Celia Frazier
Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
(TNS)

Three volunteer fire districts in Boulder County are set to receive funding for various projects after voters approved property tax increases by wide margins.

Voters in Hygiene Fire Protection District, the Coal Creek Canyon Fire Protection District and Sunshine Fire Protection District approved the respective ballot measures with more than 60% majority each.

Voters in the Hygiene Fire Protection District, which covers the community of Hygiene and surrounding areas to the north and west of Longmont, approved Ballot Issue 6A with about 62% in favor.

The measure will increase property taxes by up to $665,000 annually to pay for a new fire station that proponents said will improve firefighter safety and response times.

Proponents said the current station has not kept pace with modern demands. Overnight crews currently sleep in a trailer on the property, and firefighting gear cannot be decontaminated, which can expose crews to toxins.

The new station would include firefighter housing, a system for decontaminating gear, a meeting room for community events and more space for training.

The district is aiming to raise $4.7 million through community giving, grants, district reserves, financing and the tax increase, according to their website.

Voters in the Coal Creek Canyon Fire Protection District, which includes parts of Boulder, Jefferson and Gilpin counties, approved Ballot Issue 7B with about 83% in favor.

The measure will increase property taxes by $370,000 annually to pay for maintenance of firefighting equipment and vehicles and improvements to volunteer training.

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Voters in the Sunshine Fire Protection District, which lies west of Boulder, approved Ballot Issue 6B with about 63% in favor.

The measure will increase property taxes by $115,000 annually to fund a part-time fire chief position and the construction of a water supply system.

Proponents said adding the paid position to the entirely volunteer-run district is needed to maintain consistent, high-quality leadership. The part-time fire chief would be paid about $70,000.

Money raised through the tax increase would also go toward installing seven new water tanks and one hydrant in the district over the next 10 years. The district’s board of directors wrote in August that the current system is “incomplete and inequitable” and said bringing a water supply closer to more homes would help prevent structure fires from becoming wildfires.

© 2025 the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.). Visit www.dailycamera.com. Distributed by 

Kathryn Depauw
The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
(TNS)

KASSON TOWNSHIP — Voters rejected a measure Tuesday to fund a new fire station in Kasson Township.

Almost 59 percent of those voting were against the proposed $5.82-million, 25-year bond to fund the creation of a new full-time fire station in the township. The unofficial results were 279 in favor to 394 opposed.

Funds raised would have covered construction, furnishings and equipment costs for the new station.

The township currently receives emergency response support from the Cedar Area Fire and Rescue department, which is jointly owned by Centerville, Cleveland, Kasson and Solon townships in Leelanau County.

The current station is located in Cedar and the southwestern corner of Kasson Township has longer response times that cannot be improved by mutual aid, Chief Andy Doornbos said prior to the election.

“We are disappointed in the outcome of the vote, but we are very appreciative of the support we have in the community and will continue to do our best to provide the best service we can,” Doornbos said.

The interlocal agreement that all four townships signed more than 10 years ago splits the operating costs of the CAFR evenly among the members, but buildings are paid for and owned by the townships themselves.

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The fire department has been collecting data all that time, Kasson Township Supervisor Greg Julian said, and brought the proposal to their township, illustrating the need for the station.

Those facts haven’t changed, despite the outcome of the vote, and the board will move forward with the same objectives, Julian said.

“We are responsible for providing adequate services to our citizens, and our endeavor will not change,” he said, adding that the township board did the responsible thing by putting the proposal on the ballot now and not wasting more time and money by delaying the issue.

The Kasson Township Board will meet at 7 p.m. at Kasson Township Hall at 10988 S Newman Road in Maple City next Wednesday to discuss next steps, Julian said.

“We will be discussing this for sure, just like we’ve done every other month for over 10 years. Between the fire board meetings and the Kasson Township Board meetings, there’s been over 250 meetings since we formed this new department,” he said.

© 2025 The Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.). Visit record-eagle.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A new Striker® ARFF vehicle enhances safety and resilience at one of the Caribbean’s busiest airports, facilitating rapid response during high-risk scenarios.

APPLETON, Wisconsin (Nov. 6, 2025) – Oshkosh Airport Products, a division of Pierce Manufacturing Inc. and an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) business, announced today Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) has taken delivery of a new Oshkosh Striker® 6×6 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle. The addition expands the airport’s fully Oshkosh-equipped ARFF fleet and reinforces its commitment to the highest standards of operational safety and emergency readiness.

Punta Cana International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and a premier global tourist destination, manages millions of international travelers annually. To support both aviation operations and the surrounding community, the airport maintains a fleet comprised entirely of Oshkosh ARFF vehicles, as well as several Pierce® mini pumpers.

“Operational safety and uninterrupted service are essential for an airport which serves as the primary gateway to the Dominican Republic’s tourism economy,” said Robert Colon, Associate Manager International Sales at Oshkosh Airport Products.

“The new Striker 6×6 ensures our team is fully prepared to respond to emergencies across the airport and surrounding areas, even under the most challenging conditions,” said Adolfo Elías Rodríguez Barclay, Operations Manager for the Punta Cana Airport. “We value our longstanding relationship with Oshkosh Airport Products, and their unwavering commitment to innovation, performance, and support.”

