Hubert (NC) shipbuilder US Watercraft said it has been selected by New Hanover County (NC) to build a custom 30-foot aluminum fire/rescue vessel, MarineLink.com reported. Now under construction, the vessel will be delivered in early 2023.

Located in the southeastern part of the state, the county has 31 miles of shoreline on the mainland and barrier islands, with communities facing both the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to fire-fighting capacity, the aluminum catamaran will feature an hydraulic bow door for deploying a rescue ATV. The vessel can land on the beach to offload the vehicle in areas not easily accessible by road, the report said.

At 30’ LOA with a 12’ beam, the vessel will have a forward-leaning walk-around cabin. It will be equipped with twin 300 hp outboards, fire pump, and hydraulic drop-down bow door, the report said.

Glenwood City Council was told recently that to renovate the city’s half-century old fire station buildings would cost $6.5 million, Opinion-Tribune.com reported. To tear down existing structures and build a new two-story structure would cost $9.4 million.

The cost estimates, prepared by HGM Associates architectural and engineering firm, are for keeping the fire station at its current location on South Walnut Street, the report said.

Conducting the feasibility study is only an initial step in addressing the city’s fire station issue, the report said. Other sites have been mentioned informally as possible locations for a new fire station, including the Glenwood Resource Center campus.

A city official noted that funding for a new fire station would require approval from city taxpayers in a bond issue vote, according to the report.

Winnebago County (IL) received $54 million of federal funds from the American Rescue plan yet less than $150,000 was awarded to local fire departments, WIFR.com reported.

More than a dozen representatives from Winnebago County fire departments were at Tuesday’s Winnebago County Board meeting to stress that they may have been short-changed when it comes to federal dollars, the report said.

Northwest Fire Chief Jerry Caskey believes more first responders across the county should be taken into account when it comes to federal funding through the American Rescue Plan, especially considering all the work they did at the start of the pandemic, the report said.

Caskey is also the vice president of the Winnebago Fire Chiefs Association, composed of fire chiefs from Winnebago and Boone counties.

North Park Fire District received $50,000 to help build a new fire station, but they say those funds only helped with part of the construction, the report said. Other districts weren’t as fortunate.

The city of Edwardsville is partnering with the Bank of Madison County to finance the construction of its new East Fire Station through the issuance of $6.87 million in general obligation bonds, RiverBender.com reported.

The city council on November 15 approved an ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds, the report said. The bonds will cover costs for the $5.1 million East Fire Station, 7407 Governors Parkway, the report said.

They also will cover the costs of a new aerial ladder fire truck and building improvements to the City’s Campus Fire Station at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, according to the report.

The East Fire Station is expected to open in November 2023. It will include 8,400 square feet of space, with three double bays to house multiple trucks and ambulances, the report said. Once opened, it will replace Station 2 on Montclaire Avenue, a smaller facility that opened in 1969.

Thomas Gase

Times-Herald, Vallejo, Calif.

(MCT)

Nov. 22—The Vallejo Fire Department (VFD) announced this week the completion of the installation and deployment of its new tone alert system in all active firehouses.

The VPD stated in a news release that it has “relied on an antiquated radio system that controlled station lights and speaker systems. This failing system had been nursed far beyond its useful lifespan and was often times inoperable in stations. Basic replacement parts were no longer available to make the repairs required to keep the system functional.”

The new Tone Alert system, which was approved by Vallejo city council using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, includes remote alerting modules placed throughout fire stations to notify firefighters of an emergency call. The system operates with its own power supply, redundancies, and backups. Red lights activate when a call is received, aiding in night vision and personnel alerting.

Additionally, the system utilizes Automated Voice Dispatching technology (AVD), which allows 9-1-1 dispatchers to remain on the phone with 9-1-1 callers while the system alerts the necessary firehouse(s). With the previous system, dispatchers would have to place callers on hold while dispatching stations, creating delays in response times. When activated, the AVD “voice” informs firefighters of the nature of the call they are responding to as they gear up and get ready to report to a scene, all while the dispatcher gathers additional information.

“This advanced knowledge of what firefighters are walking into helps them prepare for everything they may encounter on a call and allows our dispatchers to stay connected with callers at a critical time,” said Fire Chief Kyle Long in a news release. “At times, that could mean the difference between a life saved or lost.”

To learn more about funding for the Tone Alert project, visit MyVallejo.com/ARPA

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