The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will take place Saturday, September 6, 2025 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, New Jersey [April 4, 2025] – The New Jersey community is coming together to honor the brave heroes of September 11, 2001, with the inaugural New Jersey 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. This heartfelt event will take place on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the iconic MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Participants and observers alike are invited to join in this unique tribute, with all proceeds benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF).

The NFFF’s mission is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes, to provide resources to assist their survivors in rebuilding their lives, and work within the Fire Service Community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.

The stair climb is more than just a physical challenge; it is a moving remembrance of those who selflessly served on that fateful day. Participants will ascend the equivalent of 110 stories, symbolizing the height of the World Trade Center, while paying homage to the firefighters and first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice.

David Russell, President and Principal of Fire & Safety Services, expressed the significance of this event, stating, “The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is a powerful reminder of the courage and commitment of our firefighters and first responders. It’s our duty to honor their legacy, and through this event, we not only remember them but also support the families left behind.

Together, we can ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.”

As we gather at MetLife Stadium, we invite participants of all ages and from all walks of life— first responders, families, friends, and community members—to lace up their sneakers and join us in this meaningful climb. Whether you choose to climb, cheer, or volunteer, your presence will make a difference.

The event will feature not only the climb but also a morning filled with community spirit, guest speakers, and more. Together, we can foster a sense of unity and resilience, honoring those who protect and serve our communities.

Let us stand together as a community to honor our heroes and support the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Join us in this solemn yet uplifting journey as we remember, reflect, and rise together.

Registration to climb will open in June. This is not a race, but a meaningful way to remember and honor the Fallen’s bravery.

For more information about 1st Annual New Jersey 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, including how to participate, volunteer, or sponsor the event, please visit www.f-ss.com or contact nj911memorialstairclimb@f-ss.com.

To learn more about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and their mission, please visit https://www.firehero.org/.

The post Inaugural NJ 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb: Honoring Heroes in Support of National Fallen Firefighters Foundation appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Many in the fire service know Innomotive Solutions Group (ISG) brands like AMDOR and FMI, but ISG has been around since 1967. Chris Mc Loone caught up with Oran McNabb, president, ISG, to delve a little deeper into the company and its latest acquisition, FMI.

CM: ISG is not as well known to the fire service as your brands like AMDOR and FMI. Please provide a short background on ISG.

OM: Innomotive Solutions Group (ISG) has roots dating back to 1967. Our firm has always focused on access solutions, starting with our first business acting as a licensee for Whiting Door Manufacturing Corp® (the global leader in truck doors). Within the emergency services group of companies is the AMDOR® brand roll-up doors and the Luma Bar® brand of LED lighting products. In 2021, Fire Manufacturing Innovations® (formerly known as Fire and Marine) joined the ISG group of companies. Since this acquisition, ISG has invested significantly into FMI to dramatically expand its capabilities.

CM: Some might think that having FMI upfit a department’s new fire apparatus means it has to go to FMI’s headquarters, but this isn’t the case. Talk about how a department in California can benefit from FMI’s upfitting without a rig having to go to Ohio first.

OM: FMI is located in Springfield, Ohio, on a secured 10-acre site featuring multiple Trumpf lasers, press brakes up to 230 tons, 10 Miller welding stations, a 60-foot paint booth, and features the largest Timesavers® machine in the United States. For many years, it was our practice to exclusively offer a white glove service where the apparatus would be brought to Ohio. The reality is that it may not always be convenient or cost-effective. Fellow ISG subsidiary AMDOR is accustomed to working with manufacturers around the world on building custom assemblies to be installed on apparatus that we may never see in person. We have leveraged this experience to design a 3D configuration system for compartment management.

This software allows FMI’s design team to lay out the equipment, identifying constraints while maximizing compartment utilization. FMI then manufactures and installs the compartment management system. Alternatively, we can build and ship the completed package for installation at the fire department or an FMI-approved service facility. Not all fire departments require a full design and engineering package. For these projects, we offer our catalog program, which includes dozens of products available from stock.

CM: Talk about the concept of “compartment management. “

OM: Compartment management goes beyond the practice of simply securing equipment to the apparatus. The goal of compartment management is to maximize the available storage space on a rig while ensuring safe and efficient use of its equipment. This process is carried out through a detailed inventory of equipment married with a needs analysis for the specific apparatus and its crew.

Once FMI’s experienced team of designers has cataloged the equipment on the truck and met with the specification team, we are able to share best practices from our archive of thousands of projects. Beyond simply securing equipment, we also consider factors including safety of deployment and the resulting weight distribution on the apparatus. Once the design has been approved, FMI’s engineering team signs off on the project and work begins. Our secure system captures and stores detaile

The Wheeling (WV) Fire Department announced recently that it had officially placed its new rig, Rescue 1, into service, the department said in a Facebook post.