Features of the Striker® 6×6 ARFF vehicle include:

• TAK-4® Independent Suspension for exceptional mobility and handling
• 3,000-gallon (11,356 L) water capacity
• 420-gallon (1,590 L) foam capacity
• Roof turret and low attack bumper turrets with discharge rates of up to 1,250-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump (79 L/sec) and a reach of 230 feet (70 m)
• Oshkosh® Eco-EFP™ foam system, enabling environmentally responsible foam testing and delivery
• 550 pounds (249 kg) of dry chemical capacity with dual-agent hose reel, optimized for Class B fuel fires
• 10-kW generator to power critical systems independent of external sources

“The Striker 6×6 was chosen for its ability to meet the unique geographic and environmental challenges of Punta Cana, including hurricanes, flooding, and complex emergency response scenarios,” added Colon. “Its high power-to-weight ratio, tight turning radius, and robust onboard power ensure rapid, reliable response across both airport grounds and hard-to-reach surrounding areas.”

Delivery and on-site commissioning of the vehicle occurred in September 2025, when Oshkosh Airport Products’ International Field Service Representatives provided comprehensive operator and maintenance training.

For more information about Oshkosh Airport Products and the new Striker ARFF vehicle at Punta Cana International Airport, visit www.oshkoshairport.com.

Photo caption: The new Oshkosh Airport Products Striker® 6×6 ARFF vehicle at Punta Cana International Airport will enhance operational readiness and emergency response capabilities across the airport and surrounding community.

About Oshkosh Airport Products

Oshkosh Airport Products, a division of Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business (NYSE:OSK), is a designer and builder of industry-leading airport firefighting vehicles. Its flagship Striker^® Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles are known for their durability and premium performance and are sold throughout the wor

Sisters Sandra Aronson and Judy Sudderth knew they had something special in their possession when they were going through their late parents’ belongings, the Macon-Bibb County Government said in a press release.

“They had them hung on the wall in their den right above the sofa for many years,” said Aronson.

Their parents were gifted two photographs in the 1970s capturing a moment that went down in Macon-Bibb County Fire Department history. One photo showed 10 men in 1910 standing proudly with their fire apparatus—the first motorized vehicle in Macon. The other showed the same truck destroyed after it crashed on its way to a call. It was the truck’s first call, according to retired firefighter Larry Smallwood, who studied the department’s history.

The May 6, 1910, crash claimed the lives of firefighters J.E. Buffington, Charles A. McCrary and Lee Roberts, the fire department said in a Facebook post.

“The first picture shows the professionalism that our firefighters had even back in 1910, and I still see that same smile and commitment that our firefighters have to our community,” said Chief Shane Edwards. “Our firefighters still show that same pride today.”

Aronson and Sudderth presented both photographs to the fire department on Monday, November 3, in honor of their friend, retired Captain Jimmy McCallum, who passed away earlier this year. Captain McCallum’s wife, Janet, was also present to witness the donation.

“Jimmy told me early on that he might not be a good husband all the time, because he lived the fire department,” Janet joked. “The department was very important to him. I know he would be honored. We, his family, are honored. We are so thankful.”

“This generous donation helps us preserve the legacy and history of our department,” said Chief Edwards. “We’re grateful to Ms. Aronson and Ms. Sudderth for helping ensure that the dedication and sacrifice of those who came before us continue to inspire future generations of firefighters.”

The post Macon-Bibb (GA) Receives Photos of FD’s First Apparatus; It Crashed on First Run appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

BRW Architects faced a huge challenge when it received the contract to design and build a public safety facility for Lewisville, Texas, but it managed to rise to the occasion.

The Tittle McFadden Public Safety Center includes the city’s fire administration, Central Fire Station No. 1, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 911 dispatch, police station, property and evidence storage, a crime lab, integrated training facilities, and a new parking garage.

Stephen Hilt, principal at BRW Architects, says Lewisville’s municipal campus site includes a recreation center, municipal library, courts and municipal offices annex building, and a jail, all of which BRW kept operational during construction of the public safety center. He says the new 103,900-square-foot building includes 7,600 square feet for fire administration, 22,465 square feet for Central Fire Station No. 1, 11,000 square feet for training and the EOC, an area that also comprises the overall facility’s shared tornado shelter, and a 1,200-square-foot physical training room.

“The fire administration and police also share the facility’s main breakroom, a second floor patio, and an outdoor courtyard with seating and outdoor cooking,” he says. In addition, a 20,000-square-foot support building includes quartermaster and resources storage shared by fire and police, a 170,000-square-foot parking garage for large and special use vehicles for fire and police on the first level, and a total of 355 parking spaces on five levels.

Chief Mark McNeal says the new station area “feels like a firehouse even though it’s connected to the public safety building. We wanted a separate space for the fire department, and built enough space into the structure to be able to grow and add on in the future without doing much remodeling.”

McNeal points out, “One of the highlights of the fire station is the kitchen/dining/dayroom area that’s one very