The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
(TNS)

PATTON, Pa. – The Cambria County Regional Firefighters Association is celebrating its new training tower facility and pump system with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. at the CCRFA Training Academy site at 292 Ott Road in East Carroll Township.

These upgrades will allow firefighters from an eight-county region to access more realistic and advanced training, according to officials.

“Right now, we rely on used fire apparatus that is donated to use,” said Jim McCann, CCRFA training chairman and Johnstown Fire Department chief.

“It’s huge, the fact that now we’ll be able to purchase a pump to do that, for the longevity if nothing else.”

The pump draws from the academy’s pond and feeds it into the hydrant network, which means firefighters training don’t have to rely on aging donated fire trucks.

McCann also touted the new tower system, which can now be used for ladder operations, rope rescue drills and hose-line deployment using an internal standpipe.

“We do a lot of ladder work off of that prop,” he said, “as well as rope for lowering and rappelling of rescuers.”

After the ceremony Friday, guests will be able to tour the facility and observe demonstrations.

© 2025 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.). Visit www.tribune-democrat.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
© Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved

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GREENPORT, New York (Sept. 30, 2025)—America’s Fire Boat, Fire Fighter, is preparing for her next chapter. This national historic landmark, celebrated as one of the most decorated and iconic vessels in U.S. firefighting history, is seeking a new permanent home where she can continue her role as a teaching museum and living memorial. Since 2021, thousands of visitors have come aboard while she has been berthed at Mystic Seaport Museum. As her time there concludes in 2026, Fire Fighter offers a rare opportunity for a community or organization to host this extraordinary piece of maritime history.

Thanks to grants from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, Save America’s Treasures, and other donations totaling more than $1 million, Fire Fighter can now go to her new home completely overhauled and restored to her original glory.

The 134-foot Fire Fighter requires dock facilities designed to provide stability and safe visitor access. In addition to her historical significance, she offers communities a one-of-a-kind attraction capable of drawing crowds and enhancing waterfront destinations.

“Fire Fighter is known as America’s Fire Boat because she embodies courage, service, and resilience,” said James W. Tomes, CEO of Telgian and board member of the Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum. “Welcoming Fire Fighter to your harbor is not just about preserving a vessel—it’s about giving future generations a place to connect with American history in a tangible, inspiring way.”

A Storied Legacy of Service

Commissioned in 1938, Fire Fighter holds the distinction of being the most award-decorated fire boat in the world. At the time of her decommissioning in 2010, she was the second-oldest fire boat in frontline service worldwide and the longest serving member of the FDNY Marine Unit Fleet.

Fire Fighter’s service record is unparalleled:

•  World War II: She protected ammunition ships bound for Europe, answering emergencies such as the fire and capsizing of the SS Normandie and the explosion aboard the munitions ship El Estero, and near annihilation of New York City.

•  June 1974: Received the Gallant Ship Award for fighting bravely the Sea Witch/Esso Brussels collision/fire and explosion beneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1973.

•  September 11, 2001: She played a critical role at Ground Zero, pumping water at her maximum capacity for three weeks from New York Harbor, when water mains were crushed and hydrants were destroyed, ensuring firefighters could battle the catastrophic blazes.

•  US Airways January 15, 2009: She assisted in the rescue of passengers from US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River.

For these and countless other acts of heroism, Fire Fighter is the only fireboat ever awarded the prestigious Gallant Ship Award since its creation in 1944.

A National Treasure, Floating Museum, and Landmark Attraction

•  A tourism attraction that draws history enthusiasts, families, and maritime visitors.

•  A living classroom for students to experience history, engineering, and public safety.

•  A symbol of resilience and service that connects communities to national moments
   from World War II to 9/11.

•  A chance for a host community to join the legacy of safeguarding America’s stories.

“We are inviting communities, maritime organizations, and civic leaders to partner with us in identifying a safe and suitable location for Fire Fighter,” said Museum President Charlie Ritchie. “Her legacy is about much more than firefighting. It embodies courage, resilience, and American history.”

