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Posted: Jun 8, 2016

$1.2M Grant to Fund Two Lowell (MA) Fire Apparatus

The Fire Department has received a $1.2 million federal grant for new ladder and rescue trucks to replace two apparatus nearing the end of their lifespans.
The funding, from the Assistance to Firefighter Grants program, was announced Friday by the office of U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas. The department will buy an aerial ladder truck and a heavy rescue truck.

The department's only rescue truck -- which is used for structure fires and major accidents, with its Jaws of Life extrication equipment -- was built in 1998. It'll now become a spare, to be used when and if the new one, to cost about $500,000, is sidelined for repairs.

Ladder 2, which is stationed at the Branch Street station, was built in 1995. Its replacement will cost about $830,000.

Fire Chief Jeff Winward said the new apparatus will save the department on maintenance costs.

"When they start to get 20 years old, they get pretty costly to maintain and repair," he said.

The Fire Department has been on a roll lately in obtaining federal grants.

Last September, the department won a $1.9 million grant to hire 12 new firefighters. Firefighters hired through that funding, as well as several others, recently joined the department after having completed training at the state's firefighting academy.

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Posted: Jun 8, 2016

Fire Truck Market Forecast and Analysis Report From 2016 to 2021 : Radiant Insights, Inc

This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Fire Truck from 2011-2016, and provides extensive market forecasts (2016-2021) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Fire Truck market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Fire Truck, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants.

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Posted: Jun 8, 2016

Woman Steals San Francisco Department Ambulance, Crashes

A San Francisco Fire Department ambulance was stolen during a medical emergency Tuesday morning and crashed on Treasure Island before the female suspect was caught and arrested, police and firefighters said.
The dramatic chase and fiery crash also raised new questions about how the ambulance could have been taken off the steet and the age of the department's fleet, much of which has been replaced following concerns from a civil grand jury report last year.

San Francisco police Officer Grace Gatpandan said authorities got a call about 8 a.m. reporting the ambulance had been stolen from 55 Mason Street in the Tenderloin, and the driver was taking off toward the Bay Bridge. The driver, police said, was driving recklessly and struck at least one other car on Harrison Street.

Authorities used a GPS to track down the ambulance, and police chased it to the eastbound off-ramp of the island in between San Francisco and Oakland, according to Fire Department Lt. John Baxter.

At some point, the driver lost control and the ambulance crashed, and caught on fire. The square red truck was seen balancing precariously on what looked like a guardrail or median. Ferry rider Rasmus Mencke tweeted that he saw smoke on Treasure Island by the Bay Bridge tunnel stemming from the bizarre scene.

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Posted: Jun 8, 2016

Photos: Ornament Commemorates White House Fire

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Posted: Jun 8, 2016

Ornament Commemorates 1929 White House West Wing Fire

White house ornament fire engine

The White House Historical Association recently unveiled the design of the 2016 Official White House Christmas Ornament. Honoring the presidency of Herbert Hoover, the ornament is a vintage fire truck design commemorating the 1929 Christmas Eve four-alarm fire of the West Wing. Montserrat College of Art student Kayla Whelan, the winner of the Association’s national art school design competition, created this year’s design.

Americanmade, the 36th official ornament offered by the Association continues the tradition of honoring U.S. presidents in sequential order or marking a significant White House historical anniversary with the annual ornament. President Hoover served as the 31st President of the United States and was hosting his staff and their children for a Christmas party in the Entrance Hall of the East Wing when a fire broke out in the Executive Office.

SEE PHOTOS FROM THE FIRE >>

One hundred and thirty firefighters from 19 engine companies and four truck companies responded to the four-alarm fire that destroyed the West Wing. No one was injured in the blaze, and the following Christmas, White House staff and their children gathered again to celebrate the holidays and the Hoovers presented the children with toy fire trucks as gifts.

“The 2016 ornament honors a significant moment in White House history that is an often forgotten moment of Hoover’s presidency,” said White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin. “We wanted to create an ornament that continues the beautiful aesthetic tradition of the past 36 years and also honors the hundreds of firefighters that heroically fought the Christmas Eve blaze.”

The sale of every Official White House Ornament supports the Association’s mission to preserve, protect, and provide public access to the White House. The ornament is on sale beginning today, exclusively at the Association’s retail stores in Washington, D.C. and online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org for $20.95.

This year’s ornament design was created by Montserrat College of Art student Kayla Whelan, who won a national design competition the Association offered to art and design schools across the country. Whelan’s winning entry was selected from among the hundreds of entries the Association received. Whelan received a $5,000 cash prize for her winning entry and her college received a $50,000 scholarship from the White House Historical Association.

Montserrat College of Art President Steve Immerman said, “The Montserrat community is ecstatic that another student has won such prestigious national recognition. We are so proud of Kayla Whelan for the hard work she has done to reach this level of professionalism. To create a design that will live on in our nation's history for centuries to come not only launches Kayla's professional career, but is further evidence of how Montserrat College of Art prepares students for careers in the creative industries.”

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