Cumberland Fire Department says a new engine and an equipment transport vehicle at an estimated cost of more than $1.3 million is needed by the department, Times-News.com reported.

A fire official said at a city council meeting recently that many of the vehicles in the fleet have aged beyond recommended guidelines, the report said.

The fire official said the department keeps two primary standard fire pump engines, with two typically older engines in reserve. The two primary engines are a 2003 and 2008 with the reserve vehicles much older, the report said.

The department would like to buy an engine and a separate rescue squad truck, which carries special equipment needed for car accidents, swift water rescue and confined space incidents, according to the report.

A new engine and rescue truck are likely to cost between $650,000 and $700,000 each, the report said. The department preferred a separate engine and rescue truck to a much larger combined engine/rescue vehicle because the smaller, separate vehicles navigate tight city streets and alleys easier.

The fire official said engines and support vehicles are in demand and hard to find and take 30 months or more to acquire, the report said.

City officials indicated at the meeting that the city must move forward on the fire department’s proposal.

The Lawrenceville Fire Department celebrated moving into its new home Sunday with an open house for the community to enjoy, WENY.com reported.  

On the evening of July 27, 2019, a rescue truck in the station caught fire. The fire quickly spread and turned into a massive blaze that destroyed the Lawrenceville firehouse and most of its gear. Twenty-seven departments from NY and PA responded to help put out the blaze, the report said. 

Over the last three years, the department has gotten new apparatus and moved into its new firehouse September 1. On Sunday, Lawrenceville Fire was able to share its upgrades with hundreds of community members. 

Drive to Survive: Case Studies Chris Daly

A 30-year-old firefighter was responding in his personal vehicle to a report of a high-water emergency. The firefighter was responding to the fire station on June 16, 2003, to pick up a fire apparatus when he drove over a large pool of water on the roadway.

The firefighter lost control of his personal vehicle, traveled off the road, and struck the signpost of a large billboard. During the course of the crash, the victim firefighter sustained fatal injuries.

Driver Considerations

A crash investigation by the state police revealed that no speed estimate could be made based on the lack of roadway evidence. However, a witness stated that the victim firefighter had passed her on the roadway while she was traveling at approximately 40 miles per hour (mph). This witness later discovered the crash when she continued farther down the road. Based on this witness statement, there is evidence that the victim firefighter was traveling in excess of 40 mph on a wet road.

Fire apparatus operators must understand the dangers of driving in inclement weather. Although there are many issues to consider, this case study will focus on hydroplaning. As a tire rotates on the axle, the tire tread is designed to push water and moisture out of the way so that the rubber tire face can come in contact with the road (photo 1). If the vehicle is traveling too quickly and the tire is spinning too fast, the tire tread will not have enough time to effectively move the water out of the way. As a result, a wedge of water could build up in front of the tire. Eventually, the tire may ride up on this wedge of water and lose contact with the road. This is a hydroplane.

• Tire and Wheel Safety for Emergency Response Vehicles
• Firefighters in NC Rig Crash
• The Importance of Tire Pressure Monitoring: a Firefighter’s Perspective

Driving a vehicle at a high speed on a wet roadway can lead to a hydroplane situation. The speed at which a tire will hydroplane depends on three major factors: the depth of the tire tread, the air pressure in the tire, and the depth of the water that the vehicle is driving through. A shallower tire tread will not be able to move as much water as a deeper tire tread. An underinflated tire will not be able to push the water out of the way as effectively as a properly inflated tire. And last, deeper water will be able to more easily overwhelm the tire tread.

Fire apparatus operators must understand the importance of slowing down in wet weather to give the tire enough time to properly push the water out of the way. Drivers must also understand the importance of avoiding large standing pools of water and instead try to stay in the tracks of the vehicles tra

Central Lyon (NV) County Fire Protection District is asking voters to support an initiative to open two additional full-time fire stations and fill open positions of previous volunteer positions with full-time emergency medical and fire protection personnel, NevadaAppeal.com reported.

Approval of the initiative, county Question 1, calls for a tax levy of 23 cents per $100 of assessed valuation upon all property owners residing within the CLCFD boundary for up to 30 years, the report said. The revenue would provide additional firefighter/paramedics and help to improve emergency response times in the district’s communities.

Two of seven stations within Central Lyon help to cover more than 640 square miles, with Central Lyon’s firefighters responding to all calls and making 80% of their calls within 17 minutes, a fire official said.

An arguments for the increase, according to the report: Firefighter/paramedics would be placed at Silver Springs’ Station 32 and Dayton Valley Road’s Station 39 all day. An argument against its passage: The CLCFPD should explore other options and move existing personnel to staff stations 32 and 39 and have a complete audit.

The San Jose Fire Department says it is aware of a video on social media purportedly showing a woman exiting city a fire truck and heading into a strip club.

KTVU reports the matter is under investigation after social media account Sanjosefoos posted the video with the caption, “Only in San Jose do you see a stripper come out of a fire truck.”

“If findings of an internal investigation reveal inappropriate behavior of any Department members, appropriate steps will be taken,” San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien told KTVU.

Visit KTVU for more.