The city of Carlsbad is moving forward with plans to address gaps in fire protection, by adding crews and a seventh fire station west of I-5, CBS8.com reported.

The temporary Fire Station 7 will sit at the old Encina Power Plant site, on Carlsbad Boulevard, just north of Cannon Road, the report said.

In 2021, a ‘Standards of Cover’ evaluation found the department was behind on some response times and needed more apparatus and crews. According to this video from the city, the Department’s goal is to get to a fire within 7.5 minutes from the first call.

So far, the city is planning to spend about just under $2 million to build the temporary station, the report said. The city hopes to start construction next month and be operational by January 2023.

In the meantime, voters will have to approve construction on a permanent Fire Station 7 in the future.

The Mount Vernon Volunteer Fire Department will be breaking ground on a new fire station in early October, MitchellRepublic.com reported.

According to a fire official, the new building, estimated to cost $750,000, is a long time coming, the report said.

After a decade and a half of collecting taxes, donations and throwing fundraiser after fundraiser, exciting new things are planned for the Mount Vernon Volunteer Fire Department, the report said.

The 24-person crew of volunteer firefighters has spent its funding on necessary equipment like bunker gear, lockers and, recently, scrounging up funding for the lifesaving “jaws of life” saw, used to pry victims of car crashes from out of their vehicles, according to the report.

Even fire trucks have been adapted from regular trucks into fire trucks, with huge metal water tanks fused onto them. Some trucks even turn multi-purposed in the winter, when volunteers load medical supplies into them due to the fire station’s close proximity to Interstate 90 and the amount of crashes that occur, the report said.

Years of patience and hard work have paid off for the crew, however, and the new station is set to break ground in early October and will feature the original, red welded-metal sign and large garage doors on the corner for easy access, the report said.

Members of the Sea Girt Fire Company No. 1 planned to celebrate the arrival of their brand-new engine during a wet-down ceremony on Saturday, October 1 from 1-5 p.m. at Baltimore Park, StarNewsGroup.com reported. Those plans have been postponed due to the weather forecast.

Here’s what Sea Girt Fire Company No. 1 President, Joe Accurso, wrote on the company’s Facebook page:

“Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating with us for this weekend and we are going to postpone the wetdown of 44-75. At this point we are looking at the spring of 2023. This decision was based on an abundance of caution by the truck committee.

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support to Sea Girt Fire Company No. 1.”

The new apparatus will be designated as Engine 4475 and was custom built by Ferrara Fire Apparatus located in Holden (LA), the report said.

The new engine was designed as a “fast attack” engine with four pre-connect hand lines, a 1,000-gallon tank on board and 2,000 gallons-per-minute of pumping capabilities, according to the report. 

It was first put into service by the department this summer, the report said.

Other features include seating of up to eight firefighters and that the fire truck will have all the latest safety equipment including a seat belt warning system, cameras that cover 360 degrees for driver and firefighter safety, as well as LED scene lighting, the report said. 

 

 

The Madison County Fiscal Court read multiple proclamations for October and passed motions involving the purchase of a new fire truck during a fiscal court meeting on Tuesday, RichmondRegister.com reported.

The fiscal court approved a bid of $534,722 to Atlantic Fire Emergency Solutions. CSEPP will contribute a minimum of $300,000 for the purchase of the truck through a federal grant program, the report said.

The remaining portion of the price will be paid by the county upon the delivery of the truck, which is estimated to be in 24 months. It will hold a capacity of 4,500 gallons of water, according to the report.

According to a fiscal court official, the truck will be able to go anywhere in the county. It has a tandem axle, with six breaking tires and three axles — a feature noted will be very important for safety, the report said.

The Middleport Village Council had a full agenda to discuss during its September 26 meeting, with fire truck replacement and possible Christmas bonuses for employees among the key items, WVNews.com reported.

A fire official appeared before council to discuss the fire truck wreck and proposed plans for future fire department replacement trucks. The official felt it would be best to buy a used vehicle for now and try to work out a financial plan to purchase two new vehicles. He said it was not clear yet what amount the village would receive from the insurance company, but the purchase price of the wrecked vehicle was $323,000 with a new truck to replace it costing about $670,000, the report said.

The council unanimously authorized the fire official to spend up to $45,000 for a used vehicle after the insurance settlement was received. Council also authorized the fire official to initiate a lease/purchase agreement on the first new truck that had been ordered previously in order to get the present interest rates, according to the report.

Plans for financing of a second new truck were tabled until more information can be obtained on the insurance settlement and the amount of funds being received from our present levies, the report said.