Sutphen—Sugar Grove (IL) Fire Protection District top-controls pumper. Monarch cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump; UPF Poly 1,000-gallon water tank. Dealer: Ben Brown, Legacy Fire Apparatus, Shorewood, IL. (Photo by author)

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The Biloxi Fire Department added three new pumpers recently, wxxv25.com reported.

The new engines were manufactured in Wisconsin and driven to Alabama to their service center, the report said.

Some of the department’s trucks are coming up on their 20-year mark and will be replaced. The new engines will cover Woolmarket and the North Biloxi area, according to the report.

One of the new ones, Engine 7, is dedicated to Biloxi High School, the report said. It will be housed at the station, but will be used for all the football games and EMT services. Instead of putting the original department’s badge on the engine, it has an arrowhead for the Biloxi High Indians.

After the engines are serviced, the department plans to invite the public to come view them, the report said.

Donald W. Meyers
Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.
(TNS)

Mar. 29—A Yakima man who crashed into a fire engine during a police chase is heading to federal prison.

James Duane Deckard, 25, was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. He pleaded guilty in November to the charge, which factors in his prior conviction for third-degree domestic-violence assault and his methamphetamine addiction.

The sentence was below the 57-month minimum recommended under federal sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors and Deckard’s attorney said the sentence would allow him to get treatment for his addiction as well as receive a GED certificate and get job training.

Deckard was arrested following a police chase on Dec. 18, 2021.

Yakima police were called to Deckard’s West Mead Avenue home Dec. 16 after his girlfriend said he hit her 4-year-old son’s wrist, according to a YPD probable cause affidavit.

Deckard had left by the time police arrived, the affidavit said, but the woman described the incident and prior threats, including pointing a gun at her. Deckard has a 2018 prior felony conviction for third-degree assault for strangling his girlfriend, and is barred from possessing guns and ammunition.

Police located Deckard’s vehicle on Dec. 18 and tried to stop him at West Nob Hill Boulevard and South Third Avenue, the affidavit said, but Deckard sped off through residential neighborhoods.

Police broke off their pursuit after losing sight of Deckard when he nearly caused a collision at the West Nob Hill Boulevard overpass.

Police again found Deckard’s vehicle at East Nob Hill Boulevard and South Eighth Street, where he hit a fire engine, the affidavit said. Deckard was arrested after a foot chase.

Deckard’s girlfriend, who was in the car, said he tossed something out the window at Raymond Park, the affidavit said. Officers found a pistol that matched the description of Deckard’s firearm, and his DNA was found on it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Police also found almost 40 pounds of marijuana stuffed in the vehicle’s dashboard, as well as a digital scale, pistol magazines, ammunition, a holster, the affidavit said, along with gold and collectible coins.

While in jail, Deckard called his girlfriend and family members several times trying to get her to change her testimony, the affidavit said.

Deckard pleaded guilty in July to third-degree assault and witness tampering in Yakima County Superior Court, while federal prosecutors filed the firearms charge against him.

Reach Donald W. Meyers at dmeyers@yakimaherald.com.

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(c)2023 Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.)

Visit Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.) at www.yakima-herald.com

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Dust is gathering on the hood of Medic 2, a 2019 Ford F-550 the Hingham Fire Department bought three years ago for $355,000, Boston25news.com reported. A fire official said the ambulance hasn’t moved since January because Ford doesn’t have the parts to fix it.

The Abington Fire Department is in a similar situation. Its 2019 Ford F-F50 ambulance has been out of commission since October, in need of a new engine after suffering “catastrophic engine failure” but unable to be fixed due to supply chain issues, the report said.

CNN reported Ford ended September with between 40,000 and 45,000 unfinished large trucks and SUVs because the company didn’t have all the parts. The company’s U.S. sales dropped 10 percent in October because of the supply chain issues, CNN said.

For updates on this developing story, please go to Boston25news.com.

Muskegon Heights (MI) Fire Chief Christopher J. Dean posted the following news release on Facebook March 20:

With much excitement today, we took delivery of our new fire engine from Rosenbauer Group and Emergency Vehicles Plus! We are thankful for the hard work and careful consideration given to this purchase by City Council. This critical purchase enhances our aging fleet and enables us to continue to provide a high level of service to the community.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will train and prepare the new unit for service. You may occasionally see the new engine on the streets while we prepare it for emergencies. This critical step assures our staff is ready when the engine is fully in service.