Anamosa Teacher Buys Fire Truck to Train Future Firefighters

A retired fire truck will be a pivotal tool for a new generation of firefighters.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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A retired, would-be-out-of-service fire truck is instead getting an important second life following the generosity of an Anamosa teacher, who is looking to combat firefighter recruitment challenges across the state of Iowa. Teacher William Tuthill paid out-of-pocket for a local Mechanicsville fire truck that was about to be retired, in order to use it as a learning tool for students in Anamosa High School's new introductory fire service course.

Why it matters

Most fire departments rely on volunteer firefighters, and are seeing a significant lack of willing and able recruits in recent years. Tuthill believes introducing students to the profession early could help reverse this trend, and having a fire truck the students can experiment with allows them to get hands-on experience with the equipment they'll use on the job.

The details

For the betterment of student learning, William Tuthill paid out-of-pocket for a local Mechanicsville fire truck that was about to be retired. The 2025-26 school year marked the first school year where Anamosa High School would offer an introductory fire service course, giving students the opportunity to experience the hands-on training necessary to serve as volunteer firefighters.

  • The 2025-26 school year marked the first school year where Anamosa High School would offer an introductory fire service course.

The players

William Tuthill

A teacher at Anamosa High School who paid out-of-pocket to purchase a retired fire truck from Mechanicsville in order to use it as a learning tool for students in Anamosa's new introductory fire service course.

Anamosa High School

A high school in Anamosa, Iowa that is offering an introductory fire service course to give students hands-on training to potentially serve as volunteer firefighters.

Mechanicsville Fire Department

A fire department in Mechanicsville, Iowa that was retiring a fire truck, which William Tuthill purchased to use as a learning tool for Anamosa High School students.

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What they’re saying

“They put it up for bid out to the public and I decided to put up my money to be able to purchase this as a learning tool. Anamosa has been very supportive in that capacity [....] If we can capture their interest at the high school level, it's more likely to transfer over to an interest at the adult level”

— William Tuthill, Teacher (KCRG)

The takeaway

This story highlights the innovative steps one teacher is taking to address the ongoing challenge of firefighter recruitment, by providing hands-on training and exposure to the profession for high school students. Tuthill's generosity in purchasing a retired fire truck out of his own pocket demonstrates a commitment to developing the next generation of firefighters in his community.