Retired fire chief R.E. Dick West, who led efforts to merge and modernize fire departments across central Kitsap County in more than four decades of service, died Feb. 19. He was 77. West, the chairman of Central Kitsap Board of Fire Commissioners, suffered from some long-term health ailments and had to be hospitalized in recent months, board vice chairman Bob Muhleman said.
- PUB DATE: 3/1/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kitsap Sun - Metered Site

Seven fire agencies in South King County formed Wa Fire Careers in an effort to streamline and simplify the process of becoming a firefighter, making it more affordable, accessible and inclusive for all. Entry Level Firefighter registration is now open online for WAFireCareers partner agencies – Enumclaw Fire Department, King County Fire District #20, Puget Sound Fire, Renton Regional Fire Authority, South King Fire & Rescue, Tukwila Fire Department and Valley Regional Fire Authority.
- PUB DATE: 3/1/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kent Reporter

The Springfield (IL) Fire Department is getting a series of upgrades in the city’s budget, including $6 million for new apparatus, new stations, and new staff as part of the department’s station and apparatus initiatives, reports newschannel20.com.

“This is a gamechanger for providing services to our community. Thank you from the men and women of the Springfield Fire Department!” the department writes on Facebook.

Officials say the funding is coming at the right time, as 13 of the department’s vehicles are more than 15 years old, and eight are older than 20. A Center for Public Safety Management study suggests 15 as the maximum vehicle age.

The new trucks will cut the department’s average apparatus age in half. The ball is already rolling with regards to the department applying for new rigs, which boast an 18- to 22-month delivery time.

The report notes that the department is still waiting on a new engine and truck bought from last year’s budget, but supply-chain issues slowed production and an end-of-summer delivery is anticipated.

See the entire council meeting here:

Following last week’s approval by the village board, a new, $1.3 million 100-foot aerial is expected to arrive in Rosemont (IL) in about a year, reports journal-topics.com.

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The apparatus, costing a total of $1,383,270, will serve as the department’s second aerial. Last year, Rosemont donated its oldest ladder truck to the Robbins (IL) Fire Department; the other truck in its fleet has been in service since 2009, according to the report.

The aerial will be housed at Rosemont’s main station on River Road.

Casa Grande (AZ) city council recently approved a $7 million project to build a new fire station at the northwest corner of the Pinal Avenue and Rodeo Road intersection, reports pinalcentral.com.

It comes with a design price tag of around $691,000 and the overall $7 million budget. CORE Construction, with design firm HDA Architects, was awarded the bid for the project design, the report notes. The firm has designed other local projects.

The single-story facility will have four bays and a half-bay for an ambulance, and it will provide sleeping quarters for 10 firefighters, a large kitchen, dining area, and a training room. Supply-chain issues are expected to make it a 14-month project at the earliest, according to the report.