Karen Kucher
The San Diego Union-Tribune
(TNS)

A Torrey Pines fire station — first envisioned more than a decade ago by city and university leaders — was officially opened on Thursday and will be home to the city’s first electric fire engine.

Located near the corner of North Torrey Pines Road and Genesee Avenue, Fire Station 52 sits on property formerly used for tennis courts on the northwest edge of the UC San Diego campus.

The university was instrumental in the effort, giving land for the project and contributing $20.5 million, which Chancellor Pradeep Khosla called “an amazing collaboration.”

“When I first got here, this was on the docket,” said Khosla, who became chancellor in 2012. “It took a little while to figure out how would the UC bureaucracy work and how would we be able to carve out a piece of our property and give it to the city.”

Khosla said the result was “an amazing fire station” that will help improve response times on fire and medical calls at UC San Diego and to the surrounding Torrey Pines community.

Fire Chief Robert Logan said the station was first discussed back in 2010 by former Councilmember Sherri Lightner, then-Fire Chief Javier Mainar and former Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.

The state-of-the-art station is a rectangular 14,600-square-foot building with a black, red and white color scheme. It has three apparatus bays, an office, workout room and equipment locker room on the first floor, with a kitchen, sleeping quarters, a room equipped with a big-screen TV and a line of comfortable-looking chairs on the second floor.

It also is home to the city’s first electric fire engine, manufactured by Pierce Volterra and delivered just a day before the ribbon cutting. The engine cost $2.1 million and the city spent an additional $600,000 for a charging station and related infrastructure at the new fire station, Assistant Chief James Gaboury said.

The station “went live” last Tuesday with crews running calls for the past week and a half. But it will take several weeks for the new electric engine to be ready. For now, a reserve diesel engine is assigned to the station.

“We still have to do all the outfitting on it,” Gaboury said. “The equipment mounts need to be put on it” and staff will need to be trained on how to plug it in.

From the outside, the shiny red engine looks exactly like the rest of the department’s fleet. “The idea is to make sure all the pieces of equipment are the same,” Gaboury said. “All the hose, all the knobs, all the levers — everything else is exactly the same as the other 85 fire engines that we have.”

The only exception is an 18-inch box in the middle of the apparatus where the EV batteries are stored. It does sound different, though: Like all EVs, it is extremely quiet when driven.

Gaboury said the engine is equipped with a diesel engine, which will automatically kick on when the battery runs out, either when it is being driven or pumping water.

He said it isn’t really a hybrid, it just has a backup engine. “It is a seamless transition,” he said. “You don’t have any drop off in water pressure or anything. It is a very smooth transition.”

Fire officials opted for the diesel backup because the equipment needs to be reliable during extended fire events. The engine can go up to 80 miles on a battery charge and pump water for an average of two hours before the diesel kicks in, Gaboury said.

There are similar engines being beta-tested in Oregon, Arizona and Wisconsin, but San Diego is getting the first production model of the engine in the western U.S., according to Gaboury.

Mayor Todd Gloria said the long-awaited fire station shows that persistence pays off. He said he ha

Jim Sullivan
The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
(TNS)

Oct. 17—NEWBURYPORT — After just over a year of construction, the $9.2 million John F. Cutter Jr. Fire Station is expected to be open for business by Nov. 1, according to city officials.

“We’re really excited to open this new building. It really looks amazing,” Mayor Sean Reardon said. “I can’t wait to show the rest of the community how this worked out.”

The city began work on the new West End fire station at 153 Storey Ave. in late August 2023. The 6,600-square-foot building was built where the 2,258-square-foot fire station once stood.

Although it was always fully manned, the 51-year-old fire station had been deteriorating for years until it no longer met fire codes. That prompted local leaders to draw plans and secure funding to replace it so that the city’s more isolated West End could be protected around the clock.

The new building includes separate firefighter living quarters as well as workspace with five bedrooms and three restrooms with gender separation.

It also features larger apparatus bays and brings the city into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Geordie Vining, the city’s special projects manager, has been overseeing the project he said for roughly the past five years.

He said the fire department received the certificate of occupancy from the Newburyport Building Department on Friday.

Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III said the fire station building committee held its final meeting Tuesday morning and there’s very little left to do.

“We’re just waiting on one final piece of the puzzle, which is connecting the two stations so they can talk to each other,” he said. “Then we’ll be good to go.”

A grand opening ceremony, according Reardon is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1.

“I go by it all the time and I think it looks great,” he said. “Projects like these are important. I hand it to Chief Bradbury for not only be able to work on the construction of a new building but to also work with a combined staff at the current headquarters that also needs an upgrade.”