After arriving from the manufacturer earlier this year, R-1 underwent extensive inspections, additional equipment installations, and training sessions for our personnel, the post said.

“The new truck brings expanded capabilities, improved tool storage, increased efficiency, and, most importantly, a higher level of safety for our crews,” the post said.

Rescue 1 is quartered at Station 2 in North Wheeling.

The old R-1 will now serve as a reserve unit, ready to step in when needed.

The post Wheeling (WV) FD Places New Rescue 1 Into Service appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Cliff Pinckard – cleveland.com

WEST SALEM, Ohio — A Wayne County firefighter was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while attempting to help another driver whose pickup truck was stuck in a ditch, reports say.

The Town and Country Fire District announced the death of Lt. Paul Mickolick in a post on social media.

“Our department has suffered a tremendous loss,” Fire Chief Adam Hory said in a statement. “Lt. Mickolick was a mentor, a brother and a true hero. ”His passion for the fire service and his deep-rooted dedication to this community will never be forgotten.”

According to Plain Dealer/cleveland.com news partner WKYC Channel 3, the State Highway Patrol says Mickolick, 43, was helping a driver whose truck was stuck in a ditch at about 10:40 p.m. Friday. The truck became stuck while exiting a private field.

The patrol says Mickolick arrived at the scene in his personal vehicle and parked on side of the road. Moments later, a vehicle driven by a 64-year-old West Salem man went off the side of the road and hit Mickolick, the pickup truck and the truck’s driver, WKYC reports.

Mickolick was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver was seriously injured and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Akron, reports say.

The fire department says Mickolick previously had worked for 16 years as a flight paramedic for the Cleveland Clinic. He had worked for the fire department for 4½ years.

“His unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of others was evident in every aspect of his service,” the news release says. “… Lt. Mickolick exemplified courage, integrity and selflessness both on and off duty. One can only imagine the countless number of lives he has impacted through his dedicated service.”

The crash remains under investigation.

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

The post ‘True Hero’: OH Firefighter Struck, Killed While Aiding Driver appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

TWIN FALLS — Have you ever dreamed of owning an old fire station?

If you’ve got $535,000 lying around, you’re in luck. The city will soon have a public auction for the 46-year-old Twin Falls Fire Department station No. 3.

Unfortunately, the single-story, 3,000-square-foot building does not have a fire pole to slide down.

“Fire poles have been deemed dangerous in the fire service,” Fire Chief Mitchell Brooks told the Times-News.

Government surplus auctions are a great place to score a $10 computer monitor, a $50 bookshelf or a $5,000 pickup truck. But auctioning off a half-million-dollar fire station is not very common, Deputy City Manager Mitch Humble said.

Old firehouse going on auction

The former fire station on Washington Street South stands empty Monday, April 14, 2025, in Twin Falls. The single-story, 3,000-square-foot building soon will be auctioned off — without a fire pole.

The city is not in the land development game, he said, and typically has a specific purpose when acquiring land.

“Sometimes the purposes end,” Humble said. “In this case, we moved the fire station to another property.”

The Twin Falls City Council on Monday declared the old fire station at 929 Washington St. S. as surplus property after opening up a new station down the street a year ago.

Some of the fire department’s vehicles couldn’t fit in the old station, Brooks said, and it had limited space for sleep rooms and bathrooms for the fire crew.

“We essentially outgrew the building,” Brooks said.

Mitchell Brooks in as Twin Falls Fire Chief

Firefighter Mitchell Brooks takes over as the new fire chief as he introduces his colleagues and family members to Mayor Ruth Pierce on Monday, March 31, 2025, in Twin Falls.

With the building being vacant for a year now, the city has already heard from interested buyers. Humble has shown the building to about 10 people.

One of those potential buyers, he said, could use the building as a construction office, another might use it for a car detailing business and others are real estate speculators. The property is zoned commercial.

But there is one issue lingering over the upcoming auction. A city-owned cell tower sits in the middle of the property.

If a buyer wants to repurpose the building, the cell tower probably won’t be an issue, but it might be a problem if a buyer wants to demolish and rebuild on the one-acre plot.

“I feel like we’ll still sell it,” Humble said. “The question is, do we sell the property and retain the antenna, or not? I don’t know where we’re going to come down on that. We still need to do some research.”

The state lays out a clear process for how cities get rid of surplus property.

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