The McHenry Township Fire Protection District decommissioned and donated a water tender March 31 to the all-volunteer Equality Fire Department, located about 50 miles east of Carbondale.

The water tender, which also is called a tanker, was used by the McHenry-based fire department for 35 years to respond to fires where water wasn’t readily accessible and would need to be transported to the scene, according to a news release.

Because of its age, limited monetary value and the availability of two newer tenders within the department’s fleet, the decision was made at the March 18 meeting of the district’s governing board to deem the tender as surplus property and donate it to another fire department that could benefit from its use, according to the release.

“Our Board was very supportive of ‘paying it forward’ and assisting a fire department in need,” Board of Trustees President Allen Miller said in the release. “Tender 1273 did its job for our community and it was time to assist another fire department with older equipment.”

Equality Fire Department is an all-volunteer fire department that operates on a small annual budget, according to the release. Located about 50 miles east of Carbondale, the department protects about 142 square miles and a population of 1,000 while also protecting the Garden of the Gods and Shawnee National Forest.