The eight active fire stations and training center in Lowell (MA) require a minimum of about $9.4 million in necessary repairs to optimize department functions, reports lowellsun.com.

A report on station repairs identified $535,670 in critical repairs that were to be done between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2022—with only $530,000 in available department capital funds, the report says. The needs include asbestos removal, water heater replacements, and structural assessments and upgrades at multiple fire houses; officials say those are the tip of the iceberg with regards to the overall needs.

One station—the 146-year-old facility on Gorham Street—has numerous problems, such as asbestos and apparatus floor deterioration, the report says. Officials add that, besides a roof and boiler, the station hasn’t been upgraded since the FDR Administration (1933-1945).

Officials say they’re hopeful about the possibility of using some of the city’s nearly $76 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to address some of the needs. They add that some of the items that are linked directly to health and safety—ventilation in stations, etc.—may be eligible expenses under ARPA, but many of the infrastructure needs are not.

Another possibility, they note, is that a portion of marijuana excise tax revenue, put into a special fund for the repair of municipal facilities, could be used.

The goal, the report says, is to get through as many of the priority items as possible between fall and spring, with fire and town officials meeting often to ensure progress is being made.

The Mount Olive (NC) Fire Department recently took hold of two new Pierce engines.

“We are grateful for the support from everyone in our community, members of the fire department, and Atlantic Emergency Solutions,” the department wrote on Facebook. “These trucks will be a great asset to our community.”

The next step is for crew members to train on them and then the apparatus will be put into service.

The McAllen (TX) Fire Department Tuesday held a push-in ceremony for its $1.6 million Engine 5, reports valleycentral.com.

The apparatus is equipped with a 300-gallon water tank and a 100-foot telescoping aerial platform. It’s also equipped with a 2,000-gallons-per-minute water pump and specialized rescue equipment.

Video via www.wowktv.com

Firefighters in Wichita Falls (TX) helped one of their own—in a hospital battling COVID—see his wife, reports wowktv.com.

The crew chose to drive a ladder truck to the hospital and lift the incapacitated firefighter’s wife to his window so the two could see each

A new $8 million fire station for the Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, Fire Department has been given the green light and for additional planning for the project, according to report published by CKLW AM800.

According to the report, the council has given fire officials permission to look at construction of a new station at the site of the current Station 2 and the closure and consolidation of stations 1 and 3 to be moved to a new site at the Libro Centre, according to the report.

Fire officials believe that’s the best and most economical way to upgrade the old stations and improve response times, the report says.

City and fire officials considered rebuilding the stations and even building a fourth station were considered, but ruled out for financial reasons, according to the report.

The project, which is part of a five-year plan, still needs final approval from the council before any work is done, according to the report.