The Jacksonville Fire Department rescue unit caught fire in the middle of South Main Street just south of Michigan Avenue Wednesday morning, WLDS.com reported.

A fire official said firefighters were delivering fire prevention materials to the schools Wednesday for fire prevention month when the Jacksonville EMS rescue truck suffered a runaway engine, the report said.

A runaway engine happens with diesel-powered vehicles when the engine revs to high RPMs and cannot be controlled easily ending in engine failure, the fire official said in the report. Smoke could be seen billowing from the engine compartment when the truck stopped and the hood was opened.

The Jacksonville rescue truck has been tapped to be replaced soon, however, supply chain issues have caused delays in the Jacksonville Fire Department being able to acquire a new chassis cab truck for use as the new rescue EMS vehicle, the report said.

KEEPING IT SAFE Robert Tutterow

The number of apparatus on display at Interschutz this year was lower than in previous years. Nonetheless, there was a lot of new technology, designs, and product improvements on display.

The basic design of the European apparatus has not changed. For example, there is no hosebed, all compartment doors are roll-up, and the compartments are highly organized. The cabs sit high and entrance/egress is difficult, they are all painted red, and they all have yellow reflective striping. There were no U.S. apparatus on display. Not surprising was the abundance of electronics prevalent at all the pump panels, which are located at the rear of the apparatus.

By far, Rosenbauer had the largest presence of all the apparatus manufacturers. There were four electric-powered vehicles, including an ARFF unit and an aerial platform (photos 1 and 2). All were on a Volvo chassis. Some of the units had very spacious cabs and could be lowered while parked. This is a very safe design, especially when exiting the cab with personal protective equipment donned (photo 3).

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Another impressive display from Rosenbauer was a detached platform, which had all the platform accessories available that can be mounted on the platform, including a wheelchair and a two-person stokes basket (photo 4). All European aerial devices have the platform design; however, they do not all have piped waterways. The platform design is most impressive to this baby boomer, as many of us would much prefer to be rescued onto a platform rather than navigate down a “strai

Leon County Sheriff’s Office reported on its Twitter account Wednesday afternoon that a two-vehicle crash involving a Tallahassee Fire Department truck had occurred, blocking Blountstown Highway at Geddie Road. The sheriff’s office posted two photos but no other details were released.

KME—West Earl Township Volunteer Fire Department, Lancaster County, PA, pumper. KME SSX XLFD cab with raised roof and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,750-gpm pump; 750-gallon polypropylene water tank; 162-inch Flex-Form flushback body constructed of 12-gauge 3CR12 stainless steel; ASA Voyager camera system. Dealer: Lo Barrick, Fire & Rescue Products, Harrisburg, PA.

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A federal grant will enable Ashland Fire and Rescue to upgrade breathing equipment and provide health screenings for all of its firefighters, MailTribune.com reported.

Ashland Fire and Rescue announced the $365,181 award Monday from the Assistance to Firefighters grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Without this grant, due to Ashland’s tight budget, the department would have struggled to update its outdated equipment, according to a statement put out by Ashland Fire and Rescue.

The breathing equipment — called self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA — consists of air tanks carried on packs worn by firefighters, with face pieces to prevent breathing super-heated air or smoke filled with toxic chemicals, according to the statement.

The packs include an alarm system for fallen or trapped firefighters. Connections allow firefighters to aid each other by hooking into another breathing pack, supplying air from a full tank to one running low, the report said.