R. Christian Smith
Chicago Tribune
(TNS)

The city of Aurora is considering buying new dispatch and records management software for its public safety departments for just over $4 million.

Through the proposed five-year contract with Mark43, Inc. of New York, Aurora would be replacing its Computer Aided Dispatch system used by both the fire and police departments as well as its Records Management System used just by the police. The $4.02 million price tag includes replacements for both systems as well as any work needed to interface the new software with others the city has.

That’s according to Aurora Police Cmdr. Bryan Handell, who presented the proposal to the Aurora City Council’s Information and Technology Committee late last month. The proposal was unanimously recommended for approval by the committee, so now it is set to go before the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

During his presentation, Handell called the software “probably the most vital system for public safety.”

The Computer Aided Dispatch system, also called CAD, is used to dispatch and track calls for service not only for Aurora’s police and fire departments but also for the North Aurora Police Department and the Fox Valley Park District Police Department, according to Handell’s presentation.

He said that police officers and firefighters use a mobile version to get those calls for service plus see additional information such as notes taken by the dispatcher and location data.

The other part of the software, the Records Management System, or RMS, is just for the police department, Handell said. The police and fire departments’ records systems need to be kept separate, he said, because they each contain different types of sensitive information.

Aurora’s current CAD and police RMS systems are from Hexagon, but that software is at the end of its life and will no longer be supported in the near future because the company is looking for its customers to buy its latest software instead, according to Handell. Plus, he said many of the features promised in the initial contract with Hexagon were never provided or did not work to the city’s standards.

A survey of police employees also showed that nearly 80% of those who responded were “very or somewhat dissatisfied” with the system, over 85% wanted the department to look at other options and over 30% could not find one thing they liked about the current system, Handell’s presentation showed.

“Officers have to use this daily for responding to calls, writing reports, and it’s not something that they enjoy using,” he said. “It’s not making their job easier.”

Over the past 10 years of using the software, the city has spent around $8 million on it, which includes a $5 million initial purchase price, according to Handell.

Since the city would have to buy new software even if it stayed with Hexagon, and since “we’re already unhappy” with that company, “why would we re-sign with them?” Handell asked.

Instead, “let’s see what the market has to offer,” he said.

The city asked for proposals for new CAD and RMS systems in 2024, and 10 companies responded — but not Hexagon, according to Handell. He said those 10 companies were eventually narrowed down to just two options through multiple rounds of demos, and using Mark43 for both CAD and RMS stood out as both the better and least-expensive option.

In addition to its “significantly-lower price” as compared to the other option, Mark43’s offerings had a modern, user-friendly design and a seamless integration between CAD and RMS, which may have been more difficult with the other option since it would involve buying the CAD and RMS systems from two different companies, Handell said.

Plus, with just one vendor inste

Nicole Zappone
The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
(TNS)

NORTH WINDHAM — A pickup truck fled after striking a fire department vehicle that was acting as a roadblock for an earlier crash involving three motorcycles on Club Road Wednesday night.

At 8:54 p.m. on Wednesday, the Windham-Willimantic Dispatch was alerted to a serious motor vehicle accident in the 100 block of Club Road.

According to State Police, Roberto Acevedo of Willimantic was operating a KTM motorcycle, and an unknown driver of a Vitacci moped was stopped side by side in the driveway.

State Police said a Suzuki motorcycle, operated by Jensie Reynoso Santiago of Willimantic, had been traveling northbound on Club Road at a high speed, lost control of their vehicle and slid into the KTM motorcycle and the Vitacci moped.

All three riders were ejected from their bikes.

The driver of the KTM suffered from suspected serious injury and was transported to Windham Hospital.

According to State Police, the driver of the moped fled the scene and is unknown at this time.

The driver of the Suzuki sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Hartford Hospital by LifeStar.

Emergency services from the North Windham Fire Department, Windham Hospital Paramedics, along with the Willimantic Fire Department Ambulances, Connecticut State Police, and Windham Center Fire Department responded to the scene.

Fire Personnel said that two LifeStar helicopters were initially requested, and one was later canceled. The second LifeStar transported one patient to Hartford Hospital.

The North Windham Fire Department coordinated the landing zone at the former SNET building in North Windham, and multiple patients were evaluated and transported by ground and air.

A North Windham Fire Rescue apparatus, which operated as a roadblock, was struck by a white Dodge Ram pickup truck. The truck fled the scene, and firefighters observed the vehicle leaving the area.

No personnel were injured, the department said.

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In addition to the hit-and-run incident, fire personnel said that emergency personnel encountered several instances with motorists and citizens failing to comply with road closures and traffic control near the scene.

North Windham noted that after 11 p.m., the roadway remained closed in the area of the Franco-American Club for the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about the white Dodge Ram or its occupants should contact Connecticut State Police Troop K.

© 2025 The Chronicle (Williman

The Greater Hanover Area Fire Museum is pleased to announce the return of two pumpers that formerly served the Hanover area, the museum said in a Facebook post.

A 1937 American LaFrance 400 Junior pumper that served Hanover from 1937 to 1970, which was privately owned by a family in Montana, returned to the museum Aug. 6, 2025.

A 1970 American LaFrance 900 model pumper that served Hanover from 1970 to 2000 and was recently retired by the West Fork Montana Fire Department will be back in Hanover within two weeks.

Both pumpers are slated to become the newest fire apparatus in the Greater Hanover Area Fire Museum’s collection.

