VIDEO: Dozens of dogs were evacuated after the doggy daycare they were in caught fire in north Seattle Wednesday morning. The fire was reported just before 11 a.m. in the 13000 block of Lake City Way Northeast. The fire began inside the Dog Resort, a dog daycare and boarding business, that's across the street from the Fred Meyer in the Lake City neighborhood.
- PUB DATE: 2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) unveiled its new firetruck on Tuesday during a push-in ceremony. The new firetruck will replace the current engine 4, which has been in service since 2003. SVFD's new firetruck has improved reliability and new equipment, which will increase safety in the community.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 3:13:55 PM - SOURCE: KREM TV CBS 2 Spokane

A small fire damaged an unoccupied apartment Tuesday in Wenatchee. The fire was reported at 2:26 p.m. on the 400 block of King Street and contained to the basement complex, said Wenatchee Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Kay McKellar. No one was home when the fire began. Crews arrived at 2:31 p.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 3:12:00 PM - SOURCE: Wenatchee World - Metered Site

By Bill Adkins

Many fire departments are known for taking great care of their apparatus and Loveland-Symmes is no exception. Over the years even the best care can take a toll on fire and EMS vehicles. As a mechanic, I can tell you that automobile engines are not designed to start and go in a moment’s notice without the proper warm-up. In the fire and EMS world, we don’t have the ability to wait for that warm-up. Because of this vehicle replacement is a never ending cycle.

When Loveland-Symmes Fire Department decided it was time to replace its battalion car due to miles and general wear and tear they looked at options between buying a completely new unit versus a refurbished one. LSFD operated with a 2013 Ford F350 standard cab with an aluminum rear box for equipment storage. The battalion officers noted that the standard cab was cramped and didn’t have much space for command equipment and left no space to store a drug bag during inclement weather. Because of this, LSFD knew the next vehicle should be an extended cab or crew cab. 

There was an inspection to determine if the aluminum box would meet the standard and last for the duration of the next vehicle. It was determined that the rear aluminum box was in excellent shape and little to no modifications would be needed. This would save thousands of dollars by not needing to fabricate a new box. The battalion car was maintained so well that even the roll up doors were not in need of replacement. That inspection resulted in the decision to have the truck refurbished instead of building a completely new unit.

Battalion 62

The new chassis for Battalion 62 is a 2022 Chevrolet 3500 crew cab with a 6.6-liter gasoline engine. LSFD went with the gas engine because crews didn’t see the need for the added torque a diesel engine gives and the gas engine is more cost effective in daily operations and yearly maintenance needs. 

With a new chassis picked out, it was time to decide on a lighting and siren package. LSFD had Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder work on that project. Loveland-Symmes covers two major highways in the Cincinnati area. With a national rise in accidents involving fire and EMS apparatus on highways Chief of Department Otto Huber and Chief Goldfeder wanted to make certain they did all they could to make Battalion 62 visible to oncoming traffic.

Starting off the package is a Whelen 54” Duo Liberty (red/Clear) light bar. This light bar has an unlimited amount of flash patterns and has the ability to become all red or all clear (for scene lights). The rear lighting is complemented with Whelen RotaBeams (Red/Amber). Grill lights consist of six Whelen Duo IONS (red/white). Battalion 62 lighting is topped off with a Whelen Arges spotlight. The Arges has remote control option to assist with finding street addresses at night.

This light package is controlled by a Whelen CenCom Carbide siren/controller. This comes highly recommended by Whelen when an Arges spot light is installed. When the Arges spot light is paired with the Whelen CenCom controller it will allow for a sweeping feat

Fire department personnel have determined the origin of a vehicle fire that killed an Aberdeen man last week. Robert Allen Lowdermilk, 42, of Aberdeen, was killed when a fire originating with a portable propane heater consumed the vehicle he was in on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Lowdermilk’s identity was confirmed by the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:30:00 PM - SOURCE: The Daily World