By Alan M. Petrillo

The Naples Airport Authority and the City of Naples (FL) Fire-Rescue Department recently opened a new $5.8 million Naples Airport Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station/Naples Fire Station No. 3 with a hose uncoupling ceremony.

Kerry Keith, senior director of development and facilities for the Naples Airport Authority, says the new state-of-the-art facility replaces the airport’s original station built in 1989. “The old station was past its useful life,” Keith observes. “It was built at a time when we had a lot less activity and staffing needs were different, so there was sleeping quarters for only two persons, the rooms were small, and the general layout of the station was not conducive to spending 24 to 48 hours there.”

Keith notes the new station was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane to ensure continuity of service, and has a conference room with large flatscreen monitors for weather and communications information to allow it to serve an emergency operations center (EOC) to assist with Collier County response efforts. Besides the conference room, the station has three dorm rooms for firefighters, unisex bathrooms, a chief’s office and bedroom, a large exercise room that could be converted to a bunk room in an emergency, a kitchen/dining/day room area, and a patio with a barbeque grill off the kitchen.

Following a devastating wildfire season where over 800,000 acres were burned in Washington State and communities like Malden and Pine City were mostly destroyed, a bill is making its way through the state legislature that looks to prevent these kinds of fires. House Bill 1168, championed by Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, looks to add resources to both wildfire prevention in forest restoration and wildfire response with more firefighting equipment and personnel.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 11:17:01 PM - SOURCE: KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

Seattle Police say a 32-year-old man is under investigation for arson after a witness allegedly saw him leaving the scene of a fire at a construction site in South Seattle. This is the second time in less than a week that a fire has been set at the site. Police say the witness had gotten out of bed around 3 a.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 9:15:27 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

West Valley firefighters say someone has been using a pole-mounted electrical transformer near Tampico for target practice. Twice in the past week firefighters and Pacific Power crews have responded to reports of a leaking transformer in the 500 block of North Fork Road, finding that the can-like device has been shot.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 3:43:30 AM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic - Metered Site

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 to anyone who can help identify two arson suspects who tried to burn down the Seattle Police Officers Guild during the protests last summer. Investigators say the two suspects were seen scouting the area around the guild's office in the SODO neighborhood.
- PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 9:59:31 PM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13 Seattle