The Kirkland (WA) Fire Department recently responded the first call in its new Station 24.

“Thank you to our first responders, and to everyone who made the new station a reality!” the city writes on Facebook.

Station 24, whose ribbon was cut on December 16, is located on Northeast 132nd Street, just north of Juanita Elementary School.

The new location aims to help first responders reach any and all homes in Finn Hill and Juanita Community in six minutes.

Kern County (CA) sheriff’s deputies executed search warrants to seize devices from the workplace and residence of Kern County firefighter Christopher Vega on the heels of a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that the suspect had uploaded child pornography onto the Internet, reports bakersfield.com.

Deputies linked an IP address to the department’s station in Buttonwillow that Vega, 35, used to make videos of himself; it was the same address used to upload the approximately 600 images of child porn, the report says. Officials also determined that Vega was the only person working at the time of the uploads.

Throughout the investigation deputies determined Vega invested about $1 million in the stock market and his house was worth $1.2 million, according to the report. His bail was set at $2 million.

Officials say they traveled to Santa Barbara to execute a search warrant and arrest Vega, who denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

A department spokesperson says Vega’s rank was a firefighter, and he served the department for 10 years; he’s on leave now and is due back in court on Tuesday.

Police officials say a man attempted to ram his pick-up truck into Minneapolis (MN) Fire Department’s Station 8 Thursday night to attack a woman inside, reports minnesota.cbs.local.com.

Officers were called to the station, on the 2700 block of Blaisdell Avenue, around 7:15 p.m.; when they arrived they found firefighters physically detaining a man, the report says.

The woman says she was trying to get away from the man who wouldn’t stop following her, and she ran to the station for help. Officials say the man then drove up to the station before crew members stood between his truck and the woman.

After the suspect refused to comply, he started driving slowly toward the woman and the firefighters opened the bay doors to get inside, the report says.

He then tried to drive through the door, but the truck got stuck. Crews then popped his tires, disabled the truck, and restrained him until police arrived. He’s in Hennepin County Jail and is expected to be charged with assault.

No injuries were reported, and the station remained operational Thursday night.

The Thorn (MI) Volunteer Fire Department is close to getting its new headquarters, reports wcbi.com.

Work was recently completed on the shell of a metal building which will serve as the new facility for the department.

Officials say there were no grants available for the project, as the average local median household income is too high. Instead, the department is fundraising in the community and has thus far raised $95,000 of Phase Three’s required $100,000, according to the report.

The more modern station—the current facility was built in the 1980s—will also improve the department’s fire rating from the state, which in turn lowers insurance rates for the community. In addition, it will improve response times and give the department some much-needed extra space. Officials hope the new station will be ready this year.

The county did secure a grant for the construction of a storm shelter to be built on the west side of the station, the report says.

Toyne—North Boston (NY) Volunteer Fire Company two PRV XL pumpers. Spartan Metro Star cabs and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engines; Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pumps; UPF Poly 1,000-gallon water tanks; Command Light 2 KL series light towers; Akron 34450 monitors with electric risers; welded stainless steel bodies. Dealer: Randy Smalley, Tri State Fire, Monogahela, PA.

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