In association with the Earth Volunteer Fire Department, the Texas A&M Forest Service has converted a former U.S. Army heavy-duty truck into a firetruck.

It took four months of work to convert the 1994 5-ton transport truck into a working firetruck.

Restoration work on the BMY M923A2 Military Cargo truck including replacing the soft top cab, sand blasting and painting the truck, adding a 1,650-gallon poly tank and a water cannon that will deliver 250 gallons of water per minute, according to the TAMU Forest Service.

"Over 60 percent of our territory is grass land and sandy hills," said Earth VFD Fire Chief Mathew Goe. "A conventional truck would get stuck in this type of terrain but the six-wheel drive is perfect for getting out to the wildland fires."

The vehicle was provided to the Earth VFD through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

For more information and photos, view www.cleveland.com

 The city plans to renovate its Albion Road fire station, one of four fire stations in Strongsville.

The work will include redesigning restrooms to make accommodations for women firefighters, although the city now employs only men firefighters; upgrading the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system and adding insulation; and replacing the roof.

"The HVAC and mechanical systems aren't working properly," Draves said. "We have air-quality issues - there is mold in the ceiling. As we evaluated the project, we felt it was also time to upgrade the locker rooms, dorms and bathrooms."

Last week, City Council hired Zarzycki-Malik Architects Inc. in Middleburg Heights to design the fire station renovation, provide a cost estimate and oversee construction. The city will pay the firm an amount equal to 9 percent of the construction costs.

"A percentage is a very common way to charge architects in contracts," Strongsville Law Director Ken Kraus said. "It's usually between 7-10 percent of the cost of a project."

When asked what incentive Zarzycki-Malik has to keep construction costs low, Kraus said the city, not the firm, will approve the final scope of the work.

"Our Building Commissioner (Tony Biondillo) has 28 years of municipal experience," Kraus said. "Our people know if something is way off base."

For more information, view cleveland.com

When students at the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security wanted a fire engine for the New Castle-area charter high school they turned to the Internet, reports delawareonline.com

Cadets of the four-year-old school are more than a few thousands dollars from reaching their $5,000 goal, but they're hopeful a crowdfunding effort on GoFundMe will get them there by June.

"The idea came from a brainstorming session with [the] Public Safety III Class," said Jordan Williams, a junior at the school. "We were looking for trending ways to fundraise that may be well received as opposed to more traditional ways.

"It seemed that the GoFundMe Campaign was a safe and effective way to reach our goal."

The school already has an ambulance that was donated to them in 2014 by Leipsic Volunteer Fire Company for the academy's emergency medical technician program. And last year, New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon donated a retired police car to the school for cadets to use it in the law enforcement program.

The fire engine would provide a full look at public safety, said Chad Ingram, a public safety 3 instructor at the school.

Because a used fire engine can run anywhere from $25,000 to $360,000, according to the website Command Fire Apparatus, school officials and students have been working with partners and are confident they can get a good truck that will meet their needs for $5,000.

For more information, view www.delawareonline.com

EAGLEVILLE, PA—Streamlight® Inc., a provider of high-performance lighting, introduced the Super Siege®, a 1,100-lumen rechargeable light. The new model is suitable for large-scale scene lighting required by industrial users, first responders, and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

The Super Siege also functions as an auxiliary USB power source to charge personal electronic devices. Its rechargeable 8800-mAh Lithium Ion battery provides up to four full charges for most smartphones and up to eight full charges for most Streamlight USB-rechargeable flashlights. 

“With its ultra-bright lumen output, the Super Siege not only rivals the brightest LED lanterns on the market today, but it is also an extremely versatile lighting tool,” dsyd Streamlight Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Michael F. Dineen. “It is ideal for illuminating large areas, whether on the water, at a camp ground, or when working at an industrial site or an accident scene.  In addition, its USB port permits users to charge many other portable electronic devices.”

The new lantern features one white and four red C4® LEDs to provide six output modes. With its outer globe cover in place, the light functions as a work light for performing jobs at arm’s length; a removable Glare Guard™ can be snapped over part of the globe, enabling users to comfortably illuminate work areas while reducing glare back into their eyes. Without the Glare Guard, the Super Siege is transformed into a scene light, providing 360° of bright light to illuminate large areas. The light can be hung upside down from its top or bottom D ring. It will also float when fully assembled, and includes a hidden watertight storage compartment.

The lantern’s white LED features Low, Medium, and High modes, while the red LEDs provide Low, High, and Flash SOS settings. Users can easily change the light beam color or output modes by holding the on/off button for short sequences.

With its cover removed, the white C4 LED delivers 1,100 lumens on High, 550 lumens on Medium, and 125 lumens on Low. The red High setting provides 2.7 lumens, the red Low provides 1 lumen and the Flash SOS setting flashes at “Red high lumen level.”

Run times for the white LED are 5 hours (High), 10.5 hours (Medium), and 35 hours (Low); the red LEDs run for 110 hours on High, 288 hours on Low and 230 hours in SOS mode. A battery indicator built into the on/off button changes from green to yellow to red, and then to flashing red when the battery is at the end of its useable life.

The Super Siege weighs 1 pound, 14 ounces with a height of 7.5 inches and a base diameter of 3.8 inches. It features high quality construction, with a casing made from tough polycarbonate thermoplastic with elastomer over mold. It is IPX7 rated for waterproof operation to one meter, and is impact resistance-tested to 2 meters. Its included D-Rings on the top and bottom are spring loaded to fold out of the way when not in use.  An ergonomic handle makes the lantern easy to carry.

The Super Siege s