Parked outside the Niles Township Fire Department’s south station, a semi-tractor painted bright red shines like a beacon on a sunny fall day.

The department received the 2001 Freightliner free of charge through a grant program with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

In its previous life, the vehicle was considered military surplus equipment with the U.S. Department of Defense. When it came to the station on South Third Street in August of last year, it was covered in camouflage green, black and tan paint, looking like it would feel more at home on a military base than parked outside a burning building.

The only requirement for its change of hands was that the fire department repaint it, letter it and install on it an emergency light system.

Much of that work — $12,275 worth — was done over the course of about a year by area businesses, including Dee’s Auto Body, Clark Service, Niles Chemical Paint, Pratt Industries and Brenner Oil Company. The department also put in several hundred hours of work bringing it up to speed.

“The community was very supportive of it,” said Gary Brovold, fire chief. “Anyone we asked to help was more than gracious and asked if there was anything else they could do.”

The new semi-tractor replaces the department’s 1990 Ford L-9000 semi-tractor, which had more than 380,000 miles on it. In addition to having less miles (35,000), the new semi has automatic transmission, replacing the old semi’s nine-speed split shift that firefighters said required a lot of concentration to operate.

“Without having to shift, you can reduce thinking about that and keep all your attention on driving safely,” said firefighter Josh Sherrick.

The semi-tractor will be used to transport a 6,500-gallon water tank to rural areas where firefighters do not have access to hydrants.

It was christened this month at a structure fire in Howard Township. Brovold said it is one of the largest tankers in the area.

“It will go pretty much anywhere it is needed,” he said. “Everyone that needs water wants that to show up.”

Brovold filled out a grant request to obtain the semi through the state’s DNR, which keeps a number of those vehicles for their wildland firefighting in the state.

“What they don’t use they disseminate down to fire departments, police and EMS,” Brovold said. “I was ecstatic when we learned we got it.”

The value of the new vehicle is estimated at $20,000.