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Posted: Jan 28, 2023

147 TN Volunteer Fire Departments Chosen to Receive $5M in Equipment Grants

The Fire Marshal’s Office proudly announces that 147 Tennessee volunteer fire departments will receive grants in 2023 as part of the historic $5 million Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program, according to a Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance news release.

Created through legislation overseen by Governor Bill Lee and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, the Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program awards grant monies to volunteer fire departments across Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions. The grants will be used to purchase firefighting equipment or to help volunteer departments meet local matching requirements for federal equipment grants.

The grant program strengthens the commitment from Governor Lee and TDCI to protecting property and helping reduce fire fatalities in Tennessee.

“Since the program’s creation in 2020, $6.5 million has been used to purchase the turnout gear, firehoses, thermal imaging cameras, and other important pieces of equipment that helps ensure the safety of the brave men and women who volunteer to protect their communities,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. “Because volunteer fire departments’ needs are so great, Governor Lee and the General Assembly have been steadily increasing the assistance during each grant period in order to replace aging, unsafe equipment. It is my honor to help serve the Tennessee fire service so that they can save lives and protect property across Tennessee.”

During the program’s inaugural year in 2020, 41 departments were awarded $500,000 for equipment purchases through the program. In 2022, 62 fire departments received grants totaling $1 million. A list of fire departments receiving $5 million in grant funding in 2023 can be found here.

Volunteer fire departments are crucial to providing fire safety in Tennessee as over 70% of the Volunteer State’s fire departments are staffed entirely by volunteers. Of Tennessee’s 19,510 active firefighters, an estimated 11,229 are volunteers.

“Volunteer fire departments are the backbone of fire protection in our communities, and it is crucial that they have the equipment they need to safely complete their mission,” said Assistant Commissioner for Fire Prevention Gary Farley. “As a lifelong member of the fire service, I am proud to be associated with a program that is helping protect Tennessee firefighters who risk their lives every day.”

During the application period (Nov. 1, 2022 – Dec. 1, 2022), the SFMO received a total of 191 applications from Tennessee fire departments. The applications were reviewed, scored, and submitted to a seven-member committee for the final award selection. As required by law, the grants were awarded equally to fire departments across Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions.

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Posted: Jan 27, 2023

Williams College Pledges $5M Toward Williamstown (MA)’s Proposed $22.5M Fire Station

Williams College is ponying up $5 million toward Williamstown’s proposed new fire station, BerkshireEagle.com reported.

Town voters will decide whether to go forward with the project at a 7 p.m. special town meeting Feb. 28 at Williamstown Elementary School. It must receive at least a two-thirds majority.

District officials are seeking other forms of funding such as grants or gifts, the report said. During its meeting Monday, the Williamstown Select Board will consider whether to allocate some of its federal ARPA funds to the project.

The existing 5,000-square-foot station was built in 1950. The three-bay station isn’t big enough to house the department’s four fire trucks and, at the same time, safely accommodate firefighters gearing up for a call, according to the report.

The facility has no room for expansion, is not energy-efficient and lacks space for larger firetrucks and storage, the report said. Heating, electrical and plumbing systems are outdated and in violation of OSHA and building codes, according to the report.

A new station would provide a sanitary space to get geared up and a separate space to shed the gear and clean it, along with a shower to sanitize the firefighters before they don street clothes and head home, the report said.

Williamtown’s current fire station at 34 Water Street. (Source: Google maps)
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Posted: Jan 27, 2023

Thrown Rock Shatters Door at LA Fire Station in Palms (CA); Department Had to Shelter in Place

The front door of Los Angeles Fire Station 43 in Palms was damaged Thursday morning in an apparent vandalism attack, CBSNews.com reported.

An incident was reported at the station located at 3690 Motor Avenue in Palms at 5:10 a.m. Thursday. Authorities said at least one rock was thrown at the front entrance. The glass front door sustained a large hole and fractured the glass, the report said.

Initially firefighters heard the sound and thought gunfire might have been involved, the report said. They sheltered in place while LAPD officers responded to investigate, according to the report.

Station personnel were prevented from responding to a fire call in Venice due to the incident, the report said.

LAPD later determined a large rock had been thrown at the front door, and cleared the scene, the report said.

No injuries were reported, and no suspect description was available.

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Posted: Jan 27, 2023

Y-12 in Oak Ridge (TN) Unveils $68M Fire Station, Emergency Operations Center

Officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) Thursday celebrated two new facilities that will soon begin operation at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN, according to a news release. The new fire station and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) replace buildings that were constructed in the 1940s.

Both new facilities were NNSA pilot projects designed to streamline the efficiency and delivery of construction projects under $50 million. Y-12 Site Manager Gene Sievers said, “Today marks the end of a long process to plan for and build these two facilities to commercial-like standards, saving taxpayer dollars and setting an example for future projects.”

