Firefighters and officials in Springfield (MO) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the city’s 13th fire station on Thursday (Oct. 14), according to a report published by KY3.

The television station reported the new station will be at 1900 West College, part of old Route 66, in an area of the city that has been underserved in response times and has experienced an uptick in fire incidents.

The new $3.15 million station should be completed by fall of 2022 and will be paid for by part of a tax measure voters approved in 2017, the television station reported.

A donated 1981 Seagrave aerial will help the firefighters with the Wichita West (TX) Volunteer Fire Department provided additional protection to its residents, according to a report published by KFDX/KJTL.

The report said South Bloomington Grove (NY) Fire Department, which is 1,500 miles from Wichita West, decided to replace the 1981 aerial with a 2002 model it acquired and reached out to Wichita West to make a donation.

Not only does the newly acquired apparatus provide Wichita West with aerial capabilities, it also will carry rescue tools, according to the report, that also said Wichita West firefighters flew up to New York and drove the truck on a three-day trip back.

After some minor repairs, Wichita West firefighters plan to put the aerial in service in December with a push in ceremony, according to the report.    

A new pumper was recently delivered to the Wellington City (UT) Fire Department, according to a report published by ETVNEWS.com.

The report said the new fire truck was welcomed into the community with and open house on Oct. 12. Children who visited at that time, with a drawn image of their family’s fire emergency meeting place, learned during a fire safety assembly, would receive a goody bag.

Madison (NC) Fire Department has recently taken delivery of a 1997 Sutphen 95-foot platform aerial to replace a 1984 model that was in disrepair, according to a report published by Greensboro.com.

According to the report, the second-hand aerial, with about 20,000 miles on it, was well maintained by the previous owners with the Readington Fire Department in Whitehouse Station, NJ.

The Madison Fire Department bought the red rig for $65,000, which the fire department considers a steal considering a new equivalent would cost about $1.2 million, according to the report.

Madison fire officials told the web site the cost of maintaining the 1984 model was costing as much as it cost when the department bought it in 2007. The decision to replace it was made after metal was found in the engine oil, signifying serious problems, the web site reported.

Two people were seriously injured when a responding Columbus (NE) fire truck collided with a pickup truck on Saturday night (Oct. 16), according to a report published by newschannelnebraska.com.

The report said the collision occurred at 9:37 pm when a Columbus fire truck, heading east to an unrelated call, collided with the 2012 GMC Sierra pickup truck heading southbound at an intersection.

The report said the pickup truck allegedly failed to stop at the intersection light and the pickup then hit a pedestrian who was standing at the corner of the intersection.  The driver of the pickup truck, a 32-year-old man from Columbus and the pedestrian, a 43-year-old man, also from Columbus, were both seriously hurt in the crash and were transported to Columbus Community Hospital for treatment, the web site said.

No firefighters were hurt in the crash which is under investigation, according to the report.