By DORANY PINEDA and BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press

CABAZON, Calif. (AP) — Mark Whaling and a crew raced up and down a hill in a tanker truck as they battled a wildfire in Los Angeles County, scrambling to get water from a street hydrant in time to stay ahead of flames moving up a ridge. A helicopter flew in to drop water, but it had to fly a long distance to refill — and a fire that might have been stopped went on to destroy homes.

As they fought that early 2000s blaze, Whaling says, he spotted a sealed, million-gallon water tank nearby that firefighters had no way of accessing. He thought that was ridiculous.

“We don’t tell fire engines, ‘Protect the city and go find your own water.’ We put fire hydrants every 600 feet all around cities,” said Whaling, who has since retired from the county fire department. “But when it comes to the helicopters, we weren’t supporting them as robustly as we should.”

His frustration sparked an idea: the Heli-Hydrant, a relatively small, open tank that can be rapidly filled with water, enabling helicopters to fill up faster for urban fires rather than flying to sometimes distant lakes or ponds.

As wildfires become more frequent, Whaling’s invention is getting the attention of officials eager to boost preparedness. First used for the 2020 Blue Ridge Fire in Yorba Linda, 10 Heli-Hydrants have been built across Southern California and 16 more are in progress, according to Whaling.

Helicopters are essential for firefighting. They can drop 1,000 gallons (about 3,785 liters) of water at once — some much more. That’s far more than hoses can get on a fire all at once, and can be the best way to attack fires that are difficult for ground crews to reach.

But pilots sometimes have to fly a long way to scoop up water, and in drought-prone areas, natural sources can sometimes dry up or diminish so they’re hard to draw from. In Southern California’s Riverside County, helicopters have had to fly up to 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) to find water, eating critical time from battling fires.

An innovative solution

On a remote plot in the Southern California town of Cabazon, contractor Glenn Chavez stood on a ladder and peered into an empty Heli-Hydrant. A radio in hand, he clicked a button to activate the system and watched as water roared into the tank. In about six minutes, it filled with 8,500 gallons (32,176 liters).

Chavez, a general contractor, was testing the Cabazon Water District’s latest investment — a second Heli-Hydrant that local officials are counting on to help protect the town. At $300,000, it cost slightly less than the average price of a single home in Cabazon.

“Living in a beautiful desert community, you’re going to have risks of fire,” said Michael Pollack, the district’s general manager. “And to have these Heli-Hydrants is a major advantage. People will have a little bit of comfort knowing that they have another tool for fighting fires in their community.”

Pilots can remotely activate the tanks from half a mile away, with the tank typically filling quickly from a city’s water system. Helicopters can fill up in less than a minute. Once it’s activated, solar panels and backup batteries ensure the system can still be used during power outages. And at night, lights from the tank and a tower nearby guide pilots toward it.

In November, fire responders in San Diego put the product to the test when the 48-acre Garden Fire in Fallbrook, a community known for its avocado groves, prom

As fire departments across North America seek to balance budgets, meet urgent equipment needs, and respond to community demands, the concept of “stock rigs” emerges as an essential topic in the fire service community. In a recent episode of the Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment podcast, Chris Mc Loone interviewed Jay Johnson, from Rosenbauer America, who shared insights into Rosenbauer’s stock truck program.

The production of stock fire apparatus is driven by collaboration between Rosenbauer America and its network of dealers across North America. These dealers play a crucial role in understanding local market needs and consumer preferences. By gauging what fire departments are likely to seek, dealers can preemptively order units that are most likely to align with future purchases, allowing for quicker delivery times.

One of the most significant benefits of opting for a stock truck is the potential for reduced lead times. In contrast to the custom rig experience—which can range from 18 to 24 months for delivery due to the comprehensive design, engineering, and purchasing processes—stock trucks could be available for delivery much earlier, sometimes even immediately if they are already in stock.

Another factor driving interest in stock rigs is cost. The inherent economies of scale associated with stock production can lead to reduced purchase prices compared with fully customized units.

