Thousands of acres across Yakima County are considered "no man's land" for firefighters. No man's land is areas in the county that are outside of fire districts. People there could call 911 for an emergency, even their home burning, and firefighters may not come. If you're far outside of any major city, you may want to check if you're covered.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS/CW+ 29 Yakima

Firefighters rapidly responded and neutralized a nascent residential fire in Cosmopolis Monday morning before it could get out of hand. The call came in just before 8:30 a.m., said Battalion Chief Dave Swinheart of the Aberdeen Fire Department. “At the time we had three other calls going in, two in the city and one in North River,” Swinheart said in an interview.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2023 9:30:00 PM - SOURCE: The Daily World

Firefighters and Medina Village Board members gave the community tours of the firehouse recently, showing tight quarters, eroding floors, cracking walls and other deficiencies, orleanshub.com reported.

The board is looking to put an addition on the fire house that can better accommodate the larger fire trucks, the report said. The village also needs to replace the 27-year-old ladder truck, said a city official, according to the report.

The board expects to move forward soon with a plan for an addition on the fire house that would be approximately 62 feet, 8 inches by 88 feet, 8 inches, the report said. That addition, plus repairs to the existing fire house, would be about $4.5 million, according to a report from the Barton & Loguidice firm, the report said.

Saint Paul joins Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia in the purchase of the Rosenbauer RTX electric fire truck

Saint Paul, MN – On March 3, Saint Paul Mayor Carter and Fire Chief Inks announced that the Saint Paul Fire Department is embracing green energy to fight fires, becoming the first fire service in Minnesota to purchase an electric fire truck.

“We’re excited to be the first in the state to invest in this state-of-the-art fire truck,” said Mayor Carter. “It brings us all the critical green energy benefits of an electric vehicle, while meeting the high safety and efficiency standards we have for all our fire equipment.”

In 2020, Saint Paul Fire received demonstrations of the RTX from Rosenbauer, and again in January of 2023. Members of the department’s training division, apparatus selection committee, and vehicle maintenance personnel were impressed with the maneuverability, safety features, and functionality during these demonstrations.

“I was blown away by its overall performance and how quiet the rig is,” said Fire Chief Butch Inks. “Communication on fire scenes is important and can be extremely difficult, especially when six or seven loud diesel engines are operating in high idle.”

The investment in the RTX is in alignment with the City of Saint Paul Climate Action & Resilience Plan, which focuses on achieving carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050. This work includes strategies to lessen the impacts of climate change through policy and regulatory actions the city can take to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and improve quality of life in the city. In addition to furthering climate goals, this investment helps reduce diesel emissions and supports firefighters’ overall health and wellbeing.

“We take pride in our ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and improve city services at the same time,” said Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark. “Because emissions from larger vehicles are some of the hardest to tackle, this is a big milestone toward realizing our climate goals.”

Rosenbauer has started the build process on an RTX electric fire truck for Saint Paul, with delivery expected by 2025. Final assembly of the city’s and state’s first electric fire truck will be completed at Rosenbauer’s facility in Wyoming, Minnesota, with delivery expected to coincide with completion of a new Fire Station 7 on the city’s East Side.

“The Rosenbauer RTX is the fire truck of the future,” said Todd McBride, RTX Sales and Marketing Manager of Rosenbauer America. “With over 10 years of research and development, the RTX is built from the ground up using the most advanced materials and technologies. The RTX is the safest fire truck available – for firefighters, for communities and for the environment.”

The City of Saint Paul is submitting federal earmark funding requests to support the purchase of the state’s first electric fire engine.
For more information about Rosenbauer America, visit www.RosenbauerAmerica.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Following an outcry from residents worried about losing their properties, the Golden Valley City Council has decided to no longer consider building a new fire station in any spots that would require demolishing private homes, startribune.com reported.

The city at first looked at approximately 130 residential properties as possible sites for the new station, the report said.

• Golden Valley (MN) Might Buy Homes to Build New Fire Station

A fire official said she thinks the loud concerns from homeowners factored into the decision to move away from residential sites, according to the report.

The Golden Valley Fire Department has been looking to consolidate two outlying fire stations into one to serve the eastern side of the city, with enough space for modern equipment and room for firefighters to stay during overnight shifts, the report said.

None of the current three fire stations have bunk rooms, and there are other challenges with the current stations, such as having to back the fire trucks in every time they return.

The city council, the report said, has now narrowed its search to four possible sites, which include:

• Spring Gate Shopping Center at 5621 Duluth St. and 1875 Lilac Dr. N (Feist Automotive gas station).
• Basset Creek office and medical buildings at 5801 and 5851 Duluth St.
• Minnesota Department of Transportation’s west metro headquarters at 2055 Lilac Dr. N.
• The eastern baseball field at Schaper Park, at 631 Ottawa Ave.

The department, which has targeted 2025 to break ground, is hoping to secure $17 million for the project in a state bonding bill, according to the report. Of that amount, $4 million is allocated for land acquisition, which could turn out to be more depending on the site, the fire official said.