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.

NEW YORK – With more than 60 wildfires actively burning in more than a dozen states, the Verizon Frontline Response Team continues to deploy mission-critical communications technology in support of public safety agencies and the nearly 10,000 wildland firefighters currently on the front lines.

This year alone, the Verizon Frontline Response Team has deployed nearly 1,000 Verizon Frontline solutions to first responders in 18 states including Alaska, North Carolina, Florida, California, Texas and New Mexico.

Verizon Frontline technology has been delivered to multiple interagency command posts and 39 public safety agencies operating in nearly 70 communities. This technology provides mission-critical voice and data service to incident managers and firefighters operating in remote areas and helps coordinate fire mitigation efforts. The Verizon Frontline solutions provided by the Verizon Frontline Response Team have included Satellite Picocells on Trailers (SPOTs), routers, network extenders, mobile hotspots, smartphones and more.

“First responders are now battling wildfires year-round and we remain committed to delivering the reliable and secure communications technology they need to achieve their mission wherever and whenever they need it,” said Cory Davis, Director of Public Safety Operations for Verizon Frontline. “The Verizon Frontline Response Team stands ready to support wildland firefighters across the country as they work tirelessly to protect our communities.”

The Verizon Frontline Response Team has supported federal, state and local agencies at 49 named wildfires this year including Arizona’s Tunnel Fire, New Mexico’s Hermits Peak Fire, Colorado’s Marshall Fire and the Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park.

This support is provided at no cost to the supported agencies and represents a continuation of Verizon Frontline’s commitment to investing and innovating in partnership with public safety and government.

Verizon Frontline is the advanced network and technology built for first responders – developed over nearly three decades of partnership with public safety officials and agencies on the front lines – to meet their unique and evolving needs.

The Phillips Fire Department recently took ownership of a new rescue squad to replace a failing truck. Next, they’re looking for a better home for their fleet, DailyBulldog.com reported.

For about 12 years the department has researched ways to move out of the current location in the Public Works department on Park Street. A fire official said that the current station was an upgrade from the previous station and has served them well – but it’s time for a change. There are multiple factors that have led the department to search for a new home, according to the report.

The station is located at the Public Works lot, with two bays situated between the Public Works garage and the NorthStar Phillips Base. Behind the bays is a training area, bathroom and decontamination facilities, and the chief’s office, the report said.

Two bays requires that the department stack trucks within the station, which can cause some challenges based on which piece of apparatus is needed at the time. The space is limiting and restrictive, with no room for further expansion, the report said.

Because of the location, the trucks are routinely exposed to salt and dust from the salted sand pile located near the building. This exposure to salt, both from driving trucks in and out of the station and from wind blowing particles into the building, has resulted in excessive wear and tear to the fire trucks along with corrosion and issues in the electrical systems. Where the Public Works equipment are better suited for that environment, fire trucks are more sensitive pieces of equipment, and the effects show in the repair and maintenance costs, according to the report.

Constant sand, salt and dust takes a toll on the firefighters as well as the apparatus, the report said.