The Grayling Fire Department has a new vehicle to replace an aging part of its fleet – a 2011 Spartan ladder truck capable of reaching heights of 100 feet – and the vehicle recently began its service to the community, CrawfordCountyAvalanche.com reported.

Earlier this year, the Grayling Charter Township Board of Trustees approved a proposal to purchase a replacement for the fire department’s existing ladder truck, a vehicle that was “in rough shape” and inadequate for some of the larger structures in the community, including the hospital, township officials said.

Fire department and township officials said replacement parts were difficult to find for the 18-year-old vehicle, and it was getting too costly to make repairs, the report said.

The township board in May approved up to $500,000 (mostly American Rescue Plan Act money) for the purchase of a replacement. The city of Grayling also contributed money, township officials said.

A new ladder truck would have cost approximately $2 million, the report said.

Langford Fire Rescue is set to get a shiny demo fire truck after council approved the purchase during its Monday meeting, GoldstreamGazette.com reported.

The new truck is set to cost $1.15 million, much less than the estimated $2.5 million it would cost to custom build a truck to meet the department’s needs, the report said. The custom truck would also take more than three years to assemble, according to a staff report.

The fire department was able to work down the cost from an initial estimate of $1.9 million by trading in its current truck, which was bought in 1998 and is set to exceed its 25-year lifespan next year, as recommended in the Fleet Replacement Plan and Fire Underwriter’s Survey, the report said.

The new truck, which features a 107-foot ladder, was built as a 2018 model and sent to Asia as a demonstration vehicle, but never used on active duty, according to a Langford fire official. 

Two volunteer firefighters died after responding to a smoky fire that burned a home in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, Wednesday afternoon, according to the coroner. Marvin Gruber, 59, and Zachary Paris, 36, died after being called to the fire in the 1100 block of Clamtown Road in West Penn Township, near Tamaqua, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
- PUB DATE: 12/8/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFMZ-TV 69 Allentown

The latest 5G technology is improving how police and fire departments respond to calls in Arizona. Officials with Verizon and Verizon Frontline were at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix Tuesday night to showcase the latest tech. Fire crews are better prepared than ever when they head out on a call.
- PUB DATE: 12/8/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

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- PUB DATE: 12/8/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WXII-TV NBC 12 Winston-Salem