The Eutawville Fire Department will get a pumper fire truck as part of a state grant, The Times and Democrat reported recently.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant program has awarded Orangeburg County a $500,000 grant for the purchase of the fire truck, the report said.

The new truck will replace a truck at the department that’s about 30 years old, a fire official said. It could take more than a year before the truck can be purchased.

A local, 10% match of $50,000 is required.

The S.C. Department of Commerce recently announced $8.3 million in grants given to 20 communities across the state for public improvement projects, according to the report.

“After much anticipation and a rainy drive home, our new engine has arrived,” Effingham Fire Department announced recently on Facebook. “The crew will be very busy the next couple of days as we make the transition from our current truck to the new engine.”

The Ottawa City Council approved multiple new purchases and agreements for the fire and police department recently, including a new fire truck, shawlocal.com reported.

The council approved the purchase of a Pierce Arrow pumper for $948,000, the report said. The new fire truck is 39-44 months away from being acquired, so the city put in for it now.

Updates to the fire department’s existing 2016 Ford Explorer also were approved for $9,245, in addition to new radios for the fire department, according to the report. The updates to the 2016 Explorer will add features to hold equipment for more security. The radios will be entirely funded by grant money.

Cliff Pinckard
cleveland.com
(TNS)

TOLEDO, Ohio — Authorities in Toledo are looking for answers after a hole was found above a female locker room at a fire station.

WTOL Channel 11 reports that the Toledo Fire Department says it was discovered that someone had tampered with the ductwork above the female locker room in Station 13. Both the police department and fire department are now investigating the incident.

Assistant Chief John Kaminski sent a letter to employees in the fire department saying the hole was discovered Monday night, WTVG Channel 13 reports. The hole has been repaired.

“Every employee should be able to come to work without the fear of the invasion of their privacy,” Kaminski said in the letter, according to WTVG. “TFRD is taking this matter very seriously, and with TPD, will do everything in our power to hold the person or person(s) accountable for their actions.”

WTOL reports the fire department is inspecting the locker room areas of 17 other fire stations.

“Any department violations or criminal activity found as a result of this investigation will not be tolerated and will be dealt with swiftly and severely,” the fire department said in statement, WTVG reports.

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The City of Pinole and Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announced December 21 effective and implementation dates for the contract with Con Fire for all fire and emergency medical services in the city beginning in early 2023, the department said in a press release.

Both the Pinole City Council and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Con Fire board, as well as the Contra Costa Local Area Formation Commission, have unanimously approved the contract proposal.

The contract is expected to be implemented, with Con Fire assuming responsibility for all firefighting staff, support staff, facilities and equipment, on March 1, 2023. The contract effective date, allowing final work to progress on implementation, will be January 1, 2023.

The merger of today’s City of Pinole Fire Department into the Con Fire family, through this contract for service arrangement, will provide improved fire and emergency services to the city’s 19,000 residents. One of the most noteworthy of these improvements will be the reopening and staffing of Fire Station 74 that has been shuttered since 2011 when it was closed due to Great Recession-related budget cuts. Fire Station 74 is expected to open on or about March 1.

“I am pleased with the partnership with Con Fire that is rooted in empathy, resilience, solutions and actions,” said Mayor Devin Murphy, then Mayor Pro Tem, at the special city council meeting in Pinole on October 10, 2022. “I hope this partnership will continue based on these values.”

Speaking at the special city council meeting in Pinole on October 10, Council Member Anthony Tave emphasized the contract arrangement is about safety, saying, “I’m excited about moving forward. The community deserves it. This is a good thing for Pinole.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Pinole and west county, which promises to enhance fire and emergency service delivery for the benefit of all residents,” said Pinole Fire Chief Chris Wynkoop. “We look forward to working with city and county stakeholders to finalize the arrangement between our agencies and facilitate the reopening of Station 74. This is a testament to the collaborative efforts among city and county officials, county fire chiefs, labor, and citizens, to address our common goal of providing the highest level of fire and emergency services to residents countywide.”

“I am pleased by the LAFCo decision, along with those of our governing bodies, approving our contract for all fire and EMS services in the City of Pinole,” said Lewis Broschard, fire chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “I look forward to the implementation of this long-studied initiative that will provide more effective, efficient and safer fire and emergency services both in Pinole and also across west county.”

Benefits of the new contract for service arrangement for residents are expected to include more coordinated, cohesive and streamlined fire and emergency services. Another important benefit will be better alignment of firefighting models across districts that could net both increased fire services and improved firefighter safety.

The City of Pinole City Council unanimously approved the contract for service on October 10, 2022. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Con Fire Board, unanimously approved a resolution for Con Fire to provide contracted services to the City of Pinole on October 11, 2022. The LAFCo approval, the final step in a multi-layered approval process, occurred in a unanimous decision of commissioners at their November 9 meeting.

Measure X funds are contributing $2 million to the reopening and continued staffing of Fire Station 74.