Purchasing a new fire apparatus is a complex journey that demands precision, foresight, and thorough negotiation. In the latest episode of The Apparatus Workshop—hosted by Nick Wilbur and Winslow, with returning expert Tom Shand—the trio delves deep into two critical topics impacting fire apparatus procurement today: the boilerplate specification and the evolving landscape of open competitive bidding. Their conversation uncovers nuanced challenges departments face in specifying rigs, negotiating contracts, and managing expectations throughout the purchase cycle. For fire service professionals and fleet managers, the episode serves as an essential guide for navigating apparatus purchasing in a market defined by supply chain volatility and shifting manufacturer dynamics.

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When an electric vehicle fire involves its batteries, and those batteries enter thermal runaway, a number of reactions are occurring that contribute to these fires being very difficult to extinguish.

As we know, the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are not the only lithium-ion battery fires we will encounter. A variety of methods have been proposed and attempted to extinguish these fires during the past several years. The team at Full Circle Lithium has developed a product that rapidly absorbs the heat and mitigates the chemical reaction that is the thermal runaway issue at the same time—FCL-X.

Full Circle Lithium was initially founded to create a process and recycle lithium batteries while reclaiming a large amount of the lithium to make new batteries, according to Webster Marshall, vice president of business development. “The process to take batteries apart was difficult and started in water baths to stop runaway issues,” he says. “This was unsuccessful, and then the solution known as FCL-X was created.” In this solution, Marshall says the company could dismantle batteries and test the process by deconstructing 1,000 different battery types including all chemistries. “When the lithium market took a significant downturn, one of our members, Michael Carver, encouraged new R&D into how well this might work with suppression applications,” Marshall states. “It worked, and now FCL-X technical suppression agent is the flagship of our business.”

1 2½-gallon jugs of PCL-X Pro concentrate. (Photos courtesy of Full Circle Lithium.)

2 A US Fire Pump Emergency Response vehicle being used to deploy FCL-X.

FCL-X is batch mixed in premeasured amounts. It comes in a powder form and instantly dissolves. It has been proven to not harm pump components, plumbing, tank components, appliances, or hose. “It is also LC50-approved,” says Marshall, “and was tested up to 10× the LC50 levels with no issues to humans or aquatic life. It is pH-neutral and has been third-party tested for suppression capabilities.”

FCL-X works by rapidly absorbing heat as well as mitigating the chemical reacti

Noah Feit – The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

Two people were killed Sunday in separate early morning crashes in Orangeburg County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The first crash happened at about 5 a.m. on U.S. 321, said Sgt. Tyler Tidwell.

A 2016 Ford ambulance was driving south on U.S. 321 and near the intersection with Mack Road it hit a pedestrian, according to Tidwell. The pedestrian, later identified as 38-year-old Orangeburg resident Marcus Glover, was taken to an area hospital and died there, the Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, according to the coroner’s office.

Tidwell said that none of the people in the ambulance were hurt, and no other injuries were reported.

Less than an hour later another pedestrian was killed in an unrelated Orangeburg County crash.

At about 5:40 a.m., an unknown vehicle was driving north on Belleville Road when it crashed into another pedestrian, then it left the scene in a hit-and-run collision, according to Tidwell. That’s about 27 miles from the location of the first crash, and near Exit 145 on Interstate 26.

The pedestrian from the second collision also died, and has not been publicly identified by the coroner’s office.

Tidwell said the hit-and-run crash is under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

Anyone with information about the hit-and-run collision, or the vehicle and driver involved, is asked to call the Highway Patrol at 803-896-9621 or 800-768-1503, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip. Tips can also be texted to *HP.

Through June 8, at least 331 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2025, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, at least 948 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 10 people have died in Orangeburg County crashes in 2025, according to DPS data. There were 46 deaths in the county in 2024, DPS reported.

© 2025 The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.). Visit www.thesunnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
© Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved

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R. Christian Smith
Chicago Tribune
(TNS)

Aurora is considering renovating Fire Station 3, which still has the same layout as when it was built in 1972.

The project is anticipated to cost around $570,000 and would look to overhaul firefighters’ living quarters, among other things, according to Aurora Assistant Fire Chief Mike Kaufman.

He told the Aurora City Council’s Infrastructure and Technology Committee on Monday that the station at 600 W. Indian Trail was not built for a world where both men and women serve as firefighters, which is the world we are now living in.

“It is the only remaining fire station within the city of Aurora that does not have private, gender-neutral sleeping and bathroom areas for all firefighters,” Kaufman said.

The project would renovate the station’s upstairs, which currently includes a bathroom, locker room and single bunkroom, according to Kaufman. He said the renovation would make it so the station can offer private sleeping areas to all firefighters, as well as separate men’s and women’s locker rooms and showers.

Currently, if a woman were to work at the fire station, she would have to take her belongings from the locker room, down the hall to the bathroom and into one of the stalls to change, since the locker room does not have a door on it, Kaufman said. Plus, only one of the station’s two showers has hot water, he said.

Through the renovation, the ceilings of the men’s and women’s restrooms would be raised both to provide more space and to reduce the risk of mold and mildew, along with other changes intended to make the station more hygienic, Kaufman said.

The renovation project also would add glazing to the station’s windows facing Indian Trail for more privacy and thermal protection, would replace the original and deteriorating laminate countertop in the station’s watch office and would replace the HVAC units that are already scheduled for replacement, he said.

The project would be funded through the Aurora Fire Department’s capital fund, which currently has $550,000 in it, according to Kaufman. Any additional funds needed for the project, he said, would come through the Aurora Fire Department’s general fund for repairs and maintenance of its buildings and grounds.

“I want to make it clear that we’re not asking for any more city funds,” he said. “This is already budgeted money that would come out of the fire department budget if we go over what is expected to be paid for this project.”

The Infrastructure and Technology Committee, without discussion, voted unanimously on Monday to recommend T. Fisher Construction, LLC, of Ingleside for the project. Kaufman said that, through a bidding process, T. Fisher offered the lowest cost that also met the city’s requirements.

rsmith@chicagotribune.com

©2025 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The Waelder Volunteer Fire Department soon will be better equipped to respond more effectively to grass and brush fires, thanks to a $10,626 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the city of Waelder.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $3,158 in matching funds from the VFD, will enable the department to purchase new wildland firefighting tools and an updated gear cleaning system to help maintain firefighters’ protective equipment. The upgrades will help improve firefighter safety, enhance emergency response capabilities and extend the life of essential gear used in the field.

The department currently lacks access to a proper washer-extractor and dryer, and standard residential machines are not capable of removing harmful contaminants or handling the heavy-duty gear. The new equipment will help reduce firefighter exposure to hazardous materials and help ensure turnout gear is cleaned and dried safely and effectively.

“Our equipment was aging, and this grant came at a critical time,” said Chief Bobby White. “With these upgrades, we’ll be able to respond more quickly and confidently to emergencies in our community without worrying about whether our equipment can keep up.”

Waelder VFD serves about 125 square miles of Gonzales County, including the community of Waelder. The department responds to about 130 calls each year, ranging from wildland and structure fires to motor vehicle accidents and downed power lines. The new wildland tools will replace aging equipment and allow for faster containment of fires, reducing risks to people, property and the environment.

“Without this support, we would’ve had to seek additional funding from the ESD board or turn to the community for donations,” White said. “We’re grateful for LCRA and are proud to be able to continue to serve our community.”

The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Waelder is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

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