Clearwater Fire Medic Ready to Race in Achieva Box Car Rally

CLEARWATER, FL — When the 2016 Achieva Box Car Rally races into Clearwater Saturday, Oct. 22 the city’s Fire & Rescue Department will be well-represented. Fire Medic Mo Perdigon will be behind the wheel of a box car he and other firefighters constructed over the past week.

According to Clearwater Fire & Rescue, Perdigon’s entry was put together at facilities on North Belcher Road over the course of a few days. The speedy ride is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall. That makes it “a lot smaller than typical Clearwater Fire & Rescue vehicles,” the agency wrote in an email to media.

Box cars eligible for Saturday’s event can weigh no more than 150 pounds on their own. The total weight for car and driver is no more than 400 pounds.

The typical fire engine weighs about 38,000 pounds. A standard fire truck weighs about 78,000 pounds, the agency noted.

Designed to look like a mini fire engine, Perdigon’s box car is scheduled to race shortly after noon. The fire medic intends to wear his gear as he speeds down the Cleveland Street course.

“The Achieva Box Car Rally is a fun event for the whole family, and Clearwater Fire & Rescue is excited to be involved,” Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said in a statement. “We’ll be there to root on Mo as he represents us and the city.”

The rally begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. with multiple races set for different age groups and categories. Cars entered in the event will run a course that starts at the top of the hill at Cleveland Street and Osceola Avenue. For more information about the rally, visit its Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Clearwater Fire & Rescue