Shawnee (KS) officials held a groundbreaking ceremony December 21 at the John B. Glaser Fire Station Headquarters at 6501 Quivira Road to kick off their $26 million renovations project.

Renovations are underway at both Fire Station 71 at 6501 Quivira and Fire Station 73 at 6805 Hedge Lane Terrace. The City Council approved final designs and pricing in December. There are some temporary changes while renovations are happening that you can read about here.

Project details: Both stations will have aging mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems updated, ShawneeMissionPost.com reported.

• Their interiors will also be upgraded, most notably to allow for more privacy for an increasingly co-ed firefighting force.
• There will also be changes in lighting and sound volume that will make the space less stressful for employees who must be on call to answer alarms at all hours.
• A new alerting system at both stations will be installed that will reduce the number of alerts firefighters hear that are not specific to their own shifts.

The fire headquarters building will be reoriented with a new entrance for the administration staff, and new ambulance bays will be added that will help separate pedestrian traffic from emergency traffic.

• Fire Station 73 will get a 2,000-square-foot addition to its space to expand living quarters and a kitchen area.

Construction is expected to be complete in late spring or early summer of 2024.

It can climb a 50-degree grade, flatten the standard chain-link fence surrounding an airport and accelerate from zero to 50 miles an hour in 17 seconds, News-Gazette.com reported.

Introducing University of Illinois Willard Airport’s first new fire truck in more than 19 years — a 2023 Oshkosh Striker — purchased courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration, which picked up 100 percent of the approximately $700,000 tab, the report said.

It’s the airport’s second Striker, with a 2003 model now serving as the backup, according to an airport official.

Two other fire trucks that served the airport, 1974 and 1976 models, have been retired, the report said.

Some things to know about this new truck:

• It’s about 18 feet wide, 36 feet long and 10 feet tall.
• It’s got a powerful engine and is designed to reach a top speed of 70 mph but can actually hit 80 mph, the fire official said.
• It’s got a monster-sized track designed to keep it upright.
• It shoots three different firefighting agents out of the front — water, foam and dry powder.

The city of Texarkana (AR) retired one of its fire trucks December 22 and donated the vehicle to the Genoa Volunteer Fire Department in Miller County, KSLA.com reported.

The city has used the 2000 pumper truck for nearly 20 years, the report said. The truck can carry four personnel and has an 850-gallon tank.

A Genoa fire official said the truck is badly needed for his department and should add to the safety of firefighters and the community, according to the report.

Genoa is one of several volunteer fire departments in Miller County. This 18-member department also renders mutual aid to Texarkana, Ark.

So what does a fire engine look like after fighting fires in this cold weather? – From Kingsport (TN) Fire Department Facebook page.

What started as an emergency rescue for a local family, turned into a stay at the Buffalo Airport Fire Department and a joyful Christmas morning. Santa always finds a way to make Christmas special. 🎅 Full story here: https://t.co/DxXtxTb4go pic.twitter.com/bG7MzVc2DZ

— Buffalo Airport (@BUFAirport) December 25, 2022

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – At the start of the blizzard on Friday, Demetrice and Danielle lost power in their home in Williamsville (NY), so they packed their kids up Aayden, (8), Aubree (4), Jordynn (2), and Judah (9 months) and headed to a local hotel, according to an NFTA press release.

The roads and visibility were treacherous and their vehicle got stuck. Demetrice and Danielle were one of many motorist stuck in the roundabout on Aero and Youngs Road. Buffalo Airport Firefighters Mike Carrubba, Mark Wolhfiel and Joel Eberth rescued 42 people, and brought them to the ARFF Facility. Demetrice and Danielle were the only ones with young children so they stayed in the firehouse. Aayden asked if he could be in uniform and was given a uniform and department T-shirt and learned about dispatch.

“It was an amazing experience for our firefighters and it definitely made us better people,” said Joel Eberth, Assistant Chief Buffalo Airport Fire Department. “With them being here, Christmas became a big concern because Aayden was so excited that Santa would know he was here and he would get to celebrate at a real firehouse and we didn’t want to disappoint, so we were able to find several items in the firehouse to wrap for the family and with the amazing help from the field office delivering some items from the terminal, we were able to make sure Santa paid a visit.”

---

About the NFTA 

The NFTA is a regional multi-modal transportation authority responsible for airport and surface transportation in Erie and Niagara counties. NFTA/NFTM businesses include a bus, rail and ADA paratransit system, two commercial airports, and transportation centers in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. In 2019, a J.D. Power study ranked the Buffalo Niagara International Airport highest in customer satisfaction for medium sized airports in North America.