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Posted: Oct 12, 2016

Fairfield (OH) to Purchase New Fire Apparatus

Fairfield will take a quarter-century-old fire truck out of front line service by this time next year. To be paid with city income tax revenues, City Council authorized the purchase of a new 78-foot aerial fire engine that will cost the city $773,410.
The 24-year-old fire engine will be shifted into a reserve status and kept at Station 32 on Dixie Highway.

The city has been planning to replace the fire truck for about seven years, said Fairfield Fire Chief Don Bennett. So with or without the 2.5-mill fire/EMS levy voters will consider for the Nov. 8 ballot, the purchase was always anticipated to be made, he said.

"The parts to repair that engine are no longer available," Bennett said. "We've been very fortunate that we didn't have any major mechanical issues because there are no parts left for that whole generation of engine," which is a 6v92 engine.

And the chief said they know of only one mechanic in the region that has the knowledge to make repairs on that type of engine.

"That is an enormous amount of money," Bennett said of the purchase price.

For the first time in 15 years, voters are being asked to approve a fire levy that will help with the operation of the fire department. The levy is needed to help improve coverage for the city, by increasing the number of on-duty firefighters from 13 to 17.

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Posted: Oct 12, 2016

State Farm Sues Wiscasset (ME) Over Fire Apparatus Incident

A June 2015 accident that took the Wiscasset Fire Department’s ladder truck, Ladder 1, out of service for more than a year is now the subject of a lawsuit. The State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. is suing the town of Wiscasset for the cost of the insurance payment made when the wheel of the ladder truck separated from the vehicle and rolled across the roof of a car parked at the Little Village Bistro.
In a complaint filed in Lincoln County Superior Court last month, State Farm, represented by Cheryl Cutliff, of Basham & Scott, argued that the accident was the result of negligence on the part of Wiscasset and Wiscasset volunteer firefighter Jacob Williams, the driver of Ladder 1 at the time of the accident.

State Farm is seeking a judgment in the amount of $4,356.49, the cost of the repairs and rental reimbursement paid to Northrup and Carole Fowler, of Edgecomb, owners of the 2009 Subaru Outback damaged in the accident.

Wiscasset, represented by Kasia Park, of DrummondWoodsum, has denied the claims of negligence.

During a driver training exercise on June 10, 2015, the lugs sheared off the rear passenger-side wheel of Ladder 1, causing the wheel to separate from the vehicle as it traveled south on Gardiner Road.

The wheel bounced off a utility pole, which knocked out power for a portion of town, and rolled across the roof of the Fowlers’ vehicle before coming to a rest, The Lincoln County News reported at the time. The wheel hit the left rear roof of the Subaru, causing the roof to cave in and the back window to blow out.

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Posted: Oct 12, 2016

Old Fire Apparatus Returns to Saranac Lake (NY) VFD

Saturday's open house at the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department will also be a homecoming party for one of its old fire trucks.
"Samantha," a 1920 American LaFrance, was the department's first motorized truck. The department recently re-acquired it from the estate of John "Hawkeye" Hawkinson. It was delivered to the firehouse on Broadway during the department's monthly meeting Thursday, according to fire Chief Brendan Keough.

The old truck will be on display, along with the department's newest trucks - a 2016 1,500 gallon-per-minute E-One Pumper and a 2017 Kenworth E-One 3,000 gallon tanker/pumper - during the department's annual fire prevention open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The event will also feature a live fire extinguisher demonstration, during which people can practice their fire extinguisher skills, and firefighter self-rescue "Bail Out" rappelling demonstrations.

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Posted: Oct 12, 2016

Grant Money Will Buy Poughkeepsie (NY) Fire Apparatus

Grant money means a new fire truck for Poughkeepsie, with no impact on taxpayers
For the past five years, it has been a struggle just to stay put with old firefighting equipment, said Poughkeepsie Fire Chief Mark Johnson said, while standing in front of an ancient fire truck soon to be replaced.

He said being able to replace 20-year-old equipment that may be called out several times a day, serves a critical safety need for both the department and the public.

"You can do the math on 20 years of wear and tear and firefighting and the huge financial expense it is to maintain these so they're safe for our firefighters to operate as well as the safety and efficiency when they get to the scene to make sure they operate properly and safely," Johnson said.

The city is in no position to afford a half million dollars out of the city budget, to grant money, secured by Assemblyman Frank Skartados, will cover the purchase of a replacement engine.

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Posted: Oct 12, 2016

Letter: Former Eastside Fire & Rescue Chief endorses Proposition 1 for Regional Fire Authority

Fire Districts 38 and 10 commissioners are proposing a formal "coming together as one" on the upcoming ballot. The vision for such a measure is to maximize efficiencies, maintain service levels, and secure funding to meet current and future needs. As a 40-year fire service veteran and your former fire chief, I fully endorse this measure to form a Regional Fire Authority (RFA).
- PUB DATE: 10/12/2016 1:08:32 PM - SOURCE: Snoqualmie Valley Record
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