PAUL WILCOXEN
The Southern Illinoisan, Ill.
(TNS)

HERRIN — The trucks have been rolling out of Herrin’s new fire station for months, but on Friday, the public finally got a chance to step inside.

City leaders, firefighters and residents gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, marking the department’s formal introduction of the modern facility to the community it serves.

Herrin community welcomes new fire station

The station replaces a nearly 50-year-old building on Park Avenue that was originally built for two or three firefighters per shift. With the department now staffing five per shift and managing more equipment, the old space had long outlived its usefulness.

Herrin Mayor Steve Frattini said the project took years of coordination between city officials, architects, contractors and department staff.

“The location here is strategic to our footprint as a city, our growth patterns, both population and the assets,” Frattini said.

Fire Chief Sean Priddy said the department has been operating from the new station for several months while adjusting to the space and preparing it for Friday’s event.

“We’ve been in it for a few months, trying to live in the space and figure out what else we need,” Priddy said. “We know the community wanted to come and see the building.”

The open house gave residents a chance to meet firefighters, tour the station and explore features the old facility lacked — including a conference and training room and dedicated areas for rescue simulations.

The former station, built in 1973, faced serious structural and environmental issues. Mold, roof leaks and failing HVAC systems made renovation difficult.

Engineering studies later confirmed that bringing the building up to code would cost more than starting fresh.

The new station was built with modern standards and future growth in mind. It includes expanded living quarters, wider bays for apparatus and safety upgrades designed to reduce firefighters’ exposure to harmful contaminants — a growing concern in the profession.

The station’s design also supports continued training and development, featuring a ventilated decontamination zone and a bay area where crews can simulate ladder rescues and basement fires.

“It’s really exciting to finally let people come and see what we’re so proud of,” Priddy said. “The community’s always supported us, and now they get to see the kind of facility that support helped build.”

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The Herrin Chamber of Commerce helped organize the event. Chamber President Rhiannon Storm thanked the city and the fire department for opening the building to the public.

“This beautiful new firehouse is something to celebrate,” Storm said.

After the ceremony, tours continued th

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)– St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson will never forget May 16, 2025.

It was a Friday around 3:15 p.m., meaning major roads in the city were already packed with traffic as rush hour approached. That would lead to even more issues down the road.

It was the day an EF-3 tornado struck the city of St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County, killing five and leaving behind miles of destruction.

Jenkerson said the tornado tore through the central and north-central sections of the city and was on the ground for roughly 8 miles. The storm was anywhere from a mile to three-quarters of a mile wide and took out electrical substations, affecting between 8,500 and 10,000 homes before it crossed the river into Illinois.

As if the thought of rescue efforts wasn’t enough for first responders to ponder, they now had to deal with the issue of getting equipment into the affected areas because of congestion on major roads.

“It was established fairly early on that this was a major event, that we had multiple homes involved. It kind of clipped the corner of where one of our major hospitals was located,” Jenkerson said.

That hospital was the Barnes-Jewish Hospital, along with the children’s hospital.

The St. Louis-area responders needed help. Missouri Task Force 1 — an urban search and rescue team based at the Boone County Fire Protection District headquarters in Columbia — was among the five agencies that answered the call during the 72-hour search.

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Fearing mass casualties

Jenkerson said a little more than half of Kingshighway in the city limits, up to about Delmar Boulevard, was impassable at the time. That, along with major destruction to buildings that they could see from the ground, led emergency responders to think they were looking at a mass casualty event.

“So, the call was made out to Region C, which I’m the co-director in the state of Missouri, that we were going to need the task forces as soon as possible and to notify Missouri Task Force 1,” Jenkerson said. “Based on the radio reports we were getting from our dispatch center for calls for assistance, we had a very wide section of the city that was in need of immediate emergency response.”

Missouri Task Force 1 arrived in St. Louis around midnight and immediately got to work.

Jenkerson said they had already searched about 2,500-3,000 buildings within the first 24 hours of their response, thanks in part to Missouri Task Force 1’s manpower and equipment. But it was one small piece of equipment that proved vital during while saving peop

J. B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (JBPCO), a privately held North American manufacturer serving the commercial vehicle and specialty manufacturing industries, today announced the acquisition of Demers Braun Crestline Medix (DBCM).

Headquartered in Beloeil, Quebec (Canada), DBCM is one of North America’s largest ambulance manufacturers with a strong presence across the U.S. and Canadian markets. Known for advanced innovation and paramedic-driven design, DBCM has delivered more than 70,000 units to over 40 countries and employs more than 1,500 team members across its operations.

“Our acquisition of DBCM aligns with JBPCO’s long-term vision—building a platform of industry-leading companies with a shared commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service,” said John Poindexter, CEO and chairman of JBPCO. “As JBPCO celebrates its 40th anniversary, and each of the DBCM brands celebrates decades of dedication in the emergency vehicle industry, we are proud to bring together more than 500 years of combined manufacturing excellence across our portfolio of companies. DBCM has built a solid foundation, and we look forward to investing in its future, supporting the team, enhancing the products, and unlocking new opportunities for growth.”

