The Valdosta Fire Department, Freedom Park and the city’s Utilities GIS Division will undergo improvements totaling $1.6 million during the next two years, ValdostaDailyTimes.com reported.

At Valdosta City Council’s latest meeting, council members unanimously approved two new Sutphen fire engines, over Fiscal Year 2023 budget by approximately $78,694, the report said.

A Valdosta fire official said the fire department is in immediate need for two fire engines proposed by Williams Fire Apparatus due to the current supply environment and the condition of two 1998 reserve engines that are increasingly challenging to keep in service, the report said.

Volunteer firefighters in Wausau now have a new station to call home, WJHG.com reported.

The new fire station is located next to city hall in Wausau. The city received funding from the state to make this a state-of-the-art facility.

The new fire station has offices to hold meetings, a kitchen, and for the first time a laundry room to wash uniforms and gear. It holds three fire trucks and is large enough to store equipment, the report said.

Yonkers fire officials are applauding the decision by the city council to veto a capital budget cut that would have cost the city’s ability to buy new fire trucks, Bronx.News12.com reported.

The city council and mayor originally approved giving $5.8 million to the fire department but recently proposed amending the budget. That change would have cut that line to around $2 million, the report said.

The cut would have meant the department could only buy one new fire truck this year as opposed to the five originally planned for, according to the report.

On Tuesday, the city finance department came back asking to increase the budget by $39 million without having to cut from the fire department, the report said.

The agreement received support from both sides of the aisle, the report said. Dozens of firefighters filled the council chambers in a show of unity.

Ferrara—Gary (IN) Fire Department pumper. Cinder cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Waterous CSU 1,500-gpm pump; 500-gallon polypropylene water tank; AXIS Smart Truck Vehicle Monitoring System; six rooftop storage compartments; Harrison 10-kW generator; Whelen LED emergency lighting package. Dealer: Mid-America Fire & Safety, Evansville, IN.

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The Angola Fire Department launched and blessed its new fire truck Monday night, KPCNews.com reported.

A fire official said the ceremony revived an old American tradition, dating to the 19th century, when fire crews had engines pulled by horses. The horse could bring the engines back to the fire station, but they could not back them into the bays. Before finishing their shift, crews would clean the apparatus and push it back into the station.

The official said the tradition of christening a new piece of equipment by washing it and manually pushing it into the station was performed by the Angola Fire Department Monday night.

Angola’s newest apparatus carries 1,800 gallons of water. The new fire truck will be especially helpful for rural areas around the lakes, the report said.