks IDL recovered from the Utah Testing and Training Range last November are entering service supporting wildland and structural fire suppression. I thought I would share some photos. IDL kept three of the tractors of our use. Two will be based out of the fire...

The amended Idaho House Bill 506a passed the Senate 35-0-0 on 3/8 and passed the House yesterday 67-0-3. Since it includes the emergency clause it takes effect upon the governor's signature. LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-fourth Legislature...

I would concur with commofreq's take on the amended HB506. Personally, I think the amendment is an improvement over the original bill. Given that the original bill passed the House 65-3-1, and the amended bill passed the Senate 35-0 (it now has to go back to the house, then the Governor), the...

I would not be hopeful for this changing for Humvees. A few years back DoD/DLA determined that SF97s for Humvees should be issued "for offroad use only" - you would need to ask them for the rationale. This is why we quit requisitioning them for fire service organizations. Please understand...

To be fair, these statutes have been on the books for quite a while. I would suspect that questions referenced in the letter led to research that led to the rediscovery of the statutes. Being a bureaucrat myself, i understand how this sort of thing works - I also understand how frustrating...

Here it is on official ITD-DMV stationary. Start talking to your legislators - the 2018 session opens in 3 weeks.

As far as I know, SITPA still has Gamma Goats in service. CPTPA chose to dispose of theirs due to escalating maintenance costs along with the training required to qualify operators. It is very easy for inadequately trained Gamma Goat operators to get themselves and others into dangerous...

NDT, I know it is always easy to poke fun at the government, which I’m sure never does anything the way you think it should. I would guess the bite in your comment is driven by sadness that these vehicles can’t go into private hands to be preserved instead of shredded on a target range. I...

NDT, you are absolutely correct. The goats at Hill were turned in recently by the Idaho Department of Lands which had acquired them via the Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program for wildland fire fighting service in the 1980s/1990s. Property acquired under the FEPP program is never...