Kauai (HI) Fire Department blessed its newest fire truck on Thursday (Oct. 21), according to a report published by KITV4.

The television station reported the new truck replaces one at the Waimea fire station after its previous truck completed 15 years of service.

The truck was blessed in the presence of firefighters, the chief and the mayor of the community to provide for the safety and well-being of our community, the station reported.

The Riverside County (CA) Board of Supervisors has approved plans for two county fire station projects to replace aging and outgrown facilities in the Salton Sea community of North Shore and the eastern Riverside County community of Desert Center, reports ukenreport.com.

Each project will be constructed through a public-private partnership between Tilden‑Coil Constructors, Inc., the Riverside County Facilities Management Department, and the Riverside County Fire Department, according to the report. Construction is expected to start next summer, with both facilities expected to open in 2023.

The stations will continue operating while construction of the new facilities takes place on adjacent parcels, the report says. The new facilities will be state of the art and constructed for a 50-year lifespan.

About 44% of the project funding will come from the fire department budget, another 44% from development impact fees, and 12% from the county’s solar fund.

A Baltimore fire truck collided with a dirt bike, reportedly on the way to a building fire, and the man riding the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene on Thursday night, according to a report published by the Baltimore Sun.

The newspaper reported the male dirt bike rider was traveling eastbound, while the fire engine was traveling south bound at the four-way intersection and the body of the man was about 50 feet from the point of impact. The unidentified rider was trapped under the engine and when police arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene, the paper reported, adding that someone picked up the dirt bike and drove off with it, leaving the victim at the scene.

No firefighters were hurt during the incident, but they were transported to the hospital for evaluation and a critical incident stress management team was called in to help firefighters with their mental health, the paper reported.  

Florence County (SC) Council recently approved the use of nearly $1 million from its penny sales tax to go to two local fire departments, reports wbtw.com.

Some funds will go toward replacing Olanta Rural Fire Department’s Station Two, which officials say lacks space; $25,000 was approved to purchase land for the location of a new facility. The new station will house a pumper, tanker, and brush truck, the report says.

The trucks planned to go to the new station will be able to hold 4,500 gallons of water. Officials hope to build training grounds at the facility.

Howe Springs Fire Department was approved for funding as well, with the department set to receive two tankers and a rescue vehicle for $959,000, according to the report.

The city of Avon Lake (OH) may soon be getting some long-awaited upgrades to its Safety Center, with City Council proposing a $33 million bond issue to expand the fire and police headquarters, reports morningjournal.com.

Fire officials recently outlined design plans developed by Mull & Weithman Architects Inc. of Columbus. The three-phase plan shows a new fire station constructed on the complex on Walker Road while the current facility would be upgraded, the report says.

Phase one begins with the fire station construction, which is estimated to take 14 months. During the construction process, according to the report, firefighters will remain working out of the current facility.

Phases two and three include renovations and upgrades to the police station, totaling 20 months, the report says. The cost of the project includes $27.2 million in construction costs with an additional $4.2 million for a surrounding wall and other such upgrades.

The current fire station opened in 1978 and lacks space, officials say. The new digs would be larger and include a training tower and mezzanine for on-site training, along with enhanced office and administrative space.