Omaha Interim Chief Dan Olsen said Friday that the agreement wasn’t improving response times in Omaha as it was intended to.

And, he said, calls in Papillion were drawing Omaha firefighters away from their duties in Omaha.

The automatic aid agreement stipulated that when residents of some areas called 911, they would get a response from the nearest emergency crew, regardless of which city they lived in.

Olsen noted that the cities still share a mutual aid agreement, where firefighters can ask for help from their counterparts in another city.

Peyton Fire Chief Charles Omdahl said the gift is much appreciated as their small department isn’t able to afford equipment like this.

He added their department will definitely put it to good use.

The unique system uses a super polymer gel to cover the outside of the vehicle’s cabin, protecting occupants from burnovers for up to 12 hours.

The device is also being modified to protect homes, buildings and other infrastructure.

Bushfire Defence is in talks to sell the Crew Protection System to a company in Turkey, which has similar climatic conditions to South Australia, ahead of its fire season.

“When an unexpected wind change occurs during a fire, the flanks can become the new fire front and fire fighters can become trapped in what is known as the dead-man zone,” said Bushfire Defence Managing Director and co-inventor Matt Wegener.

“The protection that is currently available to these guys in these specific vehicles is just not adequate enough. These vehicles are not like trucks that carry lots of water and have a water spray system to protect the cabin.  We saw a need to change this.

“This system has become a way to help fire fighters, especially those in light-weight quick response vehicles, hide from these burnovers.”

The gel acts as a protective blanket and thermal insulating barrier keeping the inside of the cabin smoke free ensuring the temperatures are stable. 

Odessa Fire/Rescue officials have already sent out a purchase order for 10 new fire trucks worth $7.3 million to replace the current fleet of vehicles that has run up high maintenance costs last year, Fire Chief Roger Boyd said.

The seven engines and three ladder trucks would take a year to design and construct, and would also carry a “bumper-to-bumper” eight-year warranty. The Pierce brand fire trucks the OFD is seeking would be manufactured in Appleton, Wis., Boyd said.

Boyd said he was thrilled at the prospect of getting the trucks in a year’s time as part of the OFR’s plan, adding that the firefighters are “really excited.”

In the meantime, the current fleet of seven fire trucks would remain in service. Once the new trucks are delivered, two of them would be housed at each of the eight fire stations and two of them would be set aside as reserves, Boyd said.

Some members of the Fresno City Firefighters Union are outraged after this sign supporting mayoral candidate Lee Brand was spotted on an antique fire truck near Blackstone and Shaw avenues last week.

"My question to them was, 'Why a fire truck?' There only one reason why you would use a fire truck," said James Scoggins, Fresno City Firefighters Union.

Scoggins believes that reason is to trick voters. The union has publicly endorsed Henry Perea, one of Brand's opponents -- and Scoggins says having brand's sign on a fire truck around Fresno is misleading.

"It's a deceptive tactic meant to confuse voters into believing that public safety have endorsed and support Lee Brand in his campaign for mayor of the City of Fresno, and that is just not the case."