MY RIDE- John Burruss- 2003 Mack Rescue Truck

Buy a technical rescue truck today, and you might see yourself behind the wheel in about five years.

Just ask John Burruss, designer and now driver of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad's new specialized vehicle. It took him two years to design the truck, which then required two additional years to be built.

Says Burruss, "We decided back in 2001 we needed a bigger truck for our technical rescuers." They're folks who specialize in specific and unusual types of rescue, such as rope, dive, and snow and ice rescue.

CARS finally received the truck in 2004, and according to Burruss, it was well worth the wait.

"It's the only vehicle like this in Central Virginia," he says.

Rescue workers recently made use of the truck– at a March 21 house fire in Key West. Since the vehicle comes equipped with 400-foot air lines, technical rescuers were able to provide firefighters with air bottle refills faster than normal.

"It's a great tool to work with because of its state of the art equipment," says Burruss. "I'm pretty proud of it."

John Burruss