Fredericktown (MO) city council recently approved the $50,000 purchase of a used 105-foot ladder truck for its fire department, reports dailyjournalonline.com.

The purchase, from the city of Farmington, is a budgeted item and will replace the current apparatus—only 65 feet—which has constantly needed repairs lately. In addition, it will improve the department’s ISO rating, the report says.

It’s not the apparatus’ first rodeo in Fredericktown, as it has performed mutual aid there many times, the report says.

Also discussed were clarifications of Prop P—”a sales tax of one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) solely for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Public Safety (Fredericktown Police Department and Fredericktown Fire Department) for the City of Fredericktown, including the building of a new multi-purpose facility. This tax was voted and passed by the citizens of Fredericktown on August 7th 2018.”

Officials presented council with current plans for the public safety building, as with potential changes the price would still be $3.4 million—the price per square foot didn’t change, the report says. The hard cost is $2.7 million with extra soft costs around $700,000.

Council thought it was a good idea but is caught up on the cost and would like to see the $700,000 soft-cost figure dwindle, according to the report. The green light was given to move forward with the design plan and begin discussing details.

Video via PBS.org

Construction for Peoria’s (IL) Fire Station 4 is expected to wrap up in early March, and, once finished, it will honor the city’s first African American firefighter, reports week.com.

A project three years in the making, Edward B. Gaines Fire Station 4 aims to not only give firefighters a respectable home to help an area that’s in need, but it will also honor a man who broke barriers, the report says.

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The facility, at Western and Howett, cost around $3 million, which was split between city and state funds. Once it’s up and running, it will house Truck 4 and Engine 4.

The current Station 4, located on Southwest Jefferson, is the oldest in the city and its future is unclear; the plumbing’s unreliable and its walls are falling, according to the report.

Investigators have determined that the fire which broke out at the Firth (ID) fire station Monday morning and destroyed two apparatus was an accident, reports eastidahonews.com.

Earlier: Two Fire Engines Destroyed in Firth (ID) Station Fire

State fire officials say an auto-eject power input connector—a power outlet—on an engine caused the fire, which also damaged a tanker truck as well as the station.

A firefighter was also blown out of the building when an oxygen tank exploded in the fire, FA reported at the time. He suffered only minor injuries but was transported to the hospital as a precaution.

Firth residents will continue to receive fire protection from the Shelley Firth Fire District.

“Shenandoah (IA) fire is excited to announce that during [Tuesday’s] city council meeting the council approved the bid proposal for a Pierce aerial fire truck from Reliant Fire Apparatus, Incorporated, as recommended by the Shenandoah Fire Department’s truck committee, with the chassis and aerial payment option in the amount of $1,498,833.

“This massive project could not be possible without all the support from our community and city council. We thank you all and are excited to keep making Shenandoah a better place to live and safer community.”

Related: Shenandoah (IA) Fire Department Expected to Accept USDA Grant

South Brunswick (NJ) residents recently approved via special election the purchase of a $1.95 million apparatus for Fire District 2, which covers the Monmouth Junction, Dayton, and Deans portions of the township, reports tapinto.net.

The recommended purchase is a Pierce 100-foot mid-mount aerial tower ladder.

More than $1 million will come from existing funds while the remainder will come from lease-purchase financing, the report says. The purchase will not result in any tax increase for South Brunswick residents.

The apparatus, which will take about 16 months to build, will replace an aging tower ladder that has incurred more than $66,000 in repairs since 2004, including almost $18,000 last year alone, according to the report.