Molly Walsh
cleveland.com
(TNS)

MENTOR, Ohio – Mentor officials are moving forward with plans to build a new fire station, which will replace the city’s more than 50-year-old firehouse.

The city has purchased land for the project at the northeast corner of state Route 84 and Plaza Boulevard, where the former Sears Automotive Center once stood.

The transaction closed on July 9, after City Council approved the property sale in February, according to a city spokesperson.

The new station remains in the design phase. Fire Chief Bob Zak has been touring other fire facilities across Ohio and working with an architect to develop plans for a modern building that will replace the city’s existing station next to Garfield Park, which has been in service since 1965.

While design work on the fire station continues, city leaders are also debating how to temporarily reduce the property tax burden on residents.

Councilman Scott Marn proposed a one-year moratorium on collecting the city’s fire levy, which generates about $2.15 million annually.

During a City Council meeting July 1, Marn argued that Mentor’s reserves could cover expenses during the pause without delaying construction or disrupting fire department operations.

“It’s clean, it’s simple, it affects everybody that has property in Mentor, whether it’s business, whether it’s residential, anything of that nature,” Marn said during the meeting.

Other council members, including Councilperson-at-Large Ray Kirchner, voiced concerns that suspending the levy might confuse taxpayers or jeopardize long-term funding for fire services.

“(The levy) was voted on by the residents…It was put on permanently,” He said. “We’re in the process of building a fire station, which is where these funds are going to be coming from.”

Instead, Kirchner proposed offsetting expenses by drawing on money set aside for the city’s recycling and waste collection services.

Marn’s idea to pause fire levy collections has not been officially introduced to council. Council is on a break until Sept. 2.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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In the latest episode of Talking Trucks, hosted by Chris Mc Loone and joined by fire apparatus expert Ricky Riley, the focus zeroed in on a critical component of fire apparatus management: designing rigs for ease of maintenance. The conversation went into how early planning and well-crafted specifications can reduce out-of-service time, lower repair costs, and extend the operational life of apparatus across various types — from pumpers and ladders to rescues and ambulances.

Maintenance Must Be a Priority During Specification and Design

The podcast reinforced that a truck’s specification phase is the most crucial opportunity to ensure the rig is maintainable over its lifespan. Once production begins, changes become costly or delay delivery. Ricky emphasized that specifying detailed requirements—including service clearance around components—is non-negotiable.

Riley pointed out that manufacturers tend to follow the letter of the specification. If it doesn’t explicitly call for reinforced brackets or panel access, those features may be installed in ways that compromise serviceability. “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist,” Mc Loone echoed, underscoring advice from long-time industry advisor Bill Adams. Departments must carefully spell out every detail to avoid costly surprises after delivery.

Maintenance isn’t just the shop’s responsibility. Firefighters themselves must be equipped with the knowledge and tools for routine upkeep. Riley lamented how many training programs overlook practical maintenance tasks, such as checking pump pressure governors, grease points, or backflushing the pump. “It’s a lost art form,” he said, describing the disconnect between certification-driven training and the hands-on skills needed to keep rigs operational at the station level.

Listen to the Podcast for more of the conversation!

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Editor’s Opinion | Chris Mc Loone

The deadlines for this brand’s print edition mean that I’m often writing editorials at least six weeks in advance.

As I sit down to write this, we are one week removed from Battalion Chiefs John Morrison, Coeur d’Alene (ID) Fire Department, and Frank J. Harwood, Kootenai County (ID) Fire & Rescue, being killed and Firefighter/ Engineer David Tysdal, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, being seriously injured when a man, now identified as Wess Roley, began shooting at them when they responded to a brush fire at Canfield Mountain.

When I first saw the social media post, I flashed back to Christmas Eve 2012 when we learned of firefighters being fired on in West Webster, New York. Two firefighters were killed there as well: Past Chief Michael Chiapperini and Firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka. Firefighters Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter were wounded during the ambush.

I was really ticked off when I saw the reports of the Idaho shootings. We’re just trying to do our jobs, many of us without compensation, and we need to worry about people shooting at us when we respond to help save lives and property from destruction by fire? Every firefighter knows that no matter how much we prepare, no matter how much pre-planning we do, no matter how much protective equipment we don, things go wrong at a fire, and sometimes firefighters die. Not one of us deserves to get on a rig and have to wonder if someone will be lying in wait for us to exit the apparatus so he can use us for target practice. How did we become the targets? When did that happen?

I’m constantly irked by rigs being struck on the highway and firefighters suffering injuries as a result. I have often said here that we have to be vigilant on the highways, constantly looking around to ensure we are safe. How do you become vigilant when it comes to people literally waiting for you to get there so they can open fire? Are we supposed to put thermal imaging cameras on the sides of the trucks to see if someone is hiding in the bushes as we pull up?

Sadly, later that week, at what should have been a pre July 4 work night to give the trucks one final wash/wax, we gave the rigs their baths but got on the apparatus and proceeded to a member’s home to say what became our final good-byes to him as his battle with cancer came to an end.

I’ve been thinking a lot about both things, and while all the vigilance in the world can’t prevent what happened in Idaho, and while you can do everything in your power to correct bad habits and get yourself into prime physical shape and still end up battling a horrible disease, the only message I can come up with is do not become disheartened. The mission is the same: protect lives and property from destruction by fire. The fire service always learns and adapts and will do it again. The fires will not stop. The rescues will not stop. The automatic fire alarms will not stop. As horrible as those two incidents were, the whistle will still blow, the bells will still ring, and we owe it to them and to ourselves to persevere.

I am not at all saying, “Just gotta keep plugging away and move forward,” as if nothing happened, and I am not saying to not get help if you need it in the face of such things. What I am saying is that we’ve got a job to do. Our residents, business owners, families, and friends need us to be there when the whistle blows or the bell rings. They need us despite the fact that we know what they don’t— that every time we turn a wheel out of the firehouse, anything can happen. A few years ago, I didn’t expect a tree limb to fall in front of me on a snow-covered roadway as we responded to a fire. Unfortunately, anythin

The Ainsworth (IA) Volunteer Fire Department will use grant money it received in May toward a demo pumper from Rosenbauer, the department said in a Facebook post.

The department received a WCRF grant worth $250,000 and will use it toward the demo pumper, priced at $587,000, kciiradio.com reported.

The department will take delivery of the demo pumper in 2026.

Ainsworth’s current engine is up for sale but will remain in service until the new one is delivered.

Along with the WCRF grant, the department has received other grants and donations for the demo pumper project from other local businesses: Farm Credit Services of America $15,000; Vision Ag $10,000; Land O Lakes $7,500.

“Without all these contributions this project wouldn’t be possible and we greatly appreciate all of the support,” the department said in the post. “We still have some fundraising to do to cover the cost of the entire project. If any persons or businesses want to help support our project you can reach out to Chief Waylon Schultz 319-458-9034 or message our (Facebook) page.”

The post Volunteer Fire Department Receives $250K Grant for Demo Pumper appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Portland (ME) Fire Department’s main fire boat was damaged recently during a rescue call, fox23maine.com reported.

Fire crews responded to a call near Jewell Island for a fallen man, the report said. While transporting the injured man to shore, fire officials say they hit an unknown object in the water, damaging both propellers. Repairs were estimated to cost $20,000 to $30,000.

A fire official says while the 2009 Marine 1 boat is being fixed, the department has two other smaller boats in full operation.

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