After nearly 15 years of responding to traumatic calls as a firefighter and paramedic in Cowlitz County, Stacie Poff noticed she would sometimes feel angry and agitated at nothing in particular. At home, the activities that used to bring her joy did little to lighten her mood, she said. Those were the first symptoms of the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she developed on the job, said Poff, who works with Cowlitz County Fire District 6 in Castle Rock.
- PUB DATE: 6/6/2019 5:30:45 PM - SOURCE: Longview Daily News

Two local fire departments Thursday dispatched crews to Nippon Dynawave Packaging for the second installment in a three-part training exercise. Longview Fire and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue participated in a scenario about a silo fire with two trapped victims, said Jeff Thompson of Cowlitz 2. The scenario was broadcast over police and fire scanners and firefighters responded as if it were a real incident, but no buildings were actually on fire.
- PUB DATE: 6/6/2019 5:30:43 PM - SOURCE: Longview Daily News

The Yakima Fire Department now has its new Deputy Fire Chief. The Yakima Fire Department sent out the following information on Thursday: A longtime employee with the Yakima Fire Department (YFD) is now its new Deputy Fire Chief. Jeremy Rodriguez, a 22-year employee with YFD, began his new role as Deputy Fire Chief this week.
- PUB DATE: 6/6/2019 4:05:37 PM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS 29 Yakima

P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. (PLCB) is pleased to announce the addition of Brad Turk as the first remotely based regional sales manager in the company’s history. He comes to PLCB with an extensive wealth of experience in this industry, having started his career in emergency vehicles back in 1983.

Chad Newsome, National Sales Manager for PLCB, is extremely excited to welcome Brad to the team.  “After a six-month search process, it became clear to us that Brad was a great fit for PLCB and will be a wonderful resource to our customers and dealers alike.” Turk started with PLCB on May 20, 2019 and is rapidly getting to know everyone  at PLCB. While he will be involved with all aspects of the company’s products, Turk's primary responsibility will be to the Rescue 1 division.

Based out of Florida, Turk has been in the fire and emergency vehicle industry for decades, creating and forging strong relationships with vendors, manufacturers, and customers alike. He is eager to start his next chapter here at PLCB, stating, “After a long search for my next employment opportunity, one of my primary goals was to find an independent, stable, and family-owned company where I could play an integral role in that company’s success.  PLCB’s culture of high quality emergency vehicles and their consistent approach to business strongly appealed to me, especially given the volatility within the emergency vehicle marketplace today”.

Deborah Smock Thomson, president of PLCB, is thrilled about this new position and looks forward to working with Turk. “We looked at how best we can serve our dealer community and the greater customer community as a whole. Knowing we needed to offer more extensive support to both groups formed the basis for our search. We look forward to announcing more additions in the near future and we know our stakeholders—our customers, dealers, and vendors—will see the value these moves bring to our company.”

The addition of a regional sales manager is something new to PLCB, and it sees this as a tremendous support to its growing dealer market. With coverage in 29 states and Canada, PLCB continues to grow at a steady and consistent pace. Currently in its 73rd year of business, PLCB’s independence and family ownership stands out in stark contrast to the changing industry. 

For more information, visit www.plcustom.com.