One man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.

Such was the case Monday when Athens Fire & Rescue was allowed to rid itself of the cost of maintaining a retired pumper truck and Limestone County Schools got a truck good enough to use for teaching future firefighters and rescue workers.

Athens City Council members agreed during their regular meeting to “lease” at no cost a 1987 Gruman water and foam firetruck to Limestone County Board of Education.

Superintendent Dr. Thomas Sisk said the pumper would allow students at the Limestone County Career Technical Center who might be interested in the fire service get hands-on training. It would also prevent the county schools from having to try to buy a firetruck when it can’t afford to do so right now.

Fire Chief Bryan Thornton told the City Council the pumper is no longer used for fires but it could be used for training.

“This is that old reserve firetruck that was going to go into surplus,” the chief said. “I was approached by Dr. Sisk asking if the schools could use it for educational purposes.”

Thornton said it would be used in the classroom in vocational education at the Tech Center. On the city’s part, the chief said he thought it might help with recruiting.

“We would retain ownership but they would use it for educational purposes,” Thornton said, adding that if the Fire Department needed the pumper it would be able to use it at any time. “(The schools) would maintain the pumper, so the cost is off of us and the liability is on the schools.”

Mayor Ronnie Marks said, “I think this is a great opportunity for us to work together.”

Sisk agreed.

“Every member of the Public Safety Academy (Police and Fire) Explorer Program has $1 million coverage — we have $1 million coverage on every cadet,” Sisk said. “We partner with the Alabama Fire College in Decatur. Athens Fire instructs. Students are from both Athens and the county. It is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished for the common good of young people.”

Sisk said Alabama has only three such public safety academies.

Thornton said the pumper would be at the Career Tech Center or at Leak City but would not be traveling elsewhere.

“It’s a slow drive — we can’t respond in it anymore,” the chief said.

District 2 Councilman Harold Wales said, “It is a good gesture on the part of the city of Athens to work with our county brothers and sisters. This will benefit the city and county.”