EMS Station 50, located on Goethals Avenue, sits adjacent to the Queens Hospital Center complex. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro and Commissioner Feniosky Pe–a-Mora of the city’s Department of Design and Construction attended the opening ceremonies last week.

Nigro, in a press release issued with Feniosky, said with the opening of station 50, the city has more than doubled the number of stations citywide since the merger of EMS and the FDNY 20 years ago.

“Today our members respond to more calls than ever before, including 1.7 million responses in the last year alone,” Nigro said.

He said the city will continue to invest in paramedics, EMTs, officers and infrastructure to meet the unprecedented need by placing resources “where they can quickly and effectively respond when they are needed most.”

The city said 30 basic and advanced life support tours will run out of the station each day. DDC said the $22 million, 13,000-square-foot facility is the new home of Queens Borough EMS Command, and is capable of housing six ambulances and a major emergency response vehicle.

The building has been in the works for a few years, but the city has acknowledged that Queens does need more ambulance coverage.

The firefighters are back at station three, after sewage gas leaked in the station.

“Over the last few weeks, our personnel started to notice a sewer odor in the building,” said Chief Sean Douglas. “It came on pretty sudden on a Friday afternoon."

The smell was so strong, firefighters moved to station one.

Chief Douglas says plumbers have found multiple possible sources of the leak, but the main one appears to be an abandoned sewer vent pipe.

"Years ago when they put the generator in, they damaged the pipe somehow and they did a temporary patch," explained Douglas.

That's now been capped off and smell is gone, but firefighters say it's not the first time the smell has disappeared only to come back again.

"It's been a sporadic deal,” stated the chief. “We are trying to address it and get it taken care of."

Last year, we told you about an unknown substance found in the ditch by the station, which forced firefighters out.

During that time, mold was found inside, and remediation took six months.

And they might not be as far along in its construction were it not for about $12,000 in Oklahoma Forestry Services grant money the department qualified for last year, said Sharon Fire Chief Bill Philips.

“We were building this new station last year and that money really helped,” he said. “This year we plan to apply again because we have not insulated it yet or wired it for electricity yet and so whatever we get this year could be a help.”

This week, the Oklahoma Forestry Service sent out a notice to remind small rural departments that there is a chance they could qualify for money that could purchase new equipment or help them refurbish equipment that needs repair.

 According to a release, any departments in communities with populations less than 10,000 can apply  for 2016 Rural Fire Defense 80/20 Grants, which provide for equipment purchases and fire station construction. Fire chiefs should apply through Oklahoma Forestry Services by Sept 1.

Volunteer firefighters serving small communities account for more than 69 percent of personnel working to douse fires across the state of Oklahoma.

They say benefits of this new ambulance are seemingly endless.

"With this one, we haven't had problems. Starts, gets us there, to the hospital. It's just been a dream," Corsica Ambulance Driver and EMT Pat Dockendorf said.

It's not only making their job more efficient but also a little easier.

"The 'lift' system allows us to lower/raise the cot without having to do manual lifting. The system where it locks in and slides into the back of the ambulance," Dockendorf said.

Something that wouldn't be without a lot of support.

"The whole community, surrounding, came backed us. It was unbelievable. People were lined up for food and the donations were phenomenal," Corsica EMT Kathy Zomer said.

"When we step in the ambulance when we get a call, we feel proud and prideful of what we have accomplished," Barse said.

There are 81 current members of the MVAFAA; about 35 of them were showing off their antique firetrucks that day.

Another MVAFAA member, Bob McClain of Germantown, had organized the show the first 19 years with his wife, Rachel. They were at the festival showing off their 1950 GMC/Young mini-pumper, and 1953 Lyman Fire Boat. A 1968 American LaFrance that he and his son, Matt, restored, had been recently sold for $13,000 to a buyer in Massachusetts.

“The LaFrance is the cadillac of firetrucks. I first became interested in antique fire trucks when my son was a volunteer firefighter in Germantown. We bought this firetruck together many years ago as a project,” said McClain, MVAFAA past president and current treasurer. “I also transformed a Lyman boat made in Sandusky into a fireboat by adding a siren light and deck gun.”

They initially bought the LaFrance for $3,500; it needed a lot of new parts and sweat equity to bring it to its current great condition. M. McClain moved up in his firefighting career, eventually working full-time in Dayton for 15 years before being promoted to captain of the second platoon.

“I like working in the big city; we keep busy and average a good-sized fire a day,” said McClain, MVAFAA vice-president who was at the show with his 6-year-old son, Brigham. “I sold the LaFrance because my wife, Trisha, and I just had a new baby girl, Cambri. It’s time for a new adventure.”