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Posted: Sep 16, 2024

Chandler (AZ) Approves Purchase of 10 Ambulances

PRESS RELEASE

CHANDLER, Arizona – The Chandler City Council has approved the purchase of 10 ambulances for the Chandler Fire Department. The purchase is an initial step toward implementing a municipal emergency ambulance system in the future.

One ambulance is to replace a current vehicle used at special events, for training purposes and as a reserve unit when required. The funds to purchase this vehicle is in this year’s capital improvement program for fire emergency vehicle replacements. Delivery of this replacement unit is anticipated in fall 2025.

The other nine ambulances will support a future transition to a municipal emergency ambulance system. These vehicles will be purchased through an enterprise fund that will be created to support ambulance transportation services in Chandler. These vehicles would be delivered in fall 2026, which would support the launch of a municipal emergency ambulance service in January 2027.

The city council held a work session last month to discuss transitioning to a municipal emergency ambulance system. There are a dozen jurisdictions in the Valley who have transitioned to a municipal emergency ambulance system, including every jurisdiction that surrounds Chandler.

The city council reviewed the results of a feasibility study conducted earlier this year by the James Vincent Group that analyzed the resource needs, deployment and costs for a municipal ambulance service. The study determined that it is both operationally and financially feasible for Chandler Fire to provide ambulance services for the community.

Emergency ambulance services are currently offered by a provider embedded with the Chandler Fire Department through a contract that runs through 2026.

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Posted: Sep 16, 2024

Zero Emission Solutions in the Emergency Vehicle Industry

 October 16, 2024 | 1:30 ET

In the emergency vehicle industry, reducing emissions and increasing operational efficiency are critical goals. To address these needs, two innovative zero-emissions solutions have emerged, both designed to provide power while minimizing environmental impact. These systems embody the principle of “Engine OFF, Power ON,” ensuring that emergency responders can rely on essential tools and equipment without the noise and pollution associated with traditional power sources.

One solution currently available and more on the affordable side serves as a generator replacement, offering a manual system that provides power to tools and electronics during emergency operations. This approach eliminates the need for noisy, fume-producing generators, ensuring a quieter, cleaner environment while still delivering the necessary power for vital tasks. The second solution is an automatic Idle Mitigation System, which not only powers tools and devices but also maintains climate control inside the vehicle even when the engine is off. This fully integrated system allows responders to stay comfortable and fully operational during extended calls, making it ideal for those who need both power and climate management on the job.

Each system was engineered to different operational needs, providing flexibility and effectiveness for a range of emergency scenarios. This event is sponsored by Kussmaul Electronics.

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Posted: Sep 16, 2024

Fire Apparatus Among Vehicle Fleet at Risk of ‘Imminent Collapse’ After Years of Underinvestment in Anchorage (AK)

Zachariah Hughes
Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
(TNS)

Sep. 14—The Municipality of Anchorage has some clunkers in its vehicle fleet.

A dump truck with a quarter-million miles. Snow graders with engines in desperate need of a rebuild. A boiler truck from the Reagan administration.

Many of these machines are so old and used up that they are breaking down, which is delaying, diminishing and degrading essential services. Deferred maintenance and years of budget reductions amount to what city leaders recently characterized as a systematic underinvestment in machinery that is essential for infrastructure and public safety.

“The equipment that we are actually putting out on the street is in a pretty significant state of under-repair, of disrepair and underinvestment,” Chief Administrative Officer Bill Falsey said during an Assembly work session in August.

Some of the most dramatic examples of fleet failure are within the Anchorage Police Department. Many of the department’s cruisers have been pushed well beyond their limits, which means the city is continually sinking money into an accumulating pile of repairs. At a Public Safety Committee meeting last fall, the department showed Assembly members pictures of cars coming apart at the seams, with warped exterior panels, shredded interior upholstery, pits of rust and odometers with more than 200,000 miles clocked — double the upper-end of industry standards.

“I have plenty of accounts of officers telling me that they couldn’t find a vehicle for several hours of their shift when theirs broke down, or caught on fire en route to a call and had to pull off to the side of the road,” Capt. Josh Nolder told the committee. “They’re not being able to respond to calls as fast as they likely could.”

The city owns a lot of motors: 416 cars and trucks, 130 pieces of heavy equipment like dump trucks and snow blowers, and then all 571 of the Anchorage Police Department’s vehicles. Some departments that run big machines, like fire and garbage utility, purchase and maintain their vehicles separately from the rest of the fleet.

In a lengthy transition report prepared by the outgoing Bronson administration, Maintenance and Operations Director Shay Throop identified one of the department’s main challenges as “(The) imminent collapse of the ability of the Municipality to provide basic government services (APD, Street Maintenance) due to the aged state of the fleet without additional funding replacement.”

[Previous coverage: Transition documents expose big staffing, financial problems across Anchorage city government, threatening core services]

Other department directors cited similar issues, from aging vehicles to neglected maintenance to having so many machines sidelined that workers were not able to do their jobs.

The reliability of the Anchorage Fire Department’s fleet, for example, has eroded to the point they cannot pull firefighting apparatuses out of rotation for preventive maintenance work.

