The Bellevue Fire Department is set to buy its first electric fire engine, a Pierce Volterra, funded in part by a $649,000 state grant. "Technology is coming quickly and the change in the fire service and how we support our community in their needs and meeting the council's agenda is paramount to the fire department," Deputy Chief of Support Services David Beste said.
- PUB DATE: 3/9/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

Boulder City’s growth in recent years has finally brought about a decision by the city council to build a second fire station to reduce response times from Station 121, currently its only fire station, news3lv.com reported.

A fire official says Station 121 is currently staffed by seven full-time firefighters, which presents challenges to adequately protect Boulder City’s population of about 15,000 residents, according to the report.

About half of all residents live outside an area from which Station 121 could respond within a critical four-minute time period, the report said.

The fire official said the decision for a second station came after a detailed study, the report said.

The city expects a groundbreaking once a final design is chosen and contracts are awarded for construction. The fire official hopes to have the new Station 122 completed by the end of 2023, according to the report.

Fire Station 87 is officially OPEN! 🚒✨ Thank you to everyone who joined us in @CadenceNV for the grand opening and the station's first-ever open house!

📸 We'd love to see your photos! Share them in the comments or tag us! #HomeMeansHenderson #MyHendersonFire pic.twitter.com/HknXko6SHI

— Henderson Fire (@HendFireDept) January 19, 2023

Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero joined the fire department in celebrating the grand opening of Station 87 on Jan. 18, news3lv.com reported.

The open house event gave the community a first look into the new station, new firefighters, and new fire engine, the report said.

Station 87 will be housing 10 firefighters to respond to incidents in the area 24/7.

Sheffield Township VFD Fire Chief Shawn Alkire is pleased to announce that the volunteer fire department is installing new devices from HAAS Safety Cloud on the department’s apparatus to improve firefighter and motorist safety, according to a township news release.

Purdue University used grant funding to provide three HAAS Safety Cloud transponders for Sheffield Township Volunteer Fire Department trucks, and the department paid $1,400 for three more, meaning all six of the department’s trucks will be equipped with the devices.

The HAAS Safety Cloud transponders track the location of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles and alert nearby drivers whenever the trucks have their lights or sirens activated. The system can send warnings to the Waze traffic app, or directly to the infotainment screens in vehicles that participate in the program, meaning drivers will get advanced warnings if they are approaching an area where Sheffield Township firefighters are working.

The company says its technology can lead to a 90% reduction in collisions with emergency vehicles over just the use of lights and sirens.

The transponders will also enable the department to track the location of its vehicles and any traffic backups in the area, which can help first responders remain more aware of traffic issues as they respond to calls.

“This technology will be well worth it if it can help keep even one member of our department from getting hit, or help keep someone from causing a crash,” said Chief Alkire. “This is really an insurance policy to help us keep our firefighters and motorists safe. I’d like to thank Purdue University for their generosity, and for supporting our efforts.”

To learn more about the devices via a video from HAAS Safety Cloud, click here.

Two cars plowed into a fire station in Des Plaines early Tuesday evening after a crash, and one ended up inside the building, cbsnews.com reported.

A Des Plaines fire official said two cars collided on Oakton Street around 5:05 p.m. and left the roadway – hitting the front entrance of Des Plaines Fire Department Station 62, at 1313 East Oakton Street, the report said.

One person was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while another was treated and released, according to the report.

The fire station as occupied at the time. Crews there called in the accident and also went out to investigate themselves, the report said. The fire station sustained only minor damage, as a concrete plant box ended up bearing the brunt of the crash, according to the report.