Late last August, the city broke ground on the project with a promised September 2024 completion date.

All things considered, Bradbury said, holding a grand opening ceremony on the first day of November is a pretty good resolution.

“It’s not bad, really,” he said. “We turned it around pretty quick. All in all, I’m happy with the way it played out.”

The West End fire station has traditionally housed three firefighters. Over the past year, those workers have been stationed in the fire department’s Greenleaf Street headquarters.

Bradbury said the temporary living arrangements have worked out just fine.

“They can see the station nearing completion so everybody’s itching to get over there,” he said. “The furniture has all been delivered. We’re just waiting on the mattresses and some chairs in the kitchen.”

Training on the new building, Bradbury said is scheduled for next Wednesday.

“We’re really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Vining said he’s also very excited to be near the finish line.

“We were all just reminiscing about just how terrible the old facility was and how this one is just worlds better,” he said. “It’s been a real pleasure to see the members of the Fire Department getting familiar with this great new asset for the city.”

The new fire station sits in the middle of a residenti

PRESS RELEASE

CANANDAIGUA, New York – The Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department is proud to announce the delivery of our new fire rescue boat, a project that has been in the works for several years thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of our team. This state-of-the-art vessel is the first of its kind on Canandaigua Lake, marking a significant milestone in enhancing public safety on the water.

The new fire rescue boat is equipped with modern technology to ensure safe navigation through the water, along with a 1,250 gallon-per-minute pump and twin Honda 225 outboard engines. These features will enable the Cheshire Fire Department to respond quickly to emergencies, ensuring the safety of residents, visitors, and anyone in need on the lake.

“We are extremely excited to introduce this fire rescue boat to our community,” said Fire Chief Chris Brown. “This initiative has been years in the making, and we’re confident it will greatly enhance our ability to protect and serve on Canandaigua Lake.”

Our department is responsible for protecting 13 miles of Canandaigua Lake, from the Canandaigua city line into the town of South Bristol, which represents the largest water district on the lake. With this new addition to our fleet, we are better equipped to respond to emergencies, ensure the safety of residents and visitors, and provide crucial assistance to anyone in need on the lake.

Assistant Chief Matt LaFave, who led the efforts of this build, added, “This project represents a great step forward for our department, and it’s a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our entire team. The delivery of this boat marks the end of a nearly 10-year project, and over 20 years of discussion. This fire rescue boat will be a resource that will serve for generations. And although it says ‘Cheshire’ on it, we see this as a resource that serves all departments and towns that are part of the Canandaigua Lake community. This boat will be in service for all of us.”

The Cheshire Fire Department is committed to safeguarding the lives and property of those we serve. With this new boat, we can respond more quickly to water-based emergencies and deliver life-saving support in situations where every second counts. Firefighters will be familiarizing themselves with the new equipment on this boat over the winter months, with additional training on its operations in the spring. The boat is set to be in service by the summer of 2025.

Senator Pam Helming shared her support for the initiative: “The Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to emergencies in the Towns of Canandaigua and South Bristol and, when needed, in our surrounding communities. The CVFD service area includes several miles of densely populated shoreline and a busy recreational area of Canandaigua Lake. Having access to a fire suppression boat will allow the CVFD to assist with shore-based fire containment and safety efforts, as well as respond to water emergencies. As a State Senator, my top priority is public safety. I will always be a strong advocate for our fire departments, members of law enforcement, and first responders. It was a pleasure to work with the CVFD leadership team, including Chief Chris Brown and President Rick Roxin, to secure this important piece of equipment.”

President Rick Roxin emphasized the impact of this new addition: “The acquisition of the fire boat takes Cheshire VFD’s capabilities to a whole new level. We welcomes the responsibility that comes with protecting those on Canandaigua Lake and responding to calls for service.”

WEIS—Cherokee (NC) Fire & Rescue wildland fire apparatus. Ford F-550 Super Cab 4×4 cab and chassis; 7.3L 430-hp gas engine; UPF Poly 300-gallon water tank; Hale HP200-H20 250-gpm attack pump; HiViz brow lights. Dealer: Mike Weis, Weis Fire & Safety, Salina, KS.

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A massive fire severely damaged a $1 million home in rural Collin County Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded around 2 p.m. to the blaze at 598 Justin Pl. at around 2 p.m. By the time CBS News Texas Chopper arrived about 30 minutes later, large portions of the roof were gone and flames engulfed other parts of the home, sending thick black smoke into the sky.
- PUB DATE: 10/18/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVT-TV CBS 11 Fort Worth