Both buildings cost around $68 million total which was funded by the government, according to Sievers, wvlt.tv reported.

Artist’s rendering of Y-12’s new fire station and Emergency Operations Center. (Source: Y12.doe.gov)

The fire station will provide ample space for Y-12 Fire Department equipment, personnel, and training activities. It is designed to provide easy entry and exit for equipment, enhancing response capabilities for site needs as well as mutual aid in the surrounding communities.

The new EOC will provide a state-of-the-art facility for 24/7 plant systems monitoring and will consolidate emergency operations management, communications, and response technical support into one location to enhance emergency management.

“These facilities will also be a huge improvement in working conditions for our Y-12 firefighters, Operations Center, and emergency response personnel,” said Sievers.

NNSA committed to modernization

Both Sievers and Y-12 Director of Emergency Services Bobby Jenkins acknowledged NNSA’s support of the projects and their commitment to modernizing Y-12. Jenkins specifically thanked NNSA’s Office of Infrastructure for recognizing the opportunity to do something unique and providing authorization to move forward on this commercial-like build.

Jenkins praised Emergency Services staff, particularly those who have worked around the clock in buildings that have far exceeded their life expectancy. “Thank you for what you do because your work is important and these beautiful new buildings will provide the opportunity to carry out that mission for many years into the future,” Jenkins told personnel.

Teamwork facilitated completion

Jim Blair, the project manager for construction of both facilities, reminded those in attendanc

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Posted: Jan 27, 2023

A History of LTI and Ephrata’s Ladder Trucks, Part 2

By Bill Adams

In “A History of LTI and Ephrata’s Ladder Trucks, Part 1” (December 2022), I explained how a concept conceived by a rural farm wagon builder evolved into a crane manufacturing company that later created a division fabricating aerial devices for the fire service.

The aerial division was purchased by Mahlon Zimmerman, renamed Ladder Towers Incorporated (LTI), and relocated to Ephrata, PA. Part 1 described LTI’s development as an influential player in the ladder truck market and its eventual purchase and renaming to Simon-LTI. Part 2 continues the story.

American LaFrance

In 1995, Freightliner purchased the defunct American LaFrance (ALF) assets ostensibly to build custom cabs and chassis for the fire service. Several years later, Freightliner’s ALF division suddenly, but not unexpectedly, returned to building complete apparatus by acquiring apparatus manufacturers (OEMs) RD Murray, 3D Manufacturing, Becker, Boardman, Medic Master, Rescue Master, and Southern Coach as well as component part manufacturer Aerial Innovations, Incorporated. Shortly thereafter, ALF purchased Simon-LTI. The aerial device employees on Cocalico Creek Road had another new owner.

The domestic Snorkel products including the Squrt and TeleSqurt lines have a convoluted history of owners originating with Pitman Manufacturing. All the lines ended up at the rejuvenated ALF either previously purchased by ALF’s former owner before it went out of business or purchased directly by Freightliner.

Tony Mastrobattista (Tony Mastro), an original employee of LTI and later Simon-LTI, says, “After ALF purchased Aerial Innovations, it purchased Simon-LTI and I stayed on with American LaFrance. My title was changed to national sales training manager-LTI division.”

The numerous apparatus acquisitions caused a great deal of apprehension in the fire truck industry and in Ephrata. The purchases provided ALF with three sources of aerial devices and multiple nationwide manufacturing facilities with trained workforces experienced in building fire apparatus. It provided an instant backlog of hundreds of “on-order” apparatus ranging from ambulances to ladder trucks. Overnight, it put ALF in the top tier of apparatus manufacturers. And ALF now controlled small apparatus OEMs’ access to aerial devices once supplied by Aerial Innovations and Simon-LTI.

Keith Purdy was ALF’s national marketing manager from around 2001 to 2009. Purdy: “The former Aerial Innovations product line was phased out and its plant in Lebanon was used to produce the ALF Silver Eagle, a stainless-steel aerial ladder that Aerial Innovations already had under development.” Purdy and Mastro say some of the purchased Snorkel, Squrt, and TeleSqurt product lines were also manufactured at both the former AI factory in Lebanon and the former LTI facility on Cocalico Creek Road (photo 1). The LTI plant continued building aerial devices with the LTI logo for ALF on the ALF chassis (photo 2).

ALF’s owner Freightliner was part of the Daimler corporation that later merged with Chrysler. Purdy was asked if it was difficult integrating a small, very experienced, and well-established manufacturing firm such as LTI into ALF—now just one small segment in a large multicorporation conglomerate. Purdy: “The LTI team on Cocalico Creek Road was so exceptionally experienced and talented that weaving them into the American LaFrance mold was not as critical as maintaining their freedom of decision making and market growth campaigns. To this end, even the national advertising of American LaFrance ladder and tower products in that time

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