Emergency first responders and fire crews from throughout Southeast Washington are combatting a string of wildfires that were caused by passing thunderstorms on Wednesday morning. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Forest Service, authorities from the Pomeroy Ranger District are hard at work trying to contain wildfires across the Umatilla National Forest.
- PUB DATE: 7/8/2021 3:38:20 PM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

The Kansas State Fair Board approved the Hutchinson (KS) Fire Department’s plans for a new station on the fairgrounds during a recent meeting, reports hutchpost.com.

The department originally wanted to expand its current station at 20th and Main, and asked the fair for some land adjacent to the building. Those plans were ixnayed and now the new digs will be located near the 23rd Avenue gate just north of the North Sunflower Building. The seven-person station will have direct access to Main Street. 

The project is budgeted for 2022 with a cost around $4.5 million. Officials say they hope to get the project moving before the end of the year.

Plans for the Farmville (NC) Fire Department to relocate from its building on Main Street to the corner of May Boulevard and West Horne Avenue were recently approved the Board of Commissioners, reports reflector.com.

The Main Street facility is 15,000 square feet and 104 years old; it lacks a sleeping quarters, showers, and is running out of storage room. The building also has a 10-foot door on the bay, which limits the department’s ability to acquire an aerial fire truck.

In June 2019, the report says, the town entered into an agreement with PALCO Investments to acquire 2.5 acres of land on the corner of May Boulevard and West Horne Avenue via transfer of property. The transfer came at no cost and included a $75,000 payment from PALCO.

The new station, designed by Davis Kane Architects, was designed with the future in mind. The approximately 20,000-square-foot station will have a fitness room, day room, kitchen with a pantry, conference room, training room, offices, four bathrooms with showers, and five dorm rooms. Five bays will occupy the back portion of the building, with exits on both May Boulevard and West Horne Avenue.

The Round Mountain (TX) Volunteer Fire Department (RMVFD) recently opened its new station, reports spectrumlocalnews.com.

Before it opened, the department’s digs lacked necessities like running water and air conditioning. RMVFD was operating out of an old hay shed near a gas service station with room for only four out of the department’s six emergency vehicles. The new station has space for two more apparatus in the future.

The price tag for the new space was about $944,000, and the local emergency services district took out an $800,000 loan to help pay for it, but the department was responsible for securing the rest of the $144,000. COVID put the ixnay on fundraisers, so RMVFD officials decided to send out mailers. A large volume of small community donors made it happen.

Members of the Falmouth (MA) select board are seeking residents to serve on a committee to build a new fire station.

According to a report published by The Falmouth Enterprise, the select board has already chosen seven of the 11 candidates. Committee candidates should have experience in the building procurement and construction or have firsthand knowledge and its needs.

According to the newspaper report, each of the selected candidates submitted resumes, references and explained their interest in serving to the select board.

Falmouth has a good track record with citizen advisory committees which most recently involved with the community’s senior center which was completed on time and under budget, the newspaper reported.

At a town meeting in April voters approved construction of a new fire station near the George Gaspa Sports Complex, the paper reported. Further, the committee is charged with working with the project manager, the architect, town manager, fire chief and the finance director to oversee the design and construction of the station.