Vehicle will aid National Park Service
firefighters at Bandelier Monument

(June 29, 2023) DEARBORN, Mich. — As the threat of wildfires increases, Ford and the Bronco Wild Fund are donating a Bronco Badlands SUV with Sasquatch off-road package to the National Park Service for use in Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, N.M., where it will operate as a firefighting command vehicle.  

Ford says the Bronco wildland firefighting command rig follows the Bronco + Filson Wildland Fire Rig Concept and is being donated through the Ford Bronco Wild Fund, which works to increase access, preservation and stewardship of our public lands. "True to Ford’s commitment to building a more sustainable and inclusive future on The Road to Better, Bronco Wild Fund reflects a deep respect for our public lands and an unbridled commitment to helping those lands continue to be a world of wonder for all," said Ford in a statement.

To date, Bronco Wild Fund has donated more than $3.7 million to diverse causes, including organizations like America’s State Parks, National Forest Foundation, Outward Bound and Sons of Smokey.

The 33,000-acre Bandelier National Monument is in northern New Mexico, about a two-hour drive north of Albuquerque and is composed of rugged canyons and mesas that contain petroglyphs, cliffs dwellings and evidence of human presence going back over 11,000 years. Bandelier’s position in the transition zone of the high desert of the American Southwest provides a unique environment where the rapid effects of climate change have been observed and studied. The park has a history of natural fire occurrences, and as the fire season grows longer, the park is experiencing more repeated fires in the same landscape.    

Two-thirds of Bandelier is designated wilderness, meaning it lacks infrastructure and is difficult to access. The Bronco wildland firefighting command rig will enhance Bandelier's fire fleet, expanding their current capabilities. 

This Bronco is the first of two that are being developed by Darley for donation to the National Park Services and a wildland firefighting agency that will be the subject of a future announcement. The intent of this pilot program is to develop a tool that addresses an unmet need by allowing a deeper command position with reliable and redundant connectivity as well as facilitate the acquisition and sharing of valuable information to aid firefighters. 

Darley is a global manufacturer and distributor of defense, fire and rescue vehicles, and is the company carrying out the customization. The vehicle is upfit with an array of equipment to help the park monitor and manage active fires, assist with identifying fires, deliver real-time updates on fire location and severity, and provide other firefighting support. 

To achieve these objectives, the rig is equipped with a state-of-the-art government communication system, including satellite and antenna connections, to provide reliability and redundancy in the most remote environments. The integrated technology will allow firefighters to establish a real-time backcountry command and control position with the crews during emergency operations. The vehicle also includes a drone with live feed screens on the vehicle, tablet computer and special software providing the first response team with improved aerial reconnaissance, detection capabilities and improved situational awareness.

These high-tech, effective solutions allow for safer operations when responding to wildland fires as well as when responding to other domestic disaster situations.