Visit www.rosenbaueramerica.com for more information.

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Cameron Macdonald
The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
(TNS)

May 26—Southern Marin and Tiburon firefighters are employing a tool to alert drivers in case lights and sirens fail to do the job.

Using technology called Safety Cloud, a fire crew en route to an emergency can send alerts to nearby drivers announcing their approach through messages on the drivers’ smartphones or vehicle navigation systems.

The Southern Marin Fire Protection District recently installed the devices into their vehicles, Chief Chris Tubbs said.

“It’s safety for our firefighters and it’s safety for the community,” he said. “It’s really about reducing the risks out in the interstate and any roadway, but the freeways are where the higher risks are.”

The Southern Marin district covers about 25 square miles. Tubbs said the agency recently activated the technology and has not collected data on its early results.

Tubbs said it’s unlikely that Southern Marin crews will know which vehicles are getting the alerts and which ones are not.

The cost to activate the Safety Cloud technology for 24 vehicles was $1,200, said Kim Huff, a spokesperson for the Southern Marin district. The activation cost was split by the Tiburon and Southern Marin agencies, she said.

Both agencies’ annual service cost for the Safety Cloud system is $7,896, $4,277 of which is covered by the Southern Marin district, Huff said.

Tiburon Fire Protection District Chief Tommy Hellyer said his agency is working on getting the hardware to use the technology and plans to activate it next month.

“Sometimes they don’t hear the sirens, sometimes they don’t see the lights,” Hellyer said of drivers during emergencies. “I think that people are so conditioned to see their phones and their navigation systems in their vehicles, if this can provide that information to folks who are driving, then it’s safer for everyone.”

The product is made by HAAS Alert of Chicago. The alerts are delivered on seven platforms, including the Waze and Apple Maps apps, said Brock Aun, a company vice president.

Alerts also can be sent to certain vehicle models that have built-in mapping systems. Such vehicles include 2018 or newer Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Volkswagen models, Aun said.

Safety Cloud technology is being used by nearly 5,000 agencies worldwide, Aun said.

“Digital alerting significantly reduces the risk of collision, and responders really appreciate every layer of protection they can get on the road,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, toured the current fire station in Clinton Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and reviewed plans for a new station made possible by $2 million in congressionally-directed spending she secured through her role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, according to a press release.

The existing 5,000-square-foot station is too small to support the needs of Clinton’s current fire and rescue operations and cannot accommodate the updated equipment the department plans to purchase.

“Touring the current fire station today gave me a clear picture of the challenges facing Clinton firefighters and EMTs to swiftly respond to emergency situations. I am so glad I could support Clinton’s first responders and residents with this funding for an upgraded facility, and I appreciate Deputy Fire Chief Travis Leary for sharing these plans with me,” said Collins.

Collins has secured nearly $45 million in congressionally-directed spending for 28 fire stations across the state since fiscal year 2022.

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Alachua County is pleased to invite the public to a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Fire Station No. 21 (16121 NW 173rd St., Alachua), the county said in a press release. The event will take place on Friday, May 30, 2025, at 10 a.m., with light refreshments served.

Alachua County Fire Chief Harold Theus will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Featured speakers include Alachua County Commission Chair Charles S. Chestnut IV, Alachua City Manager Mike DaRoza, and Alachua Mayor Walter Welch.

“This new facility underscores Alachua County’s ongoing investment in public safety,” said Fire Chief Theus. “It represents an important step forward in our commitment to providing life-saving services for our residents.”

Fire Station No. 21 is a state-of-the-art, 11,500-square-foot facility with a project cost of $7 million. Completed earlier this month, it is designed to serve the community for more than 50 years. The single-story, concrete masonry structure includes energy-efficient systems, sustainable design features, and 100% backup power generation, ensuring operational readiness in all conditions.

The Lunz Group of Lakeland provided architectural and engineering services, and D.E. Scorpio Corporation led construction management.

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