Damage is showing in the Flint's fire equipment due to the water issues facing the city.

One pump has already been replaced because of severe rust. An invoice shows $65,000 in needed repairs.

The fleet's newest fire truck is also showing signs of premature damage and wear.

"We actually called the manufacturers of three of our fire trucks and they gave us some ideas of how to combat that a little bit, but what's done is done and we're hoping it doesn't get to a point where we have to replace pumps," Fire Chief David Cox Jr. told CNN affiliate WJRT.

Otherwise, things will really get expensive.

"That's a brand new $462,000 pump that we're talking about," said Cox.

And one more thing to worry about.

The fire department is worried the water could be corroding the fire suppression systems around the city too, the affiliate reported. Sprinkler installation companies are being told to inspect systems installed in homes and businesses.

For more information, view wtkr.com

The Four Communities Fire Department recently received new extrication equipment that was donated by Firehouse Subs.

The department is also a non-profit and really is appreciative of donations. They recently got a major boost when it received over $25,000 worth of extrication equipment donated by Firehouse Subs.

"There's new metallic compounds (in cars that) are actually harder than our cutters are so in order to be able to extricate someone from a bad wreck, our tools literally wouldn't cut it," said Gillis. "The new set has the same cutter, spreader and ram but they're hydraulics. Not only can they cut harder metals but the new units are actually probably two to three times stronger."

"That's going to help us immensely. That right there will save minutes of the scene, when we actually get to the scene and setting up our equipment instead of having to set up all of the equipment that was attached to the previous stuff," added Hill on the donations. "It saves minutes where we can actually get a person out into an ambulance or out of a life-threatening situation and better help and assist the paid crews and the community as a whole."

For more information, view www.floridatoday.com

Valley International has been improving its firefighting capabilities, meeting standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration on Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, known by its acronym ARFF.

"Harlingen has some of the best airport firefighting equipment south of San Antonio," said Bryan Wren, assistant director of aviation at VIA.

Airports are required to meet federal standards on ARFF capabilities based on several factors, including the aircraft most used at that airport. For Harlingen, the safety standards are based on rescue requirements for the short- to medium-range, twin-engine Boeing 737.

Equipment can't replace training. But Valley International now has two state-of-the-art ARFF vehicles, both of which were purchased within the past two years.

Charlie 2 was the first truck to be delivered to the airport in 2014. The Oshkosh Striker 4x4 was the more expensive of the two, at $830,000, due to its optional high reach extendable turret. It has spray nozzles on an extendable arm, and comes with a spear-like fuselage penetrator to quickly gain entry to passengers inside a stricken airplane.

Charlie 1, known as the Titan Force, was delivered in June, and cost $560,000. This vehicle, manufactured by E-ONE, is similar to the other Charlie, but doesn't have the extendable turret with a fuselage penetrator on top.

Both trucks can spray out their 1,500-gallon tanks in about a minute, and also contain smaller tanks that spray fire-smothering foam.

"We actually get the best of both worlds with the applications we have on the units," said Capt. David Lompra, who oversees rescue and firefighting at Valley International.

"The way they were set up, they respond together, and we're graded on that response time in conjunction with each other," Lompra added. "The first unit must arrive within the first three minutes of an incident, and the second unit must arrive and be showing water within four minutes."

While they do use the new trucks to practice, much of their training makes use of a simulator, much like the ones airline pilots use to train and keep in flying form.

Valley International was the first airport to receive a funded simulator approved by the FAA. The FAA paid for 90 percent of the cost of the $21,000 fire and rescue simulator, and Valley International paid the rest, Wren said.

Wren said the airport will be sending out a notice for bids to construct a new building for the rescue and firefighting trucks. The $3 million project -- 90 percent of it funded by an FAA grant, the rest by the Passenger Facility Charge -- includes living quarters for firefighters, and will be just under 10,000 square feet. Bids will go out in May, and he said construction should begin by August.

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