Coldwater (MI) firefighters have received permission from the city council to buy a new apparatus with a budget of up to $700,000, according to a report published by WTVB.

The station reported the money will be used to replace an American LaFrance 1997 unit, known as Rescue 1 which was placed in reserve in 2010 when Engine 7 was put in service, according to the station. 

If the department is able to place an order for a new apparatus, it’s estimated it will be completed in late 2022 or early 2023, according to the report, that added that Rescue 1 will be sold after the new apparatus is placed in service.

All are invited to an Open House at Sioux Center’s new Fire Station 2 on Thursday, Oct. 7, from 5:30-7 p.m.

The Sioux Center Fire Department will be serving hamburgers and hotdogs and giving the public an inside look at the new station, located at 1510 South Main Ave.

Fire Station 2, in southern Sioux Center, allows for quicker response times for the community’s volunteer fire department and helps keep a strong ISO rating for the community, which can help lower property owners’ insurance.

“There are a lot of benefits of having a station of this size and caliber on the south end,” Sioux Center Fire Chief Dave Van Holland said in a press release.

The new 7,200-square-foot, four-bay structure can accommodate four engines and is tall enough for the fire crew to work on the engines indoors. Next to the engine bays, a gear room holds firefighting gear in open lockers, ready for firefighters to respond to a call. In-station technology keeps the crew in communication and informed of each other’s availability and location when a fire call comes in. In the rear of the building is a wash bay for the fire engines. A water storage tank below the building holds rainwater for use in washing the trucks.

“At the new station, we can train inside in the winter time and we are able wash the fire trucks and hose in a wash rack that will keep the humidity out of the station,” Van Holland said.

The front, south room of the station features a museum to house the department’s 1931 REO fire truck and other vintage fire gear. In front of the building is a tribute to all firefighters who have served throughout the Sioux Center Fire Department’s history. It is also a tribute to those who died while actively serving on the department: Wink Huisman, Brad Brommer, and Jason Van Holland. It features an emblem in the paving stones and a bench near the flagpole. The tribute was designed by local firefighters.

The new Fire Station 2 replaces the old Station 2, which was made up of two garage-buildings with only 3 stalls and very tight space. Together with Fire Station 1, in central Sioux Center, the new fire station will equip the firefighters to continue to provide a highly-rated level of fire protection for the community.

On Saturday around 1:30 p.m., a Milton (PA) Fire Department training exercise went awry as four crew members were sent into the water as Boat 15 capsized.

The apparatus became entangled in some trees, causing it to take on a significant amount of water, the department said on Facebook. The members’ training paid off as they were able to stabilize themselves via a group of trees on the shoreline until additional rescue boats arrived.

Boat 15-2 and boats from Lewisburg helped with the rescue. Boat 15 was recovered by units from Snyder and Northumberland counties at the Sunbury Marina. A Mifflinburg boat stood by as a backup.

“A large amount of the water rescues we are called to happen during high or flooding waters thus the reason for the training session today in those conditions,” the department wrote.

All members were transported to local medical facilities, evaluated, and released.

A Highland Park (MI) firefighter was thrown into the air and on to a freeway after a suspected drunk driver hit a fire truck blocking the scene of a previous incident on Sunday night, according to a report published by WDIV.

Firefighters were off at the scene of a vehicle fire on Davison Freeway, near Third Avenue, when woman struck the fire truck resulting in a firefighter being thrown into the air and on to the freeway, according to the report, which added the firefighter didn’t appear to have any significant injuries but was transported to a local hospital to be checked out.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the fire truck was taken to the hospital to have a blood sample taken for suspected drunk driving.

Firefighters with the Petal (MS) Fire Department will now be responding with a new Pierce Saber pumper, according to a story published by WDAM7.

The television station said the new apparatus is a major update to the fire department’s fleet and will help the community keep its ISO rating at four.

It has a 450 hp Cummins engine and a 1,500 gallon per minute pump as well as rollover protection and state-of-the-art electronics, the station reported.

Dependability was one of the biggest reasons the department chose to purchase a Pierce pumper along with the company’s reputation for after-sales service, the station reported.