According to the wrapup, the EPA banned the transfer of fire trucks and related vehicles from the Department of Defense to Arizona firefighters at the height of the wildfire season.

"Roughly $150 million worth of surplus military equipment is transferred to local fire departments every year," the document said. "In the summer of 2014, during the middle of an active wildfire seasons, the EPA forced the Department of Defense to halt two programs that donate surplus military trucks and other equipment used to fight wildfires by rural fire departments.

"Why would the EPA ban such an important program? The EPA was worried that the fire trucks might not meet vehicle emission standards," the wrapup said. "Of course, the EPA neglected to consider that smoke from wildfires is extremely toxic and releases many tons of harmful chemicals and ash. The EPA's own studies show that exposure to these chemicals can cause asthma, [and other breathing disorders], childhood respiratory disease and other public health hazards."

Over a year ago, Marion Fire Chief Jerry Odum began looking into purchasing a new engine. Marion bought its last trucks in 1999. Before that, the last trucks were purchased in 1982.

"They take good care of them, keep maintenance up on them very well, so they do, they last us quite awhile," said Chief Odum.

The fire department has four engines and two ladder trucks. Odum said Marion City Council budgeted for one new engine.

But with grant money, he replaced one engine with two new ones.

"They're nice looking trucks. They're a little larger, a little taller. We have more storage space on top," said Odum.

The cost of one engine can break a city budget. Odum hoped for a truck that would meet the departments needs.

"All of our extrication tools is now mounted in the front bumper for quick access," he said.

He said that makes rescues quicker and more efficient. The engines have more safety features, like backup cameras.

" When you turn the turn signal, there's also a side camera so you don't have any blind spots down the side," explained Odum.

With a few more things to add, Odum said the new trucks will soon hit the road.

The Intermediate Capability (IC) vehicle is smaller than the traditional engines currently used by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS), making it easier to navigate through busy areas.

A third of fire engines are set to be replaced by the rapid response vehicles over the next three years in a bid to save £450,000, as part of £4.1million cuts by the service that has seen 212 firefighter posts lost.

The IC vehicle can be crewed by between two to five firefighters, with the pilot currently based in Southampton, and prototypes set to soon be rolled out in Basingstoke and Whitchurch.

If successful, after feedback and suggestions from crews, the engines may then be rolled out across the county next year.

"Here in these neighbourhoods in Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak, we have been operating a fire hall from a house, which is an innovative way to operate these services but not a very efficient one," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

"Now we have this beautiful building which is a fire hall, a place for Calgary Police Service, for EMS as well as for Calgary Community Standards and bylaw officers."

The complex includes a 16-person room for use by the community, which Nenshi called an important addition.

"One of the things about newer neighbourhoods in the city is often there are not gathering places for the community," he said.

"We don't often build community halls that are open to everyone in the community anymore, and so to just a have room in this place, to get people in and out, interacting with the firefighters and police officers and EMS people and bylaw officers, I think that's a great thing.

"It not only provides much needed community space but it creates a sense of community."

An April 2014 report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency identified that EMS providers weren't using safety restraints in 80% of investigated ambulance crashes.1,2

This single astounding fact was the stimulus for the Cranberry Township (Pa.) EMS (CTEMS) to develop what we wanted to be the safest ambulance in America—one that would focus on provider safety by addressing crash avoidance, and crash survivability.

We knew that our focus on crash avoidance could only be accomplished by changing many of the norms of ambulance design in the United States.

As for crash survivability, there had already been a few industry leade