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.

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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.

Bay County commissioners recently approved spending $2.4 million to buy a large tract of land that will house a new fire station, MyPanhandle.com reported.

The 122 acres are located off U.S. Route 231 and Transmitter Road. They plan to move the Hiland Park fire station from its current location on Lafayette Road, the report said.

The current location does not have direct access to a major road and is difficult to exit, slowing down first responders, according to the report.

In addition to the fire station, the county also plans to use the land for a stormwater drainage basin, the report said.

Heather Morrison
masslive.com
(TNS)

Multiple fire hydrants malfunctioned due to the cold as firefighters battled a house fire Monday, officials said.

At around 7:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters responded to 63 Church St. in Merrimac. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the common wall between two homes of a 2.5 story wood frame multi-family house.

“Multiple fire hydrants were malfunctioning, likely due to the cold,” the Merrimac Fire Department said in a statement.

• Read more: Mass. woman charged with fatally poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze chemical

Instead, firefighters had to use water on board the fire trucks.

“The firefighting effort was not adversely affected,” the statement read, adding that aid from surrounding cities and towns was requested for “additional manpower and support.”

There were no reported injuries and the fire was declared under control by 8:42 a.m., officials said.

• Read more: West Springfield Fire Dept. makes Christmas Eve rescue in Conn. River

Both families were displaced temporarily due to the utility service being disconnected. And at least one of the families will be displaced for longer as repairs are needed.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Merrimac Police and Fire Departments and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office.

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

An alleged drunk driver turning in front of a fire engine Monday in Gordon County caused the fire engine to flip on its side, Georgia State Patrol troopers said.

Emergency crews were called to the rollover crash on GA 3 near Soldiers Pathway just after 2 p.m. Monday, 11alive.com reported. Troopers said the fire truck was traveling southbound in the left lane when a silver Dodge van traveling in the opposite direction turned in front of the fire truck. 

As the driver of the fire engine tried to avoid crashing into the van that was edging into its lane, it flipped, according to GSP. The driver of the van did not stop and continued on, the report said.

Troopers found video footage of the crash from a nearby convenience store which showed the van traveling onto Soldiers Pathway, the report said. Gordon County deputies soon found the van and its driver, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, according to GSP.

The driver is now facing a DUI charge, among other traffic-related charges, the report said. The firefighter that was in the emergency vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital to get checked out. He’s expected to be OK.