For the past 18 months, the Des Moines Fire Department ran a trial to see if running an engine would help crews reach emergencies faster from Station 8, located on the city’s south side near the Des Moines International Airport, kcci.com reported.

Station 8 is the third busiest in the city, according to recent data, and serves a large geographic area, the report said. The station has operated three full-time frontline vehicles: an engine, a ladder truck, and a medic unit, according to the report.

During a neighborhood association meeting recently, a fire official said the data collected during the past 18 months did not show any improvement in response times, the report said. The fire official said no final decision has been made, but that his recommendation was to remove the extra engine.

That recommendation has drawn opposition from some on the city council and the Des Moines Firefighters’ union, according to a post on its Facebook page.

“Our Fire Chief wants to take Engine 8 out of service, essentially taking three bodies away from your potential emergency and waiting for the next closest engine to arrive on scene,” the firefighters’ union posted. “Is this OK? If your house was on fire, you would want the most people there, as fast as humanly possible!”

While the authority to remove or retain Engine 8 rests with the fire chief, the Des Moines City Council has the ability to intervene if it disagrees with the decision, the report said.

The post Des Moines (IA) FD Considers Removing Engine from Station, Citing Stagnant Response Times appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Lincoln County (KY) Fire Department is adding three new fire apparatus to its fleet, an Interior Journal article states. According to the Interior Journal article, the new apparatus include one engine, which carries 1,000 gallons of water, and two tanker-pumpers that hold 2,100 gallons of water. Chief Eric Davidson shared that the upgraded vehicles come with simplified pump systems that will help recruits during training. 

The fire department expects to have the first two apparatus by the end of the week of July 14 or early the week of July 20 the article shares. The aging vehicles have been sold to neighboring departments in Casey County, ensuring they will not go to waste.  

The post Lincoln County (KY) Fire Department Adds Three Rigs to Fleet  appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Fayette Street Fire Station (MA) closed on July 8 as a multimillion dollar renovation is underway for the next 12 months, an itemlive.com article states. A temporary fire station was opened a few blocks down from the current station, where Engine Co. 5 and Ladder Co. 1 will be housed.  

Although there was a transition period for firefighters to become reacclimated, services were not interrupted, the article confirmed.  

Lieutenant Denis Ring shared in the article that renovating the Fayette Station would alleviate cancer and other health concerns that are prevalent in fire service. By having an up-to-date station, it will separate the living quarters from the apparatus and gear area which will help with that cause.  

For more information, visit https://itemlive.com/2025/07/14/lynn-fire-station-renovation-underway/ 

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Windsor City (CA) Council approved the purchase of two new fire apparatus, according to CTV News. This decision is said to save taxpayers hundreds or thousands of dollars if tariffs continue to rise

The city confirmed one of their key motivations for moving so quickly with the purchase is the uncertainty around international tariffs, especially in the U.S. Mayor Drew Dilkens supports this move, but shared in the article that there is a financial strain on the city when making large purchases. 

The $3.1 million order includes one aerial and one pumper, both of which will replace aging vehicles. It is expected to cost an additional 80,000 dollars to equip the vehicles after delivery.  

The new apparatus are expected to arrive in early 2026.  

The post Windsor City Approves New Apparatus Purchase Amid Tariff Concerns   appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Milton Freewater (OR) Rural Fire Department lost a Type 6 engine in a burn over during a wheat field fire July 14, 2025, the department said in a Facebook post. A firefighter was treated and released at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

The department was dispatched to a standing wheat fire mutual aid request from East Umatilla Fire and Rescue. Milton Freewater responded with one Type 6 engine, but once the fire entered its district, the department included all its fire resources, which included three Type 6 engines, two Type 3 engines and a tender.

During the fire, there were two incidents within an incident, the department said.

“The first was one of our Type 6 fire trucks was burned over as our crews began to exit an area where they became surrounded by fire at the bottom of a ravine in the area of the windmills and power lines,” the department said. “The crew safely exited with the help of Walla Walla’s engine.

“The second was smoke inhalation suffered by one of our firefighters. The firefighter was transported by our ambulance crew to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.”

The fire on the Oregon-Washington border was eventually contained.

The East Umatilla Fire and Rescue posted the following on its Facebook page: “A HUGE thank you needs to go out to Milton Freewater and Walla Walla fire districts with multiple Type 6 and tenders. Walla Walla District 4 for their dozer, District 8 for a UTV side-by-side, and College Place for a water tender and, of course, the multiple farmers with discs and water tenders.”

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