Angie DiMichele
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
(TNS)

Three months after the crash between a Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck and a Brightline train, the city has released its investigation report that resulted in the termination of the veteran firefighter who was behind the wheel.

City Manager Terrence Moore announced on Thursday his decision to terminate driver-engineer David Wyatt after two investigations found he violated city policies and state traffic laws by driving the $1 million ladder truck onto the railroad tracks, directly into the path of a Brightline train, and by driving the city’s fire trucks for months with a suspended license before the crash, according to the investigation reports and Wyatt’s termination letter obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Monday.

The investigation of the Dec. 28 crash concluded on April 1. A separate investigation into firefighters driving city vehicles with suspended licenses concluded in February.

A total of 15 people were injured in the Dec. 28 crash, including Wyatt and his two passengers, firefighter Joseph Fiumara III and Capt. Brian Fiorey.

“On more than one occasion, your actions have jeopardized the safety of the public, something that I do not take lightly, leaving me with no other option than to terminate you,” Moore wrote in a termination letter to Wyatt, dated Thursday. “Your reckless actions have cost the taxpayers of Delray Beach millions of dollars. But, above all, your actions resulted in serious bodily injury to your colleagues and members of the public.”

Wyatt was hired more than 20 years ago and became a driver-engineer about 10 years ago.

Craig Mahoney, president of the fire department’s union IAFF Local 1842, in an email to Moore and city commissioners on Thursday asked that both sides agree to move forward into the arbitration process.

Wyatt will remain on paid administrative leave while the disciplinary process is pending, according to Moore’s termination letter.

Truck 111

There were mechanical issues that morning with the windshield wipers of the fire truck that would soon be destroyed, the investigation report showed.

Wyatt drove the fire truck, Truck 111, to the city garage just before 8:30 a.m., but a worker wasn’t able to fix the malfunctioning wipers. Fleet Manager Andrew Rayfield said the wipers “were a safety concern, and the truck would need to come out of service,” the report said.

One of the battalion chiefs was notified that morning that the fire truck would be removed from service. He came to the city garage to pick up Wyatt and have him swap to a different, spare ladder truck from Station 114, according to the report.

Wyatt later returned to Station 111 in the spare ladder truck. Moments later, the alarm sounded for an apartment building fire in the 300 block of Southeast 6th Avenue. The crew loaded into Truck 111, the one that had been removed from service because of the wipers. It is unclear why they took Truck 111 rather than the other spare ladder truck, the report said.

Apartment fire

Wyatt, Fiorey and Fiumara III left Station 111 in Truck 111 at 10:39 a.m., according to the report.

At 10:42 a.m., command s

Justin Strawser
The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
(TNS)

MIFFLINBURG — Firefighters from Mifflinburg Hose Company started training on Friday after the arrival of the department’s new ladder truck.

The 2025 Sutphen Tower 3 arrived at the fire company at 325 Chestnut St. on Thursday, and firefighters will be training with a representative of Sutphen in the parking lot of Harvest Bible Church through Sunday. The truck will then head to Sutphen East in Lake Ariel in Wayne County where it will have all of its tool mounting installed.

“Upgrading our ladder truck will better serve the community for many years to come,” Company President Shawn Bridge said. “This will be here for at least the next 30 years.”

The fire company ordered a 100-foot aerial ladder truck for $1.6 million and a new engine truck for $830,000 in November 2022. The two trucks replace a 1999 70-foot ladder truck and a 2006 engine truck.

In addition to a ladder that’s 30 feet longer, the new truck has more compartment space. The overall length of the truck is also 10 feet longer than the old truck. The new engine truck has a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump and a 1,000-gallon tank, Bridge said.

“We will now be able to reach anything in the borough or our coverage area,” he said.

The trucks are funded through $1.4 million worth of money through fundraisers and capital campaigns. The remaining costs are funded through a 2 percent, 20-year loan designated for first responders from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and an additional loan from Service 1st Federal Credit Union.

The training over the weekend consists of learning each part of the truck, getting acclimated to the new controls, driving it and getting used to the new setup. Adam Brooks, of Sutphen, will lead several three-hour training sessions for 77 active firefighters, which includes 13 qualified operators.

Brooks told the firefighters on Friday that driving the truck is like driving a school bus. It has a tighter turning radius than the previous truck.

“Always be mindful,” he told them. “If you’re on a 90-degree turn, always know what’s on the other side. You’ll be doing a lot of two-point turns, especially the way the fire house is set up (on Chestnut Street).”

The Mifflinburg Borough Council intends to pursue a setback or sloped curb/sidewalk project on the opposite side of the street from the fire company to allow fire trucks to more easily maneuver backing into the station house.

Following this weekend’s training and tool mounting installation, the ladder truck will head to the Fire Expo in Harrisburg to be featured as part of the Sutphen vendor. It’s expected to be in service by June, Bridge said.

The new engine truck is expected to be in the borough by May. The old trucks will be sold, Bridge said.

© 2025 The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pa.). Visit www.dailyitem.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The post Mifflinburg (PA) Hose Company Firefighters Start Training on New $1.6M Ladder Truck<

Scott Cousins
The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
(TNS)

Apr. 11—WOOD RIVER — A $25 million budget was approved by the Wood River City Council at its Monday meeting.

The budget is approximately $500,000 more than the original $24.5 million budget proposed earlier this year and discussed at a March 17 public hearing.

According to a memo from Finance Director/Treasurer Karen Weber, much of the increase, approximately $228,114, is due to additional expenses related to the purchase of a new fire truck that were not included in the original budget.

The budget, which goes into effect May 1, is approximately 19% smaller than the current budget, primarily because of decreased capital expenditures.

The only discussion was a concern by Councilman Bill Dettmers that some personnel costs were not being properly allocated.

He said the Parks and Rec Department generally splits salary costs between the Rec Center and Parks and Rec, without a detailed breakdown. He said such a breakdown would give a clearer picture of the actual expenses in specific programs.

It was noted that the practice goes back to when the city operated the former aquatic center.

After some discussion, it was agreed not to do anything about it for the coming budget, but to address the issue the following year.

The budget was then approved unanimously.

City approves disposal of surplus vehicles and gear

Items ranging from vehicles to firefighter breathing apparatus and bicycles will be disposed of after an ordinance listing the property was approved.

The property may be disposed of at the discretion of the city manager.

Separate memos from department heads list the property and can be viewed on the city’s website in the agenda packet for the April 7 meeting.

AT&T pays city $59K to keep fiber bundle in place

AT&T will pay the city $59,000 to avoid having to move a fiber bundle in the city’s right of way.

Instead, the city will work around the fiber bundle during a water main project.

© 2025 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.). Visit www.thetelegraph.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department in Helenwood, Tennessee, received a donation of a fire apparatus recently from the Blue Ridge Mountain (VA) Volunteer Fire Company, the department said in a Facebook post.

“On behalf of the Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Company for their generous donation of a 1991 GMC Topkick engine,” the post said. “This vital addition will greatly enhance our department’s capabilities. This would not have been possible without the efforts of our chief and the chief of the Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Company. As we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our firefighters and the community, our goal is to further enhance our equipment, ensuring we are always prepared to respond to emergencies as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

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Chris Mc Loone and Andy Soccodato discuss FDIC 2025, common threads that emerge at Andy’s classes, heavy hookups for hydrants, the takeaway Andy wants all his students to have at the end of his classes, and more.

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