The city of Victoria (MN) recently agreed to buy land for construction of a new fire station, SWNewsMedia.com reported.

The City Council at its August 22 meeting approved a final purchase agreement calling for the city to buy about six acres of land at 8101 Kochia Lane, which is property owned by Holy Family Catholic High School, the report said.

The city agreed to pay $664,000 for the land, with other fees and costs raising the total amount to about $699,000, according to a fire official.

The current fire station on 80th Street is 40 years old and has several deficiencies. It would no longer be used as a fire station if/when a new one is built, according to a fire official.

Construction is expected to begin in 2025. The new station would serve the city’s 2040 growth area expectations. Once that growth area expands, a second fire station would be necessary, the report said.

The Fresno County Fire Department and the Table Mountain Casino helped welcome the new 105-foot aerial ladder truck Thursday, KMPH.com reported.

According to the fire department, the new truck has all the latest bells and whistles and will be serving the Table Mountain Casino-Resort and the Friant/ Millerton areas.

The truck will be held in the Millerton fire station and will help protect the existing homes and the new developments in the area, the report said.

Celina (TX) broke ground Thursday on what will be the first fire station in Denton County, StarLocalMedia.com reported.

The new station, Celina’s third, will be located at 4400 FM 1385. A fire official said the new station will give the department a presence on the far west side of Celina, as well as in the region. 

The building, which features five bays, will eventually house a ladder truck, an engine and an ambulance, making the facility a three-company station, the report said.  

With construction on such a project usually taking 12-14 months, a fire official said the building would likely be complete around the third quarter of 2023. Projections presented at the July City Council meeting indicated the station is expected to be operational by October 2023, according to the report. 

The Truxton Fire Department has a new addition to its fire department fleet, WXHC.com reported.

On Tuesday, September 6 the department introduced the new truck, a 1999 Heavy Rescue, which replaces the department’s older Heavy Rescue Truck.

The truck was dedicated to longtime member Gloria Perry with the Perry family in attendance. Gloria Perry died on July 11, 2022.

Many of the members of the fire department have already been trained on the truck and as always, the Truxton Fire Department is looking for more to join them.

By Michael N. Ciampo

Carolina Beach is a tranquil coastal community in North Carolina. It sits on the northern end of Pleasure Island, which it shares with Kure Beach. The Cape Fear River sits to its west and the Atlantic Ocean sits to the east of the island. It is a town in New Hanover County and it is considered to be a part of the Wilmington Metro area. It’s a beautiful beach community with plenty of large homes and hotels sitting on the beachfront. The beach is known for sea-shelling, surfing and camping near the waterfront. The Carolina Beach State Park is also located there and is known for its fishing spots and the Flytrap Trail, named for the carnivorous plants along its path. Unfortunately in 1954, the town was wiped off the map when Hurricane Hazel made landfall and destroyed 362 buildings. Luckily the community has since rebounded and is a vibrant vacation destination for thousands of people each year.

The Carolina Beach Fire Department is a combination fire department, consisting of career shift personnel, administrative staff and volunteer paid per call firefighters. The department is unique, not only does it provide fire suppression, fire prevention and medical responses, it also runs the ocean rescue program. From just before Memorial Day until Labor Day weekend the department provides lifeguards to the beaches along the ocean. In addition, due to the amount of peopl