VIDEO/PHOTOS: Police are looking for a man who blew up a car and caused a huge fire during a funeral at an Auburn cemetery last month. Investigators say the suspect also shot at City of Auburn employees. On Aug. 23, police say a passenger in a car put an explosive device in a funeral attendee’s car during the memorial at Mountain View Cemetery, which is owned by the City of Auburn.
- PUB DATE: 9/13/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

Tragedy was averted Saturday morning in Port Angeles when police officers apprehended a suspect they believe set multiple fires near Albert and 5th Streets. At the same time, dispatchers got another report of a hedge that was burning on the 400 block of 7th Street. One witness reported two burned-out areas in the tall grass near a trailhead and provided a description of the suspect they saw fleeing the area.
- PUB DATE: 9/12/2022 10:44:40 PM - SOURCE: My Clallam County - Metered Site

On Saturday, Sept. 10, firefighters from Spokane Fire Department (SFD) and Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) urgently responded to reports of a fire at Felts Field Spokane Airport just after 6 p.m. On scene, a hangar was reported to be smoking, with visible flames. A second-alarm was called for additional resources sent to the Rutter Road location.
- PUB DATE: 9/12/2022 5:45:00 PM - SOURCE: KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

By Alan M. Petrillo

Battery-powered hydraulic rescue tools have taken the rescue world by storm, giving traditional hosed hydraulic rescue tools a run for their money. The attraction of battery-powered tools, say many departments, is in their maneuverability, ease of use and storage, and ability to be taken to locations that a hosed tool couldn’t reach.

Michael Canon, director of rescue sales for IDEX Fire and Safety’s HURST™ Jaws of Life®, believes smart battery technology has changed so much that it allows firefighters greater abilities in battery life and cycling limits but also in the versatility offered in use of the tools.

• Battery-Operated Hydraulic Tools Make Big Inroads on Rescue Trucks and Rescue-Pumpers
• Hillsborough County (FL) Fire Rescue Turns to Holmatro for Large Order of Hydraulic Rescue Tools
• Rescue-Pumpers Continue in Popularity Among Many Suburban, Rural Fire Departments
• Power, Speed, and Weight Are Factors in Extrication Tool Design

“The updates in batteries have changed the equation when it comes to run time for battery-powered tools,” Canon observes. He says that the most common demand from fire departments is for HURST’s SP 555 28-inch spreader, which is very popular in use on heavy rescue units. “We also have the SP 777 spreader with a 32-inch spread that gives firefighters more versatility,” he adds.

Canon points out that a big change in the auto industry has been an increase in the tensile strength of cars. “The lower profiles of the A and B posts are getting wider, and automakers are adding wider and more layers of high-strength steel,” he says. “It’s getting very difficult to remove the B post without the cutters swinging into the patient.” Canon s

Gulfport is getting a new fire truck, but it might be a year or more before it’s delivered, TheGabber.com reported.

The city council voted September 6 to approve the $835,160 purchase using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) coronavirus recovery funds, the report said. A city official said this kind of equipment takes about 18 months or more. So the city will get a 2024 truck that likely will not arrive before late 2023 at the earliest.

According to officials, the Gulfport Fire Department’s current Engine 17, a 2012 model, has recently cracked the 100,000-mile mark. Maintenance and upkeep has increased over the years due to its age and the number of calls it runs daily, officials said.