The Denton Fire Department (DFD) made history recently with the arrival of Texas’ first electric fire apparatus, a groundbreaking addition that highlights the City of Denton’s commitment to innovation and sustainability in emergency response, the city said in a press release.

In celebration of this milestone, DFD hosted a ‘push-in’ ceremony at Fire Station 1 located at 332 East Hickory Street.

Adding to the significance of this milestone, Fire Station 1 – the new home of the electric fire truck – sits on the site of the historic Hickory Street Diesel Plant, Denton’s first electric plant built in 1935. Firefighters fittingly refer to the station as the “Powerhouse,” making it an ideal location for Texas’ first electric pumper. 

DFD’s new Pierce Volterra electric pumper includes parallel-electric drivetrain, which allows for zero-emission pumping and driving in EV mode. The pumper has the ability to provide continuous and uninterrupted power to the pumping system or drive system through the backup internal combustion engine.

“The addition of Texas’ first electric fire truck marks a new era for the Denton Fire Department and the future of emergency response,” said Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges. “We are proud to be at the forefront of this innovation and look forward to celebrating this milestone with the community.”

After posting a video of the push-in ceremony on its Facebook page, DFD made the following comment on its post:

“Yes, it is a full EV. Yes, it does have a backup diesel engine. No, we won’t be left stranded on the side of the road waiting for a charge! And the ‘Keep Back 343 Feet’ is a tribute to the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. It’s our constant reminder of why we do what we do—to serve and protect.”

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Appropriately named for the abundant lakes in the area, New Hampshire’s Lakes Region covers all or portions of five counties at the southern base of the White Mountains. Surrounded by mountains and heavy forests and the recipient of five feet of snow per year, the small town of Tamworth, founded in 1766, is the home of Lakes Region Fire Apparatus, Inc.

BEGINNING

Lakes Region founder and owner Glenn Davis was a volunteer for 34 years in the Moultonborough (NH) Fire Rescue Department before retiring in 2014. He served as captain and also as an engineer for 15 of them. His occupation at the time was a heavy truck mechanic. On what inspired him to start a fire truck repair service, he says, “We experienced firsthand the lack of available pump service and heavy truck service in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. In talking with peers, the same was the norm in several places throughout New England. Well, I was a mechanic, a farm boy, a firefighter, and was raised in a family of small business entrepreneurs. It was a natural next move for a guy in his mid 20s who was looking for something different.”

He started the business as a DBA in 1991 and incorporated it two years later. Davis is the principal owner. He says he still has the opportunity to participate in both selling and working with the tools but mostly manages and assists now. He’s had specialized training in fire pumps with the big three fire pump manufacturers; in apparatus electronics; and with heavy trucks including brakes, suspensions, and steering. He also attended the California Fire Mechanics Academy, whose Web site says, “After more than 49 years of operation, the California Fire Mechanics Academy, Inc. is the oldest and largest emergency apparatus repair and maintenance training opportunity of its kind in the country.” All Lakes Region apparatus repair and service people are on track to becoming EVT-certified.

GROWTH

Davis says, “This company was originally intended to perform in-your-firehouse fire pump repairs. It didn’t take long before we needed a brick-and-mortar location as the workload began to include heavy duty chassis repairs and service. We are rural enough that we service any brand as well as aerials and a couple of boats. In October 1992, we rented our first 3,000-square-foot facility. Four years later, we purchased an 8,400-square- foot building at 688 Route 25 in Tamworth. A 5,600-square-foot-building just down the road at 588 Route 25 became available, and we also purchased that in 2020.” Besides Davis, Lakes Region currently has six full-time employees doing service and repair work. There are two on-the-road service trucks, and there are four part-timers in apparatus sales.

1 Photos courtesy of Lakes Region Fire Apparatus.

Prior to 2003, Lakes Region Fire Apparatus did not sell fire apparatus—it just fixed them. He initially started selling for HME Ahrens-Fox in New Hampshire’s Carrol County. The territory eventually expanded to all of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Recently, Lakes Region became an authorized dealer for Alexis.

NEW ENGLAND APPARATUS MANUFACTURERS

New England was home to many fire apparatus manufacturers that, for one reason or another, ceased operations. Included with their home states are Continental (MA), EG Moody (NH), EJ Murphy (MA), Farrar (MA), Maxim (MA), Maynard (MA), Middlesex (VT), Ranger (RI), Valley (NH), Woods (MA), Probco (RI), and V-Tech (VT). Local fire departments no longer had nearby factories where they could drive their apparatus for service and repair work. After Davis started in business, New Hampshire fire departments operating t

A 35-year-old woman died Sunday, March 13, when the 2002 Volvo she was driving struck the back of a parked Rochester Fire Department apparatus, according to police, 13wham.com reported.

The Rochester Fire Department was on scene prior to the crash attending to a call for service with a fire apparatus parked and unoccupied, facing northbound on Hudson Avenue with its emergency lights activated, according to the report.

The black 2002 Volvo was traveling northbound on Hudson Avenue at the intersection with Avenue D when it ran a red light and struck the back of the fire apparatus, the report said.

The passenger in the car, a 32-year-old man, is being treated at the hospital for injuries that are not life-threatening, according to the report.

An investigation is ongoing.

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Apr. 10—NORWALK — After an earlier vote appeared to cap Norwalk’s next capital budget more than $18 million below department requests, the Common Council trimmed that cut to about $17.5 million with its final approval.

The Common Council Wednesday approved a more than $55.3 million capital budget for next year’s long-term projects, which are set to include fire station renovations, a new fire truck, underground utilities and multiple park maintenance projects. The funding is a nearly 22% increase from the city’s current $45.3 million capital budget and climbs about 1% percent above the more than $54.6 million cap the Board of Estimate and Taxation voted to set last month.

That cap turned out to be non-binding due to the city’s charter, which only authorizes “recommendations” from the BET. BET Chair Ed Abrams later referred to the decision as a recommendation when he formally notified the Common Council about the vote four weeks later.

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Instead of approving the BET figure, the Common Council OK’d the budget Mayor Harry Rilling had recommended. The combined capital requests from city departments and Norwalk Public Schools exceeded $72.8 million.

Projects on fire department infrastructure, roadways, sidewalks, curbs, parks and storm drains are among the most expensive items heading the capital budget. The spending will also cover school technology, literary curriculum, a roof repair at West Rocks Middle School and the underground utilities for a mixed-use building on West Avenue.

“The projects put forward in the mayor’s budget are really important,” council member Joshua Goldstein said. “They are in line with the agenda that we want to implement, which is a nice way of saying they’re things we really care about and we think that will benefit Norwalk.”

Goldstein said city staff have reported the budget won’t affect Norwalk’s AAA bond rating, a creditworthiness gauge.

He said departments and school district will decide how to cut their capital budgets for the next year to stick within Norwalk’s approved spending. NPS Chief Financial Officer Lunda Asmani has said the school district would scrub plans to pay for an artificial intelligence camera monitoring tool, student computers, a new high school lab and updated social studies and science curricula.

The Common Council unanimously approved the capital budget, but some members pointed to flaws, including a historic lack of maintenance funding and the need for a “debt diet” that limits future spending. Rilling echoed the frustration about maintenance delays.

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