In a quick and dramatic water rescue captured on video Wednesday afternoon, Vancouver firefighters pulled a man from the Columbia River as he clung to a log. Witnesses called 911 about 3:45 p.m. when they watched a man jump from the Interstate 5 bridge about 60 feet into the cold river. It’s unclear why he jumped.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Oregonian

As western Washington prepares to reach 80 degrees for the first time this year, King County officials are preparing to announce Friday its first-ever action plan to reduce the impact of future heat waves. The new "Extreme Heat Mitigation" plan is part of King County's Strategic Climate Action plan.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

it’s a Thursday afternoon in the Safeway parking lot, and a trio of Moses Lake Fire Department firefighters stands around an old white Cadillac. There’s the smell of gasoline in the air, and the firefighters have scattered coarse diatomaceous earth — basically cat litter — to contain a spill caused by a drip from the car’s gas tank.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Columbia Basin Herald - Metered Site

In efforts to assess emergency situations in a timelier manner and improve overall safety, the Phoenix Fire Department has launched a new drone program.

“This new program will help save lives and assess emergency situations more quickly with a better perspective—protecting both the community and the first responders on the scene of emergencies,” a Facebook post reads.

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Nine members of the department are FAA-certified to fly the three unmanned aircraft systems in the fleet, officials say.

Inflation and supply-chain issues have affected the size and scope of the new Vernon Township Fire Department station in McCordsville, reports greenfieldreporter.com. However, officials say safety and service have not been compromised.

Vernon Township is planning the facility near the southwest corner of Mt. Comfort Road and CR 900N. FA reported in March that the original design plan called for an estimated cost of about $6.5 million.

Though in April and May, during the bid process, it came to light that the aforementioned issues would increase the total cost by about 10%-15%, the report says. On the heels of the news, some changes were made, the biggest of which being exterior changes—switching from red brick to brown and reducing from a three-vehicle bay to a two-.

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The project now has a guaranteed maximum price of $6.8 million, according to the report.

Fortville Town Council approved the modifications Monday, and McCordsville Town Council is slated to review them next month, the report says.

Construction was expected to begin in June and take eight months, and the belief was that it will be operational at some point in 2023, FA reported at the time.

The Vernon Township Fire Department was formed in 2019, and the Vernon Township Fire Territory was formed the following year as a cooperative effort of Vernon Township, the town of McCordsville, and the town of Fortville.