Chelan County is considering a unique approach to fighting wildfires in the coming seasons. The county’s board of commissioners is pursuing the possible purchase of storage containers designed for railcars that can be used to hold water. Commissioner, Bob Bugert, says the containers would be permanently deployed to selected areas within the county.
- PUB DATE: 10/6/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KPQ-AM 560 Wenatchee

VIDEO: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed recovery operations following a deadly floatplane crash off the coast of Whidbey Island in September. Recovery operations ended on Friday. A majority of the aircraft has been recovered and moved to a secure facility where NTSB investigators are examining it, a spokesperson said.
- PUB DATE: 10/6/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

The Dalhart Volunteer Fire Department chief and another firefighter were killed Tuesday night.

The fire department reports that while returning to station from a call, Firefighter Brendan Torres and Fire Chief Curtis Brown were involved in a motor vehicle accident with a semi.

Chief Brown and Firefighter Torres were pronounced dead at the scene.

The long-awaited new aerial ladder truck has arrived at the Sheldon Fire Company, KIWARadio.com reported. The truck was ordered July 21, 2021, with a price tag of $1.08 million.

The truck is a 2022 Spartan Gladiator chassis with a Smeal 100’ rear mount platform ladder truck, which the department has dubbed, “Ladder 15”, the report said.

The apparatus has a 100-foot ladder and features a six-man cab with all of the latest safety features, 500HP Cummins diesel engine, 2,000 gallon-per-minute Waterous fire pump, 300-gallon water tank, aluminum body construction with roll up compartment doors, state of art “Smart” ladder operations and control system, remote control platform monitor capable of flowing 2000 gallons-per-minute, easy load and storage with the ergonomic hose load for 5-inch supply hose. Fire fighters can stand on the ground and safely load 1000 feet of 5-inch inch supply hose, according to Sheldon Assistant Fire Chief Brad Hindt.

The truck was ordered on July 21, 2021, with a price tag of $1,082,752.00 through Feld Fire of Carroll, Iowa and Smeal-Spartan Emergency Response, the report said.

The Sheldon Fire Company will hold an open house 5-7 p.m. October 13 to see the new Ladder 15.

The Woburn (MA) City Council at its most recent meeting voted unanimously to adopt a Finance Committee report recommendation that favors the proposed purchase of a new fire ladder truck, HomeNewsHere.com reported.

The mayor, who said the capital purchase can be incorporated within the city’s debt service schedule without issue, first asked the council to appropriate the needed $1.4 million in fund for the fire apparatus back in mid-August.

In recent years, the mayor has focused on making major investments in the local fire force, which is expected to hire eight new firefighters this year. Woburn is also spending roughly $23 million to construct a new fire station headquarters by the Showcase Cinemas site off of Main Street.