Construction on the building itself is expected to continue through the rest of this year as the district makes preparations to staff the station with an engine crew until a full ladder truck crew is added at a later date. When both crews are operational, the station will house up to seven firefighters on a shift in addition to the administrative offices that will relocate from their current portable location on J Street next to Lathrop’s original city firehouse.  The station will also house at least one of the district’s new electric vehicles that will allow crews to get into areas in which traditional apparatus can’t reach – something that will be important for patrolling the levees and areas along the San Joaquin River as River Islands becomes a community that people not only live in, but play in as well. 

the work included removing the windows and resealing them, and new flooring.

He said the next phase is rust-proofing and painting the building’s exterior.

The new heating and cooling system allows for the temperature to be adjusted in each room.

All the ductwork is being removed for a system that will not use ductwork. Each office will have fresh air pumped in by a single air handler and will have individual heating and cooling units.

“The new system will be more energy efficient and there will be LED lighting,” Cravens said. “The new system will pay for itself in savings in eight to 11 years.”

The entire roof was replaced and the exhaust fumes are now being vented through the walls to prevent leakage through the roof.

“There are fewer windows and heat-resistant shades have been installed to lower the utility costs,” he said.

The second floor will include a cardio room with treadmills and a wellness center in addition to a weight room and dormitories for the firefighters.

The shower area has been redesigned for four individual shower stalls instead of one large room.

The fire crew was responding to the report of a downed wire and spotted a fire at a house while on their way to that scene, according to fire officials. The tree and the live wires came down on the truck as it was parked for the fire.

The smaller vehicles — nicknamed “Vision Zero” fire engines after The City’s initiative seeking to reduce traffic collision deaths to zero by 2024 — could also go a long way toward reducing tensions between the department and pedestrian and bicycle advocates over street safety improvements.

The Fire Department has begun the ordering process for six more of these Vision Zero engines, Deputy Fire Chief Tony Rivera told the San Francisco Examiner.

In recent years The City has gone on a design spree, widening sidewalks with safety bulb-outs and narrowing streets with protected bike lanes.

The changes increase pedestrian and bicycle safety, but can wreak havoc with the tight turning radius of older, larger fire engines.

Exploits Search and Rescue has ditched its 1987 school bus in favour of a new $350,000 mobile command centre.

The volunteer search and rescue team unveiled the new machine, a converted freightliner truck, on Feb. 1.

Training sessions with the new piece of equipment have begun, and the group says the truck promises to make life easier in the field.

"We can pull up to a scene, start the generator within a matter of seconds, and we have everything available to us to start the search immediately," explained Trevor Miller, a spokesperson for the group.

"It shortens our timeframe."