"The advantages of the I-TIC include that it works off a central power supply, so no separate batteries, it can't be forgotten as it is integrated into the SCBA, it is easy to use without the snag hazard and additional weight, and it can easily be installed at the factory with the initial purchase of a G1 SCBA, or later in the field by an approved technician," said Bubba Stultz, MSA First Responder Sales Manager.

The Elsmere Fire Department owns two larger hand-held thermal imaging cameras. This year, one of the firefighters signed up at a conference to win a new I-TIC unit and he won.

The Freightliner marks a major step up for the Reedsport department.

"All of our tankers are either 500 gallon or 750," Anderson said. "So this is quite an increase in what we can take to a fire."

The SFD currently has three drones that each cost around $1,150. According to the manager of this nascent drone program, Lt. Todd Powell, the fourth drone will cost $9,000 and will join the fleet any day now. City spokesman Brian Coddington claims that the SFD has already spent around $28,000 on drone-related cameras, batteries, accessories, and the drones themselves.

Thus far, the SFD has gotten to use their new aerial tools in only a few actual emergencies, with a crew of ten trained and FAA-licensed firefighters as part of its team. Lt. Powell is clearly in firm agreement with using this modern tool to keep his men out of harm's way, by establishing the scene beforehand, and then sending his men into the area in question. He explains, "The whole point of the drone program is so we have another way to collect information to make more informed decisions."

After more than a decade as administrative offices, Lawrence’s oldest standing fire station, at 1839 Massachusetts St., is once again home to an active emergency crew.

Medic 1 — comprising an ambulance, its crew and a backup ambulance — moved into the station in August and is expected to stay up to a year, while Fire Station No. 1 at 746 Kentucky St. undergoes a major renovation. Engine 1 — the Kentucky Street fire truck and crew — is being housed in a small temporary building near the station for the duration of the renovation.