“There have been many days when we did not have an apparatus for crews to respond with,” Fire Chief Doug Schrage wrote in the report. “There are numerous new engines and ambulances in various stages of construction, but long lead times, component shortages, and increased costs beyond available funding have created a situation where we haven’t been able to get back on replacement schedule. This is exacerbated by increased call volumes, adding to maintenance and repair needs.”

During the August meeting, Municipal Manager Becky Windt Pearson said the report painted a picture of the city as “in a state of crisis across a couple of axes,” with the looming f

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Posted: Sep 16, 2024

See Who Received 2024 Firefighting Support Grants from Tennessee American Water

PRESS RELEASE

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Sept. 13, 2024) – Tennessee American Water is awarding over $22,000 to multiple firefighting agencies in the area through the Company’s 2024 Firefighting Support Grant program. The grants provide supplemental funding to emergency responders for items such as critical equipment, training and community education.  

“As we remember 9-11 this week, we think of our first responders who stand ready to serve our residents during emergency situations,” said Grant Evitts, president of Tennessee American Water.  “We are proud to support our local firefighters with additional gear and resources to save lives and protect our community.”

The following area departments will receive up to $1,000.00:

Hamilton County, TN

  • Chattanooga Airport Fire Department
  • Chattanooga Fire Department
  • City of East Ridge Fire Department
  • Elder Mountain Volunteer Fire & Rescue
  • Town of Lookout Mountain Fire Department
  • City of Red Bank Fire Department
  • Signal Mountain Fire Department
  • Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department
  • Walden’s Ridge Emergency Services Inc.

Northwest Georgia

  • Catoosa County Fire Department
  • Dade County Fire Department
  • Lookout Mountain Georgia Police and Fire Department
  • Walker County Fire Rescue
  • Rossville Fire Department

Sequatchie Valley in TN

  • Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department
  • Foster Falls Volunteer Fire Department
  • Haletown Volunteer Fire Department
  • Jasper Highlands Volunteer Fire Department
  • Mullins Cove Volunteer Fire Department
  • Sequatchie Area Volunteer Fire Department
  • Southend Volunteer Fire Department
  • West Valley Volunteer Fire Department
  • Whitwell Volunteer Fire Department
  • Whitwell Mountain Fire Department

The Firefighting Support Grants provide financial assistance to uniformed, professional and volunteer fire departments serving communities in the company’s designated service territories. More information is available at the Company’s website tennesseeamwater.com.

About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedInFacebookX and Instagram.

About Tennessee American Water

Tennessee American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest regulated water uti

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Posted: Sep 16, 2024

A Legacy of Innovation

By Chris Mc Loone

I was part of a conversation not long ago about the number of fire apparatus manufacturers in 1980 vs. today. We rattled off names like Hahn, Mack, 3D, Luverne, Peter Pirsch, American LaFrance, and others that don’t exist anymore. 1980 doesn’t feel like that long ago to me, but it has been 44 years, and we’ve lost more than a few fire truck makers in that time. However, 50 years ago, we gained an apparatus manufacturer that has withstood the test of time by continually innovating, cultivating its employee atmosphere, and nurturing its dealer network—E-ONE. In March, it kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration with an event at its Ocala, Florida, headquarters, which highlighted its employees, dealers, and loyal customers.

GARAGE START

Originally known as Emergency One, E-ONE was founded by Bob Wormser in 1974. He designed and manufactured the first modular extruded aluminum fire truck body in his garage, according to Chris McClung, vice president of sales, REV Fire Group. “It was a game changer for the fire industry at that time,” he says. “It has continued to be so for the last 50 years. This launched the company’s reputation for pioneering innovation and is still evidenced 50 years later in the fire apparatus we produce for fire departments around the world.”

E-ONE
1 E-ONE’s founder Bob Wormser. (Photos courtesy of E-ONE.)

Early on, Wormser moved the company’s operations to a small facility in downtown Ocala. It wasn’t long before he moved the company to an 82,000-square-foot production facility in 1978. In 1990, the company added an additional 65,000 square feet, the Welcome Center, and Delivery Center. And, the company added a facility in Hamburg, New York, in 2010 to serve its Northeast United States dealers and customers. What began as a 25-employee company has evolved into a company with more than 1,000 employees in two facilities.

trucks
2 All E-ONE fire apparatus manufactured during 2024 leave the factory with this badge.

HISTORY OF INNOVATION

From the beginning, E-ONE has innovated. “Let’s start with Bob Wormser’s manufacturing the first modular extruded aluminum fire truck and body, the first in the industry,” says McClung. “Also important is our first 110-foot welded extruded aluminum aerial with integral torque box chassis.” The preceding product arrived in 1981. McClung also counts E-ONE’s TITAN 4×4 Air Transportable (AT) aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, introduced in 2020, as one of the company’s most important innovations. “This reduced size aircraft firefighting rescue vehicle is designed to fit on a C-130 Hercules aircraft and be transported to military bases around the world,” he says. “It is used by both the U.S. military and the Canadian Department of National Defen

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