A special Giving Tuesday celebration took place in western Kentucky Tuesday. The Mayfield Fire Department, Paducah Fire Department and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation came together to celebrate grants given to both fire departments, KFVS12.com reported.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation donated $49,983 to the Mayfield Fire Department to replace 18 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which were destroyed by the devastating tornado that hit the city nearly a year ago, the report said.

This included coats, pants, jackets, helmets, gloves and boots.

The Mayfield Fire Station took a direct hit from the EF4 tornado on December 10, 2021.

Some of the damaged gear is being replaced thanks to a donation from a local sandwich shop, the local franchise Firehouse Subs in Paducah.

In a released statement, Mayfield Fire Chief Jeremy Creason said of the grant: “We’re so grateful to Firehouse Subs and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for being there for our community when we needed them the most – and for our citizens to know that those tasked with protecting them are well-equipped to do the job.”

The foundation also gave $23,801 to the Paducah Fire Department grant for a new Polaris Ranger 1000, the report said.

An icy accident Wednesday afternoon caused upwards of $35,000 in damage to two fire trucks, according to Sioux Falls Police.

The initial accident happened near 19th Street and Southeastern Avenue around 1:15 p.m. when a dump truck slid down the hill and hit a power pole, DakotaNewsNow.com reported. The impact knocked down a power line, which landed on a nearby home and started a small fire on the roof, the report said.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue extinguished the fire. However, while crews were still on scene, a parked SFFR pickup slid down the hill, hitting a parked car and a tree. The parked car then slid and hit two fire trucks on scene, the report said.

Damage to the fire pickup is estimated at $10,000, while damage to the parked car is estimated at $20,000, according to the report. One of the fire trucks received roughly $15,000 in damage. The second fire truck’s damage is estimated at $20, the report said.

All vehicles except the dump truck were unoccupied at the time. No injuries were reported.

Voters in a small Hancock County town will head to the polls in February to decide on if the volunteer fire department should get a new $3.9 million station, BangorDailyNews.com reported.

A referendum vote in Orland is scheduled for February 1 to see if residents are interested in borrowing $4 million to replace the current aging station, which can barely fit the department’s fire trucks and has severe drainage issues, the report said.

Built in 1974, the station sits on a flat, low-lying lot that makes it prone to flooding and difficult to clean off engines, according to the report. It also lacks an exhaust system or washroom for the force’s approximately 25 firefighters to clean up before heading home.

A public meeting to go over the plan is scheduled at the town community center December 15.

The Bismarck Fire Department made a major upgrade to its fleet, KFYRTV.com reported.

This new, $1.4 million ladder truck replaces a 25-year-old vehicle which had reached the end of its useful life, the report said. A fire official said the new truck comes with safety upgrades as well.

The biggest addition, a 100-foot ladder which is on top of the truck. This will allow the firefighters to perform rescue operations and control blazes in high-rise buildings. A truck this size will also provide additional protection to both the firefighters and citizens.

The truck seats five firefighters and has a 300-gallon water tank to help suppress major fires, the report said. The fire department says they hope to have it fully equipped and running by the first of the new year.

City of Bartlesville firefighters are training this week on the use of the fire department’s newly purchased tower-ladder truck, approved by voters in the 2020 General Obligation Bond Election, the city said in a press release.

The truck will allow access to many of the city’s taller buildings and is a step forward in improving the department’s ISO rating — a score issued by the state’s Insurance Services Office based on how prepared the department is to protect the community from fires.

The score can mean lower insurance premiums for Bartlesville residents, Fire Chief David Topping said. The city currently holds an ISO rating of 2/2y, “which puts us in the top one percent in the state,” Topping said.

“The addition of this equipment to our arsenal will move us closer to a rating of 1, which is the highest score possible,” he said. “With a reach of 101 feet, this vehicle will give us more options and greater capabilities than we currently have in regards to high-rise operations,” he said.

The truck was purchased from low bidder Daco Fire Equipment for $1.3 million. Due to inflation and wiring supply costs, the vehicle is over budget by $246,687. The remaining funds will be taken from unallocated Half-cent Capital Improvement Project Sales Tax funds.