The Alton Fire Department battled a doublewide trailer fire on Saturday evening in the 300 block of Aladdin. The department suffered no injuries to any crew members, but it lost its ladder truck in the process, reports riverbender.com.

Officials say the apparatus will be out of commission for a while. They say the once-repaired wiring harness burned through the airline and locked up the brakes, the report says. It had to be towed back to the firehouse.

Related Articles:
Alton (IL) Gets New Fire Apparatus
Alton (IL) Ambulance Damages Fire Station Garage Door
Altona (IL) Fire Protection District Alexis Pickup Brush Truck

The East Alton Fire Department was called, but ultimately the fire caused significant damage to the trailer, according to the report.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and it remains under investigation.

Police in Watertown were called to a downtown fire station early Tuesday for reports of an allegedly intoxicated, armed man who was threatening suicide, according to westport-news.com.

Police officials say they responded just prior to 3 a.m. to find the man exiting the station lobby armed with a pistol. The suspect refused to comply with officers’ commands and threatened to kill himself, the report says.

The suspect was pelted with rounds of bean bags and was then taken into custody to address his mental health. The report notes the pistol turned out to be an airsoft gun.

With rapid growth in the community, Abilene (TX) Fire Department officials say the city needs a new fire station, reports ktxs.com.

They add that there’s a slight delay, about a minute off the average time, in getting to calls on the south side. The report says a new station would cost around $7.5 million, and officials say the funds would most likely come via bond.

Related Articles:
New Abilene (TX) Fire Station, EOC Proposed
Abilene (TX) Establishing Virus Response Unit
Abilene (TX) Receives Brush Fire Apparatus

The potential Station 9 would be complete around summer 2025, and the current plan is to build it off of 707—on city-owned land, the report says.

Officials hope to get the ball rolling on the facility with the next bond election.

Technimount EMS (“Technimount”), an affiliate company of Technimount System and leading provider of mounting solutions for medical devices, is proud to introduce the Xtension Pro^TM Assistant – LP, a unique and innovative mounting system to secure multiple medical devices during Air Critical Care Transport.

The Xtension Pro Assistant – LP is a flexible mounting system for the management of multiple medical devices on cots which improves Air Critical Care Transport operations. It integrates Technimount’s universal mounting system widely used among Emergency Medical Services in North America, ensuring a seamless transition from air to ground emergency transport up to hospital environments. Designed in compliance with the highest industry standards for air transport, this system significantly improves the safety of patients and crews.

The Xtension Pro Assistant – LP was developed by Technimount Engineering (Technimount Design Inc.), Technimount System’s affiliated division responsible for new product development and product improvement. This innovative mounting solution integrates important features highly appreciated by Critical Care Transport teams, such as a two-sided open structure that facilitates lateral patient transfer from bed/stretcher to cot, while the medical equipment remains installed. It improves interchangeability between medical devices as configuration can be customized according to the type of transport or protocol. With the use of Technimount’s Red Quick Release Mechanism, the mobile structure can be easily removed from the cot, allowing the critical care team to be more efficient in managing equipment and to concentrate on what matters most, patient care.

“We had the opportunity to work closely with Air Critical Care Transport teams from the early stages of this project, which provided Technimount with first-hand insights that are essential in the development of innovative solutions that make a difference in their everyday practices.” said Carl Bouchard, President and CEO of Technimount System. “We were able to integrate all these insights to the expertise we have gained over the years working with emergency ground transport services and the result is the first mounting system that can transition from one application to the other, improving patient care and safety during transport.”

Compliant with FAA, 14 CFR 23, the Xtension Pro Assistant – LP has been successfully certified on Pilatus PC-12 aircraft and clearance for several deployments in North America is in process.

On the heels of a National Weather Service-issued flood watch lasting from Wednesday evening until Friday evening, Buffalo (NY) first responders are taking flooding precautions vis a vis the Buffalo River, reports wutv29.com.

When frozen, the river can act as a dam and dump floodwaters into nearby neighborhoods.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Fire Department’s century-old Edward M. Cotter fireboat and the Buffalo Police Underwater Rescue Team tried to nip the problem in the bud by getting in the frigid waters and breaking up the ice, the report says.

The Cotter was cutting up ice downstream of the Bailey Bridge, while the rescue team dove in upstream to chainsaw triangles in the ice to break it up, according to the report.

Officials say the typical flood areas are at risk.