Binghamton (NY) held a groundbreaking ceremony to start the construction of a new, downtown fire department headquarters, according to a report published by WBNG 12.

According to the television station, the location of the new station 235 Court St., was selected because it has access to the highway across the street and is centrally located.

The new $8.5 million structure will be about 20,000 square feet in size, have five drive-through bays, a bunk area as well as a decontamination area.

Once completed, the new station which has been in the plans for decades, will replace a 50-year-old fire department headquarters at City Hall which closed recently because of structural concerns, according to the TV station.  

To raise funds for a new apparatus and station expansion, the Melvin (IA) Fire Department its sixth annual cookoff fundraiser on Saturday, August 28—an all-day affair in De Graaf County Park, reports nwestiowa.com.

Officials say the existing space is too cramped to hold the department’s gear, and the garage has barely any spare room either.

The station houses six apparatus, and the department is looking to take over the building next door—the former site of the Melvin Market, the report notes.

Taking over the former market is just about complete, thanks to a favorable deal with Iowa State Bank. Officials say all that’s left is paperwork before the renovation can begin. The bigger obstacle is $200,000 that needs to be raised for a new truck; the crew is still using the pumper bought when the station opened in 1980. Officials are hopeful that by this time next year the purchase is underway.

As for the cookoff, officials say they’re anticipating having about 30 contestants this year. It will begin at 8 a.m., and judging starts at 4 p.m. A community dinner is planned for after the competition with hamburgers, potato salad, and baked beans on the menu.

There are first-place cash prizes of $500 up for grabs in the chicken, pork, and beef categories. There’s also contests for best appetizer and dessert, and a raffle for those who aren’t master chefs, the report says.

The driver of a pickup truck that collided this morning (Thursday, Aug. 26) with a Denton (TX) Fire Department fire truck was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the vehicle, according to a report published by NBCDFW 5.

According to the television station, no firefighters were hurt in the crash that happened at about 5 am on Interstate 35E between Mayhill Road and Texas 288.

The highway was closed for several hours due to the accident, but all lanes were eventually opened, the station reported.

Authorities have not said what cause the crash, the television station reported.

A pair of fire trucks in Jackson County (FL) has been working for more than two decades, but, despite many feeling they need to be replaced, there are funding issues at hand, reports wjhg.com.

One apparatus has been in use for 21 years and the other more than 17. Although they still run, they come with myriad maintenance issues. Plus, technology has changed significantly since they were put into service.

County officials will ask for $1 million for two new apparatus with the latest equipment. The report says they hope to know whether their request for money was approved by the end of next month, but they won’t know if they’ll actually receive the funds until May 2022.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol announced that Paola Magana was injured and charged in a crash involving a Berea Fire Department apparatus in Greenville County, reports foxcarolina.com.

Officials said the Berea Fire Department apparatus was traveling west on Lily Street attempting to turn onto US 25; the car was traveling north on US 25. The report said the fire truck was responding to a call and had its sirens on and lights flashing when it entered the intersection and was struck.

Officials said none of the three firefighters were taken to the hospital. Magana was taken to Greenville Memorial for injuries. She was charged with failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and officials said she did not have a South Carolina driver’s license.