Vicki Hyatt
The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
(TNS)

The Fines Creek Volunteer Fire Department is on the cusp of upgrading its vehicle fleet with a new pumper and tanker truck, equipped with an 1,800-gallon tank and the capability of pumping up to 1,500 gallons a minute. Fire Chief Marion Ferguson asked county commissioners to green light the $400,000 purchase.

The department will put $120,000 down and borrow $282,000 over a 12-year period. Home Trust Bank will finance the purchase at an interest rate of 4.25% with monthly payments of $2,503.

The new truck will bolster the aging fleet where trucks range from 16 to 32 years old, Ferguson said. The current fleet includes a 2016 pickup truck used for medical response, a 2012 brush/rescue truck, two fire engines, one a 2007 model and another 1991 model, 1992 tanker. The board approved the purchase.

The Pikeville Fire Department received its newest addition to the fire and rescue fleet this week, as firefighters work to learn the new tech of a $1.2 million investment in community safety, wymt.com reported.

Tower 1, the new fire and rescue truck with a 100-foot ladder, is a custom-built truck which pushes out around 2,000 gallons of water per minute. According to Lt. Nicholas Fleming, PIO for the department, the truck is built to the city’s needs and will be the perfect addition to the station.

The truck, built from the ground up by Sutphen Corp., was delivered this week to the Appalachian Wireless Arena, the report said. There, firefighters from each shift have been able to work with the new equipment, learning from the engineers who created it.

The Cornelius Town Board unanimously approved the expenditure of $204,092 to repair a Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue Department fire boat, corneliustoday.com reported. Funds will be transferred from the 2023 fiscal year budget general fund surplus in order to cover the cost of the repair.

Speaking with commissioners prior to the Feb. 6 board meeting, Fire Chief Guerry Barbee stated that the boat, built in 2010 and known as Fireboat 4, has been experiencing significant engine problems which could impact its ability to respond to emergencies, the report said.

Repairs were originally requested in 2019 but then everything came to a halt due to COVID. There was also an issue getting parts for the boat engines. When this approved work is done, the boat will be refurbished from stem to stern, according to Barbee, and it should last another 10-15 years, the report said.

It was announced at Monday’s trustees meeting that both of Liverpool Township’s new 2023 fire engines have arrived, morningjournalnews.com reported.

The engines, which will replace the 28-year-old trucks currently in use, will be provided to LaCroft and Dixonville, the two fire departments that provide service to the township, the report said.

The Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Station 2 was emptied out in September when Hurricane Ian flooded the building. However, FEMA has one final inspection this week and then remodeling can begin, wmbfnews.com reported.

Hurricane Ian destroyed all the station’s appliances, knocked out electricity, drenched its drywall and ruined the floors, the report said.

Crews are currently operating from the fire station’s headquarters about five minutes down the road.

After FEMA’S final inspection Thursday, they’ll order supplies to remodel, the report said. Once those supplies come in, a fire official said it should only take about a month or so before the fire station is back up and running, according to the report.