According to a report from Johnson City Press, Johnson City (TN) Fire Department (JCFD) Interim Chief David Bell says the department will move forward with plans to construct a new training facility with the hopes that Washington County will help with funding needed to build the facility.

Bell says that he’s requested a capital budget from the city for $450,000. The county agencies would have access to the training ground to conduct classroom and live action hands-on experience at the range of training stations that will be on the site.

For Washington County residents, if volunteer departments can access the facility, it could lower their departments’ ISO ratings, which will offer residents a lower homeowners insurance cost.

The four-acre plot of land behind Station 7 on West Walnut Street is owned by Johnson City and has acted as a training facility in the past. Access to the property is on Carter Sells Road.

Bell said the project will forge ahead regardless of county monies, but he hopes the county will help.

Bell didn’t state how much money he wanted from the county, but Johnson City lost $100,000 per year in funding from the county starting in 2012 because the money was going to the city’s general fund rather than directly to the JCFD’s budget.

The Washington County/Johnson City Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is also on board with the facility, but not the monetary support. The EMA would be directly involved because of state law, which says that the agency provides training for emergency responders.

Bell stressed to the committee that, with the county’s support, the facility could be a premier location for fire training.

The post Johnson City (TN) Wants County Aid for New Fire Training Facility appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

According to a report from The Falmouth Enterprise, Falmouth (MA) Fire/Rescue (FFR) has taken delivery of a new combined ladder and rescue fire truck from Pierce.

The truck, which will be kept in the Main Street station, was funded in 2019 for $1.5 million and will replace FFR’s current ladder truck, which was used for technical rescues. The ladder truck it is replacing was built in 1991. The final price tag was for $1.2 million; the remainder of the funding will be spent on outfitting the truck with equipment.

FFR Deputy Chief Scott Thrasher said the truck is safer and more efficient than its predecessors.

The 107-foot aerial comes with a built-in water hose with an electronically controlled telescopic nozzle.

Before, a hose was run up the ladder when the crew arrived on scene.

FFR Chief Timothy R. Smith said the new addition will save time, help staffing, and deliver a more focused water stream.

The aerial is also safer for the occupants as well, featuring roll protection, shoulder belts, air bags, and anti-lock brakes were added. In addition, it is 4,000 pounds lighter than other ladder trucks, making it easier to handle and will consume less fuel.

To function as rescue truck, Jaws of Life, cribbing, jacks, air bags, and other equipment will be added.

Thrasher said the department wanted a compact truck for easier maneuverability, but it also had to hold all the tools for the job.

The post Falmouth (MA) Fire/Rescue Receives New Ladder and Rescue Truck appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

Spokane County Fire District 10 and the Sunset Volunteer Firefighters Association hosted their annual member awards appreciation banquet on Feb. 27. District officials said in a news release that while all members commit to a tremendous amount of time and effort, special recognition was bestowed on the following award winners: Chief’s Award – Lt.
- PUB DATE: 3/12/2021 1:04:45 AM - SOURCE: Cheney Free Press

VIDEO: Colleen Walz shattered the glass ceiling to become the first female lieutenant in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire in 1995. Last week, Kari Burnham was honored in a ceremony as the second woman to hold the position. Burnham said, "This is something I love to do. It's like a dream come true." But why did it take decades for another woman to rise in the ranks? Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire chief Darryl Jones said, "It was an embarrassment not only that it took so long to promote a female to the rank of lieutenant to a company officer, but the number of females that we have on the job is way below the national average.
- PUB DATE: 3/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTAE-TV ABC 4 Pittsburgh

The public information officer for the Chesterfield Fire Company has been charged in connection with crash scene photos he took without permission and posted to his agency’s Facebook page last month, according to an arrest warrant. Steven E. Frischling, 45, of Carriage Hill Drive in Niantic, was charged with two counts of illegally taking or transmission by first responders of images of crime or accident victims, according to a warrant for his arrest.
- PUB DATE: 3/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Connecticut Post