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Posted: Oct 24, 2016

Crockery Township (MI) Gets Creative with New Fire Apparatus

Renovating an old semi-tractor from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is helping the Crockery Township Fire Department save a lot of money on a new truck.
The DNR has a program in which it will donate a vehicle to the fire department once there is proof that the vehicle is being used.

The 2007 chassis the state agency donated to the Crockery Township department had less than 10,000 miles on it, according to Township Fire Chief Gary Dreyer.

"We had the frame stretched and a new apparatus body and pump installed," Dreyer said. "The total cost (of the renovated vehicle) will be around $169,000."

The money comes out of millage funds.

The department took delivery of the 4,000-gallon tanker last week and is in the process of installing all the needed equipment on it.

Dreyer said they hope to have the truck complete and all personnel trained so the tanker will be ready to roll by the end of the month. Firefighters have already tested the pump, rated at 1,000 gallons per minute, he said.

Also a former DNR vehicle, the 1988 truck, tanker 563, was renovated and put into service in about 2007, Dreyer said. Under the former DNR program, this truck will be turned back to that agency for auction at that time.

Two other vehicles — a late 1970s and a 1986 brush truck — are also DNR vehicles and will be turned over to that agency when the fire department is done with them.

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Posted: Oct 24, 2016

South Whidbey Fire/EMS hires first female deputy chief

For the first time in its history, South Whidbey Fire/EMS has a female deputy chief. Wendy Moffatt, former EMS division chief, was officially promoted to deputy chief — one rank below chief — at the fire district’s monthly meeting on Thursday. In a short ceremony, district Commissioner Kenon Simmons took her old badge and presented her with a new one.
- PUB DATE: 10/24/2016 1:04:24 PM - SOURCE: South Whidbey Record
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Posted: Oct 24, 2016

Safe Fleet Emergency and Industrial Adds Keith Watson to Sales Team

Keith Watson

Keith Watson has joined Safe Fleet Emergency & Industrial as the South East Municipal Sales Manager for Elkhart Brass. He will report to Ron Truhler, Divisional Vice President, North American Sales.

Keith brings over 30 years of experience in the fire service industry, most recently representing Elkhart Brass products as the Hydraulics Specialist on the West Coast for Shur-Sales. Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a Regional Manager with Scott Safety and 10 years with Northrup-Grumman as a Field Engineer.

Truhler stated, "Keith will bring a high level of technical product knowledge, a strong customer based focus and extreme work ethic to one of our key municipal territories. He has a true passion for the firefighting industry and promoting safety through education. We are excited to have Keith on the team."

Safe Fleet Announces New Hires

Safe Fleet Acquires Elkhart Brass

Safe Fleet Acquires Rear View Safety

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Posted: Oct 24, 2016

Fixing Pittsburgh (PA) Public Safety Vehicles Costly, Sometimes Slow

When a Pittsburgh firetruck's check-engine light came on in August, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Mullen initially thought he had plenty of other vehicles available for Brookline's station. But the first spare truck had a faulty pump, and the second's ladder rack motor was burned out.

He kept checking spare engines “until I exhausted all of the eight pumpers shown as being available,” he wrote in an email to other city officials.

“If there is anyone who thinks that this is acceptable, I would welcome them to respond with their reasons why,” he wrote.

Deputy Chief Mullen’s challenge capped six months of concerns about maintenance of some of the city’s public safety vehicles. A controller’s audit found that the repair vendor, First Vehicle Services, was more expensive than expected and often failed to get vehicles back on the road promptly.

Nonetheless on Tuesday, after five minutes of public discussion, city council approved a five-year, $46 million new contract with First Vehicle, which was the only bidder.

“Competition is always good, but you don’t want to just make change for change’s sake,” said city budget director Sam Ashbaugh.

Departmental officials responsible for vehicles were asked if they were satisfied with the vendor's performance, he added, saying, “To a man, they said yes.”

“It’s disappointing when you only get one bidder in a competitive bidding process,” said Controller Michael Lamb. In similar circumstances in the past, he said, “we’ve gone back out to bid again.”

He called the garage’s turnaround time on public safety vehicle repairs “a problem. … We have to have that fleet available.”

Before 2005, the city employed mechanics to fix the roughly 1,000 vehicles it owns. That year, under pressure from fiscal overseers, it inked a deal with First Vehicle of Cincinnati to privately run its Strip District repair shop. The deal aimed to cut maintenance and repair costs from roughly $5.5 million to $4 million.

By 2014, though, the city was paying First Vehicle $8 million annually. Next year, the price tag is likely

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Posted: Oct 24, 2016

Fire Truck, Car Collide in Buffalo (NY)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A fire truck collided with another vehicle at Delaware Ave. and Bryant St. The crash happened at 9:50 a.m. Friday. Before the collision, the fire truck had been responding to a call. Its lights were on and its sirens were sounding.

The truck had a green light when it struck the other vehicle.

After the crash, the driver of the other vehicle had to be extricated from their car.

The driver, a male, had non-life threatening injuries. No firefighters have reported any injuries.

Both vehicles had extensive damage.

The crash is being investigated by authorities.

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