Damage to the Newton Fire Department’s ladder truck prompted a neighboring fire station to loan a fire truck, reports Newton Daily News.

The Newton fire truck did not pass a recent inspection. It has to be repaired before it can be back in service, which is expected to take four to six weeks. The truck will be worked on in Altoona but the ladder piece has to be shipped to Indiana. 

Grinnell was able to loan its spare truck to the NFD because the department recently purchased a new ladder truck. 

 

 

This Saturday, Orange firefighters will officially unveil their newest fire truck at a wetdown and cornhole tournament, reports The Milford Orange Times.

The new truck replaces an older model. It is a pumper that has a 75-foot aerial ladder.

The cornhole tournament is open to residents of Orange, West Haven and Milford as well as teams of firefighters. 

Students from Rice University were given data on emergency calls by the Houston Fire Department to help them better allocate calls, reports KHOU 11.

 

The students did an extensive analysis of 911 calls over the past several years and presented their findings to the Houston City Council.

The research found only 12 percent of HFD's calls actually involve fires of the 30,000 emergency calls logged per year. The vast majority of the department’s calls are EMS events.

The research was able to find trends in the time of day when most 911 calls occurred. The study showed calls for help peaked in the middle of the day, then slowly decreased after rush hour traffic had ended.

Relatives of a family who died in a fire truck crash have filed a wrongful death claim against the City of Phoenix, reports ABC 15 Arizona.

A Phooenix fire truck was headed to a fire alarm call in April, when it crashed into a pickup truck. The engine rolled over into a schoolyard and the pickup was crushed. Kenneth "Chase" Collins, 20, his girlfriend, Dariana Serrano, 19, and their infant son all died. All three firefighters on the engine were injured.

The claim states that negligence by the firefighters operating the truck and their supervisors led to the three deaths.

A new rollup door design from Fontaine Modification makes it easier for firefighters, EMTs, tow truck operators, and others to quickly access tools and equipment stored in the cabs of Freightliner M2 trucks. This patent-pending design allows for a watertight seal of the door to the truck, smooth, reliable operation of the roll-up door, along with easy maintenance.

Previously, storage door installation involved custom bending the mounting track to match the truck side’s curvature. Bending the track could lead to leaks and challenges with opening and closing the door.

Fontaine developed a mounting system that uses a surround to allow the door to be installed in a completely vertical orientation, rather than trying to curve to the side of the truck.

“This unique solution allows for a consistent, customized fit for these Freightliner M2 cabs from the beginning, rather than needing to modify on the fly if usability issues arise,” says Nate Eichinger, managing director, Fontaine Modification. “Vehicle operators will appreciate the smooth functionality and ability to service – clean, repair, and even replace – the door, since it can be removed from the framework we designed for this application.”

The new mounting system was developed by the engineering team led by Vocational Engineering Manager Dylan Ramsey at Fontaine’s Innovation Center for Research and Development in Charlotte. It will be installed on Freightliner M2 trucks at Fontaine’s Charlotte Modification Center, which supports Freightliner’s nearby Mount Holly manufacturing facility.

For more information about Fontaine Modification, call 800.FONTAINE (800.366.8246) or visit www.fontainemodification.com.

About Fontaine Modification 

With over 40 years of experience, Fontaine Modification is North America’s most comprehensive provider of post-production truck services for original equipment manufacturers, dealers, and fleets. It is proud of its ongoing commitment to NTEA’s Member Verification Program, which recognizes work truck companies for outstanding business practices and successful implementation of quality standards.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Fontaine also has modification centers in Statesville, North Carolina; Avon Lake, Chillicothe and Springfield, Ohio; Garland and Laredo, Texas; Dublin, Virginia; and Williamstown, West Virginia.

Fontaine Modification is a Marmon Group/Berkshire Hathaway company.