Demers recently launched its 11^th-generation ambulance platform and continues to set the bar in safety, design, and performance with paramedic-centric features like the FX Care Module. As part of JBPCO, the Company will continue to operate with brand autonomy while benefiting from expanded resources, shared capabilities, and a culture that values team member contributions.

“Joining JBPCO is a major milestone for our organization and our team,” said Alain Brunelle, CEO of Demers Braun Crestline Medix. “We are united by a mission to improve lives, one relationship and one vehicle at a time—and this partnership ensures we can continue doing just that, with even greater scale and support.”

JBPCO’s total revenue will reach $3 billion with this acquisition, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone in the commercial and specialty vehicle manufacturing space—from last-mile delivery and work trucks to emergency response vehicles.

About J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc.

J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (JBPCO) is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company providing best-in-class commercial automotive and industrial solutions. JBPCO owns and operates a portfolio of leading business units including Morgan Truck Body, LLC; Morgan Olson, LLC; The Reading Truck Group, LLC; Truck Accessories Group, LLC d/b/a LEER Group; Masterack, LLC; EFP, LLC; Federal Eagle, LLC; and EAVX. JBPCO is headquartered in Houston, Texas and with the acquisition of DBCM, now employs more than 10,000 team members across North America. For more information, visit JBPoindexter.com or connect on LinkedIn.

About Demers Braun Crestline Medix

Demers Braun Crestline Medix is one of North America’s largest ambulance manufacturers, with a legacy of over 175 years across its four leading brands. Headquartered in Beloeil, Quebec, and operating in both Canada and the United States, the company designs and manufactures ambulances that meet the evolving needs of emergency service providers. Its brands—Demers, Braun, Crestline, and Medix—have delivered over 70,000 units in more than 40 countries. To learn more, visit demers-ambulances.com, braunambulances.com, crestlineambulances.com, and medixambulance.com.

The post J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. Acquires Ambulance Manufacturer Demers Braun Crestline Medix appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehic

J. B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (JBPCO), a privately held North American manufacturer serving the commercial vehicle and specialty manufacturing industries, today announced the acquisition of Demers Braun Crestline Medix (DBCM).

Headquartered in Beloeil, Quebec (Canada), DBCM is one of North America’s largest ambulance manufacturers with a strong presence across the U.S. and Canadian markets. Known for advanced innovation and paramedic-driven design, DBCM has delivered more than 70,000 units to over 40 countries and employs more than 1,500 team members across its operations.

“Our acquisition of DBCM aligns with JBPCO’s long-term vision—building a platform of industry-leading companies with a shared commitment to quality, innovation, and customer service,” said John Poindexter, CEO and chairman of JBPCO. “As JBPCO celebrates its 40th anniversary, and each of the DBCM brands celebrates decades of dedication in the emergency vehicle industry, we are proud to bring together more than 500 years of combined manufacturing excellence across our portfolio of companies. DBCM has built a solid foundation, and we look forward to investing in its future, supporting the team, enhancing the products, and unlocking new opportunities for growth.”

Demers recently launched its 11^th-generation ambulance platform and continues to set the bar in safety, design, and performance with paramedic-centric features like the FX Care Module. As part of JBPCO, the Company will continue to operate with brand autonomy while benefiting from expanded resources, shared capabilities, and a culture that values team member contributions.

“Joining JBPCO is a major milestone for our organization and our team,” said Alain Brunelle, CEO of Demers Braun Crestline Medix. “We are united by a mission to improve lives, one relationship and one vehicle at a time—and this partnership ensures we can continue doing just that, with even greater scale and support.”

JBPCO’s total revenue will reach $3 billion with this acquisition, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone in the commercial and specialty vehicle manufacturing space—from last-mile delivery and work trucks to emergency response vehicles.

About J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc.

J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (JBPCO) is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company providing best-in-class commercial automotive and industrial solutions. JBPCO owns and operates a portfolio of leading business units including Morgan Truck Body, LLC; Morgan Olson, LLC; The Reading Truck Group, LLC; Truck Accessories Group, LLC d/b/a LEER Group; Masterack, LLC; EFP, LLC; Federal Eagle, LLC; and EAVX. JBPCO is headquartered in Houston, Texas and with the acquisition of DBCM, now employs more than 10,000 team members across North America. For more information, visit JBPoindexter.com or connect on LinkedIn.

About Demers Braun Crestline Medix

Demers Braun Crestline Medix is one of North America’s largest ambulance manufacturers, with a legacy of over 175 years across its four leading brands. Headquartered in Beloeil, Quebec, and operating in both Canada and the United States, the company designs and manufactures ambulances that meet the evolving needs of emergency service providers. Its brands—Demers, Braun, Crestline, and Medix—have delivered over 70,000 units in more than 40 countries. To learn more, visit demers-ambulances.com, braunambulances.com, crestlineambulances.com, and medixambulance.com.

The post J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. Acquires Ambulance Manufacturer Demers Braun Crestline Medix appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, eme

LADDER TOWER—Philadelphia (PA) International Airport 75-foot rear-mount aerial ladder quint. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins X12 500-hp engine; Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump; 500-gallon polypropylene water tank; 75-foot steel three-section ladder. Sold by John Rosetti, Campbell Supply Company, South Brunswick, NJ.

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