The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), in partnership with the Jacksonville Port Authority and the Department of Defense, has officially broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility for Fire Station 48. The groundbreaking marks the culmination of 18 months of planning, coordination, and interagency collaboration.

Station 48 was originally constructed in 1978, when Jacksonville’s population was just over 550,000. Today, the population has nearly doubled. The surrounding Heckscher Drive corridor and Blount Island Marine Terminal have experienced significant growth, creating greater demands on JFRD.

As the city and its maritime economy expanded, so did Station 48’s mission. What began with a single fire apparatus eventually grew to include a tanker and a 39-foot fireboat. But with only 1,700 square feet, the current facility no longer meets the operational needs of Jacksonville’s growing footprint in the port area.

“What you see here is the result of strong partnerships and shared priorities.” said Fire Chief Percy Golden. “JAXPORT, the Department of Defense, and JFRD came together with one goal. To strengthen public safety in a critical part of our city.”

The new station will be located outside the security gates of the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Blount Island terminal. This location allows JFRD personnel to bypass security checkpoints when every second counts, improving access to both the terminal and nearby neighborhoods along Heckscher Drive.

The project also includes a new dock that will house the fire boat on site, enabling faster response to maritime emergencies.

JFRD works closely with its military and port partners through joint training and mutual aid agreements. This new facility expands on these partnerships and supports public safety efforts in one of Jacksonville’s most vital economic areas.

Construction is now underway, and the new station is expected to be completed in 2026.

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CoxreelsV-100 Series product line has been improved and expanded! Introducing the new 1¼-inch vacuum hose reel V-112-735 without hose and the V-112H-735 with hose. The new model is a smaller frame size featuring 12-inch diameter discs instead of the original 17-inch diameter discs and is designed for use with 35 feet of 1 ¼-inch vacuum hose. The outlet connecting to the hose remains 1½-inch and our 1¼-inch hose comes equipped with 1½-inch slip cuffs on both ends for maximum flow.

In addition to the new models, the swivel has been improved on the entire product line. The new swivel design still allows for the connection of multiple hose sizes by using the inside and the outside of the housing, but a greater gradual taper has increased the amount of compatible inlet hose cuffs. This remains important because retail shop vacuums are coming with larger and larger hoses, some as big as 2.5 inches. The swivel also includes hidden improvements via an enhanced O-ring sealing system for greater vacuum consistency and performance.

The hose has a super flexible “crush-proof” smooth interior hose suitable for commercial cleaning applications and is equipped with standard 1.5-inch threaded hose cuffs on both hose sizes.

Coxreels® has remained steadfast and focused on manufacturing high quality professional grade hose, cord, and cable reels since 1923. Offering a full product line serving the industry in every channel and application, Coxreels® takes great pride in designing, building, and supporting all of their products right here in the U.S.A.

For further information on Coxreels® new options for the V-100 Series, contact Customer Service at (800) 269-7335 or visit www.coxreels.com.

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Facility expansion adds seven new service bays and local pickup and delivery, enhancing emergency vehicle service capabilities across the region.

APPLETON, Wisconsin (August 12, 2025) – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) business, is pleased to announce Pierce authorized dealer, Atlantic Emergency Solutions, has completed a significant expansion of its Charlotte, North Carolina service center to better support the needs of the Charlotte Fire Department and other fire agencies across the region. The upgraded facility, located in a convenient and accessible area on Statesville Road in Charlotte, will provide enhanced service offerings, expanded capacity, and increased parts availability for departments across North Carolina and beyond.

“Our team is committed to keeping fire departments mission-ready,” said Joe Pack, Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Emergency Solutions. “With this expansion, we’re positioned to reduce downtime, enhance service accessibility, and support growing fleets such as the Charlotte Fire Department.”

The Charlotte service center expansion includes an additional 9,200 square feet, nearly doubling the previous size of the facility to a total of 25,200 square feet. Seven new service bays were added, increasing the shop’s capacity and turnaround time for essential maintenance and repairs. The project also included an updated parts room and installation of a sprinkler system for increased safety. Additionally, the center will offer local pickup and delivery of fire apparatus to stations throughout the region.

Atlantic Emergency Solutions is the authorized Pierce dealer for a large eastern region of the United States, including Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

To learn more about Pierce fire apparatus and Atlantic Emergency Solutions’ growing service network, visit www.piercemfg.com.

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Molly Walsh
cleveland.com
(TNS)

MENTOR, Ohio – Mentor officials are moving forward with plans to build a new fire station, which will replace the city’s more than 50-year-old firehouse.

The city has purchased land for the project at the northeast corner of state Route 84 and Plaza Boulevard, where the former Sears Automotive Center once stood.

The transaction closed on July 9, after City Council approved the property sale in February, according to a city spokesperson.

The new station remains in the design phase. Fire Chief Bob Zak has been touring other fire facilities across Ohio and working with an architect to develop plans for a modern building that will replace the city’s existing station next to Garfield Park, which has been in service since 1965.

While design work on the fire station continues, city leaders are also debating how to temporarily reduce the property tax burden on residents.

Councilman Scott Marn proposed a one-year moratorium on collecting the city’s fire levy, which generates about $2.15 million annually.

During a City Council meeting July 1, Marn argued that Mentor’s reserves could cover expenses during the pause without delaying construction or disrupting fire department operations.

“It’s clean, it’s simple, it affects everybody that has property in Mentor, whether it’s business, whether it’s residential, anything of that nature,” Marn said during the meeting.

Other council members, including Councilperson-at-Large Ray Kirchner, voiced concerns that suspending the levy might confuse taxpayers or jeopardize long-term funding for fire services.

“(The levy) was voted on by the residents…It was put on permanently,” He said. “We’re in the process of building a fire station, which is where these funds are going to be coming from.”

Instead, Kirchner proposed offsetting expenses by drawing on money set aside for the city’s recycling and waste collection services.

Marn’s idea to pause fire levy collections has not been officially introduced to council. Council is on a break until Sept. 2.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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In the latest episode of Talking Trucks, hosted by Chris Mc Loone and joined by fire apparatus expert Ricky Riley, the focus zeroed in on a critical component of fire apparatus management: designing rigs for ease of maintenance. The conversation went into how early planning and well-crafted specifications can reduce out-of-service time, lower repair costs, and extend the operational life of apparatus across various types — from pumpers and ladders to rescues and ambulances.

Maintenance Must Be a Priority During Specification and Design

The podcast reinforced that a truck’s specification phase is the most crucial opportunity to ensure the rig is maintainable over its lifespan. Once production begins, changes become costly or delay delivery. Ricky emphasized that specifying detailed requirements—including service clearance around components—is non-negotiable.

Riley pointed out that manufacturers tend to follow the letter of the specification. If it doesn’t explicitly call for reinforced brackets or panel access, those features may be installed in ways that compromise serviceability. “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist,” Mc Loone echoed, underscoring advice from long-time industry advisor Bill Adams. Departments must carefully spell out every detail to avoid costly surprises after delivery.

Maintenance isn’t just the shop’s responsibility. Firefighters themselves must be equipped with the knowledge and tools for routine upkeep. Riley lamented how many training programs overlook practical maintenance tasks, such as checking pump pressure governors, grease points, or backflushing the pump. “It’s a lost art form,” he said, describing the disconnect between certification-driven training and the hands-on skills needed to keep rigs operational at the station level.

Listen to the Podcast for more of the conversation!

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