Rebuilding Rochester Fire Department’s historic clock and bell tower will continue, KTTC.com reported Wednesday.

The Seth Thomas bell tower clock was located at the Central Fire Station dating back to 1898. The clock and its 1,200-pound bell were used to notify firefighters, the report said.

The new tower will be located at Fire Station 1 off South Broadway Avenue, one block away from the original location. It will be 50-feet tall and feature clock faces that are six-feet tall, the report said.

A Rochester fire official said companies have volunteered their time to get construction started. When it comes to monetary needs, the fire official said they are close to 30 percent of their goal, but said an exact dollar amount is difficult to gauge.

The fire official said they are in the process of creating a new website, and that those interested in donating can visit the current website in the meantime.

He said White’s Smoke, Fire and Water Damage Restoration has had an ongoing fundraiser for the clock tower for the last few years. People are encouraged to bring in their scrap metal, and White’s will donate the money it receives selling the metal, to the restoring the tower, the report said.

One of the clock faces is on display at the RFD museum at Station 2 off of Viola Road, the report said.

According to a report from KHQ, Spokane County (WA) Fire (SCF) said that firefighting equipment and personal gear was stolen off of a Department of Natural Resources wildland fire truck while crews were cleaning up the Palisades Fire north of Government Way, which erupted last Friday.

Over the past weekend, the Palisades Fire burned approximately 43 acres. Officials recently dropped the orders for evacuations, but area residents were asked to leave their homes during the duration. 

SCF said the area was placed on patrol status though Wednesday as things calm down. 

Fire crews are asking anyone with information regarding the theft to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Work will soon start on the new $10.7 million fire station in northern Davenport, IA, WVIK.org reported. On Wednesday, Aug. 31, city leaders held a groundbreaking at Brady and 42nd streets, near Northpark Mall.

A fire official said the new Station 3 will replace a 60-year-old station at the corner of 35th Street and Harrison.

Much of the growth in Davenport during recent decades has been to the north, the report said, which has resulted in increased call volume in the region. The newly-located Fire Station Number 3 allows for resources to accommodate for the growth of commercial, industrial and residential needs in the area, the report said.

The new station will have more room for training and department operations, living quarters designed for today’s co-ed workforce, and a community room, the report said.

Site work the new fire station is expected to start next week, with completion in the fall of next year.

The Grande Prairie Fire Department in Alberta, Canada will host an engine push-in ceremony September 12 to recognize the arrival of the brand-new fire engine, a 2022 Spartan Gladiator Classic Smeal Custom Pumper, according to a press release from the City of Grande Prairie.

On Monday, September 12, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. residents are invited to the Pete Eagar Fire Station on Resources Road for a traditional engine push in ceremony to officially put the engine into service. Local food truck vendors will be onsite at the fire hall for the celebration, along with guided tours of the fire trucks from the department.

Push-In Ceremony’s are a tradition dating back to the late 1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment. Upon returning to the station after a fire call, the horses could not easily back the equipment into the station. The firefighters work as a team to push the engine into the bay by hand.

About the New Engine

The new engine is equipped with several enhancements over the model it is retiring including:

• Additional airbags and roll cages for protection in the event of a motor vehicle accident.
• Agronomical hose deployment and equipment storage.
• Added vehicle extraction tool for faster motor vehicle extrication.
• Lower emissions from battery operated electric hand tools.
• Shorter turn radius of the vehicle for better access to certain neighborhoods.

The new engine will be stationed at Pete Eagar Fire Station.

For more information on the Grande Prairie Fire Department’s Engine Push-In Ceremony visit, cityofgp.com/enginepushin.

Firefighters from the Huntsville/Lake of Bays (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department have just made it back to in to Canada after driving a gently used fire truck from Alabama back home, according to a report published by Huntsville Doppler. They documented their trip with photos and shared them with the public.  

According to the report, three firefighters left Ontario on August 28 and flew to Alabama to check out a used fire truck and drive it home after attempts to buy a new one provide to be too long and too expensive because of supply change and other economic issues. The department needed to replace a 1999 model apparatus this year at the Baysville fire station and approved $420,000 for a replacement, but later found it would cost at least $500,000 for the apparatus and take two years to build, according to reports.

Undaunted, the department found the used apparatus and got authorization to spend up to $400,000 for it, according to reports. Firefighters made arrangements to get the apparatus and have been driving it home this past week and just crossed the border today (Sept. 1), according to the report.

According to the Lake of Bay’s web site, the fire truck and crew made their last fuel stop this afternoon are expected to be home soon.