A retired Sherman ambulance recently got a new purpose within the parks department. Sherman Parks and Recreation will debut its new portable outdoor play truck during this month’s Popsicles in the Park at Center Street Park
For the new POP truck, the city took a recently-retired ambulance from Sherman Fire-Rescue and outfitted it to meet the needs of the Parks and Rec. The vehicle will be able to move equipment and other activities between the parks for events while also advertising the department and its programming.
“What that is, is it a vehicle that is going to drive to different events and it will immediately hit the needs and experiences going to our customers, our visitors, Sherman residents,” Parks & Rec Director Justin Eastwood said.
Upon retirement, the ambulance, which was commissioned by the city in 2014 and operated for a decade, was given a facelift and a new wrap to showcase its new role with the parks department. The new design features pictures from previous parks events alongside a pop-art art style reminiscent of vintage comic books.
Eastwood said the truck will likely be brought out to future events around the city where parks and recreation typically operates, including Touch-a-Truck events, the annual father-son campout and Hot Summer nights, among others.
“We took an old ambulance, converted it over to what is now the POP truck, and it is filled with all of our supplies,” Recreation Coordinator Dylan Johnson said. “It has basically allowed up the opportunity to take recreation out to our parks in a totally different way.”
Johnson said the POP truck comes at little cost to the city as the ambulance was already in city service. The city invested about $7,500 in the wrap for the vehicle and additional equipment that will be stored inside.
The department gave members of the city council, along with visiting Boy Scouts, a sneak peak of the new truck Monday night following a council meeting. The truck will make its official debut Friday at 6 p.m. in Center Street Park for the city’s Popsicles in the Park event.
