You probably no longer bat an eye when an electric car passes by on the road. More novel battery-powered vehicles are soon joining the parade to help operators achieve their sustainability goals. Electric ferries are coming to Puget Sound and hybrid electric airplanes are being tested in Washington. Now, several Pacific Northwest fire departments have ordered their first electric fire trucks.
- PUB DATE: 2/16/2023 1:01:00 PM - SOURCE: KUOW-FM 94.9 Seattle

At 123 years old, the Edward M. Cotter is the world’s oldest working fire boat, msn.com reported. It’s moored in Buffalo near the Michigan Avenue Life Bridge, at Ohio Street and Michigan Avenue.

A capital campaign has been launched for the Cotter to raise funds for the restoration and preservation of the fire boat, the report said. A goal of $6 million dollars has been set.

On June 25, Cotterfest is planned at Buffalo Riverworks from 1-5 p.m., said Larry Cobado, chairman of the Edward M. Cotter Capital Campaign. The campaign is still looking for a presenting sponsor for Cotterfest.

The Cotter was built in 1900 by the Crescent Shipyard of Elizabeth Port (NJ). It was built out of Swedish steel and there is an extra layer on the lower part of the hull, designed specifically for ice breaking, the report said. Cobado said the Cotter is really an icebreaker with firefighting capabilities.

It was designated a national landmark in 1996.

It currently serves as Engine 20 in the Buffalo Fire Department. Donations to the Edward M. Cotter capital campaign are being accepted HERE.

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson on Tuesday highlighted the inclusion of the McCammon Fire Station Project in the FY23 Omnibus package that was signed into law on Dec. 29, 2022, idahostatejournal.com reported.

The project was included in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill at Congressman Simpson’s request through Community Project Funding (CPF), the report said.

The $813,750 in funding is designated to construct a new fire station in McCammon (ID), according to the report. The city of McCammon’s current fire station was originally built to serve as a maintenance shed and currently has no running water and no insulation. Cramped quarters have limited the ability to upsize equipment and effectively deploy engines due to lack of maneuverability, the report said.

The current station lacks space and function to meet the needs of the growing community safely and effectively, the report said. A new facility would allow for increased volunteerism, a site for an ambulance, and allow the city to recruit more firefighters and increase training for volunteers, according to the report.

Gaffney-based Sossamon Construction has been selected to complete renovations of the city’s Central Fire Station and Headquarters in the Northside neighborhood, postandcourier.com reported.

Spartanburg City Council awarded the $6.1 million bid to Sossamon in a Feb. 13 vote, the report said.

Staff moved into the building at 450 Wofford Street in April 2020. Spartanburg Fire Chief Marion Blackwell told The Post and Courier it will be renovated and completely operational by the end of 2023, providing the fire department with three times the space it has working out of Spartanburg City Hall, according to the report.

The Pleasant Prairie Village Board on Monday approved a contract with Riley Construction to build Fire Station No. 3 for $13.9 million, kenoshanews.com reported.

Along with architect and engineering fees, and approximately $425,000 in equipment purchases for various rooms, the total cost of the new station, to be located in Prairie Springs Park, 10165 Terwall Terrace, is estimated to be about $14,450,968, almost $1.5 million below the amount allocated in the 2023 budget, the report said.

Construction was previously proposed to start this spring and be completed in 2024. The new station will be about 21,000 square feet, and will be comprised of offices, eight dorm rooms, a drive-thru four-door apparatus bay, a day room and a training or conference room, according to the report.