Organizations or communities with potential docking opportunities, as well as those interested in partnerships or supporting preservation efforts, are e

Burlington (VT) Fire Department’s new approach to selling apparatus is putting more money back into the department budget. By using Garage, Burlington was able to advertise their surplus nationally to departments across the US, selling faster and recouping more for their department than ever before.

In this short video, learn from Burlington Fire Department personnel how their experience with Garage was different than traditional methods for offloading surplus fire apparatus and how Garage facilitates the process.

For more information, visit https://www.shopgarage.com/.

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LUCA POWELL
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
(TNS)

A Richmond (VA) firefighter is suing some of America’s biggest chemical companies, alleging their negligence contributed to his leukemia diagnosis.

Jonathan Clarke, a veteran master firefighter, is suing numerous companies involved in the making of firefighter “turnout” gear, which he’s worn for more than 20 years on the job.

The suit alleges that his leukemia diagnosis in 2022 was the result of chemicals woven into firefighting gear in order to make the garments waterproof. The science around the chemicals, known as PFAS, has recently clarified the picture around their potential link with cancer.

Clarke’s suit names 21 companies, including 3M, Chemours, Honeywell and another 18 associated with the production of PFAS or firefighter turnout gear. He’s one of several firefighters alleging harm from the gear in Virginia.

The suit alleges that the chemical makers and purveyors of turnout gear knew about the harms of PFAS but failed to relay the chemicals’ “toxic nature” to firefighters.

The Times-Dispatch reached out to 3M, Chemours, Honeywell and three other named makers of firefighting turnout gear. None returned requests for comment. Some companies, including Honeywell, have recently rolled out PFAS-free firefighter gear.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals first created by chemists at DuPont in the 1930s. They are prized for their strong chemical bonds, which don’t break down naturally, and their water-resistant and flame-retardant properties. By dipping fabric into vats of PFAS chemicals, manufacturers were able to imbue both those qualities into firefighting turnout gear.

But a growing body of science has also tied PFAS to a series of worrying health risks, including developmental delays, immune dysfunction and links to several forms of cancer after prolonged exposure. As a result, federal regulators have imposed increasingly tighter limits on PFAS, particularly in American drinking water.

Firefighters first drew their attention to the chemicals in 2016, when the wife of a Massachusetts firefighter sought answers for her husband’s cancer diagnosis. She sent samples of turnout gear to a nuclear physicist at the University of Notre Dame.

PFAS, or forever chemicals, have been increasingly in the news in recent years. Here are 8 articles from the past year.

That physicist, Graham F. Peaslee, used a technique called proton-induced gamma emission to measure the percentage of PFAS in a given sample of turnout clothing.

In 2020, Peaslee said his tests found approximately a pound of the chemicals in each full set of gear. His tests also found that PFAS shed from the clothing over time. The next year, further research found that even the dust in fire stations is heavy with the chemicals, suggesting a health risk even when firefighters are off-duty. In 2024, researchers in England found that the chemicals move through human skin.

The findings came after manufacturers said their products contained just “trace amounts” of PFAS, if any were used at all, according to a letter sent by manufacturer Lion to The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. In 2023, Lion issued a news

The York City (PA) Department of Fire/Rescue Services held a rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony recently for the Laurel Rex Fire House.

Built in 1877, the Laurel Rex Fire House is one of the longest-running, continuously-operated fire stations in the country. The firehouse has undergone a year-long renovation. This investment preserves its history while ensuring it continues to serve our community for generations to come.

“A huge thank you to the Powdermill Foundation, ARPA, the state RACP program, and all the project partners who made this possible — And special thanks to State Representative Carol Hill Evans, Commissioner Doug Hoke, Mayor Michael Helfrich and Councilwoman Betsy Buckingham for joining us this afternoon,” the department said in a Facebook post.

“Many thanks go out to our sponsors who helped make today possible. Downtown York, PA, Around the Clock Cleaning, York County History Center, Royal Square District, MISSION BBQ, Martin’s Potato Chips, East York Walmart, and First John’s Church,” the department added.

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