“Although the ’37 fire engine was open cab, you could only enter from the passenger side to drive,” said former Hanover Fire Commissioner Jim Roth. “The long ladder on the driver’s side blocked the driver’s seat. It was an interesting fire truck but the ’37 was definitely fun to drive.”

Three local businesses worked together to bring the 1937 fire truck home. Aero Energy of New Oxford, Ox Industries of Hanover and Bosley Towing of Littlestown all graciously provided financial support and transportation to support the project.

“We’re happy to help with such an important project,” said Larry Marshall, president of Aero Energy, which has been part of the greater Hanover area since 1929. “When we were asked if we could help, I had no hesitation. We were glad to help and give back to the fire museum, the fire department and the Hanover community. I’m hoping they let me drive it one day.”

Volunteers from the fire museum are excited to see two more important pieces of Hanover area history returned for future generations to see and learn.

“We strive to present residents and visitors a broad view of the past, present and future of fire and emergency services,” said Fire Museum President Gordy Lillich said. “The reacquisition of these two fire trucks along with several short-term and long-term strategic initiatives that the fire museum is working on will continue to make the museum a success.”

A fundraising effort will begin in the future for the long-term care of the new apparatus and the museum’s existing artifacts, Lillich added.

The Greater Hanover Area Fire Museum is located in the former Eagle Fire Company No. 2 station located at 134 East Hanover Street and is open the first, second and third Saturdays from 9 am to 3 pm and every Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm. Visit hanoverfiremuseum.com for more information.

The post Pumpers from 1937 and 1970 Return to Hanover (PA) to Join Fire Museum appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Niles (IL) Fire Department and village officials recently held a push-in ceremony to put their new $895,060 Pierce Enforcer pumper into service at Station No. 3, journal-topics.com reported.

The new engine, ordered in May 2022, is marked as Engine No. 2. A fire official said in spite of its designation, the new engine will serve out of Station No. 3, the report said.

The new engine replaces a 1996 reserve engine.

Specifications

Chassis	Enforcer™
Body	Pumper
Actual Overall Height	10′ 3″
Engine	Cummins L9
Horsepower	450 hp
Front Suspension	TAK-4® Independent Front Suspension
Rear Suspension	Spring
Electrical System	Command Zone™
Foam System	Husky™ 12
Pump	Pierce PUC™ Midship
Pump GPM	1500 gpm
Tank	Foam Water
Tank Size	500 gallons

The post Niles (IL) FD Holds Push-In for New $895K Pumper appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Tamara Gregor
The Duncan Banner, Okla.
(TNS)

DUNCAN — With over 120 years of service to Duncan and three city fire stations, a fourth station is on the horizon for Duncan Fire Department in the coming months.

Duncan Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Ellis said the new fire station will come to the southeast side of Camelback Road and Highway 81.

Ellis said Duncan Fire Department was established in 1897 and consisted of community volunteers. He said the first fire truck was a wagon pulled by six men.

Around 1910, Ellis said the fire department brought on a horse-drawn wagon to go around town.

At that time, Ellis said the fire department was housed at the 700 block of Main Street on the south side of Duncan.

In 1915, the DFD purchased its first motorized truck and the wagon team was retired, Ellis said.

For the new construction of the fourth fire department, Ellis said the plans for an updated bay addition were approved by Duncan City Councilors July 8 for $7,519,269.12.

He said this will allow the building to be fully furnished and complete.

“That’s all parking areas, has a natural gas generator on it,” he said.

He said it will be 100% move in ready.

“We’re currently in the process of getting all paperwork completed (and waiting for) the drawings to get finalized,” he said.

Ellis said the department looks to get bids around mid-August for the project.

“I’m hoping for groundbreaking early in the fall, in September, early October for the station,” he said.

Ellis said the department can staff each station with three men. Because the national standard is four, Ellis said the department will look to hire on more crew over the next five years.

Duncan Fire, Ellis said, is an all-hazard response agency, which means firemen respond to more than fires. They respond to EMS, hazmat and rescue missions within the service area of 100-square miles.

“We’re not just serving the city limits, we’re serving several miles outside of the city limits – north, south, east and west,” he said. “It’s includes the city limits. We respond all the way to the city lakes and the county response areas.”

With work on the fourth station ongoing, Ellis said DFD consists of 48 members, 45 of which are line personnel and three of which are admin staff.

“Of the 45, that’ll have 15 guys per day, per shift responding,” he said. “That’s a maximum. The minimum will be 10 a day.”

Ellis said the DFD call volume continues to increase every year.

“Ten years ago, we ran about 2,500 calls,” he said. “We’re increasing 200-250 calls a year,” he said.

This year, Ellis said the department will push the 5,000 mark.

Last year, DFD ran 4,750, he said.

The new fire station will help with all the additional calls the department has coming in, he said.

Other work the department handles includes fire prevention for all of the public elementary schools, fire station visits for boys scouts and clubs, as well as walk throughs.

Ellis said the department also partners with the Red Cross for smoke alarm installations. He said in 2024, DFD installed nearly 350 smoke alarms.

The department also conducts fire inspections for all businesses throughout the community, as well as new construction, fire investigations and more. He said they have three people who are nationally certified to do the investigations.

“Everything is in-house,” he said.

For the fourth fire station, Ellis said the location is about 1,000 feet southeast of the corner of Camelback Road and Highway 81.

Ellis noted Station 1 was a 1940s model and Stations 2 and 3 were constructed in 1967.

“At that time, our