🚒COMING SOON!🚒 New apparatus for Engine 25 (Kensington), Engine 57 (West Philly) and Engine 60 (South Philly), plus new foam pumpers for Engine 16 (West Philly), Engine 33 (Bridesburg) and Engine 46 (Torresdale). #PFD #Phillyfire pic.twitter.com/sEi1WVFt3z

— Philadelphia Fire (@PhillyFireDept) March 25, 2023

The Philadelphia Fire Department announced the following on its social media pages Saturday:

New apparatus for Engine 25 (Kensington), Engine 57 (West Philly) and Engine 60 (South Philly), plus new foam pumpers for Engine 16 (West Philly), Engine 33 (Bridesburg) and Engine 46 (Torresdale).

Tim Harlow
Star Tribune
(TNS)

One westbound lane of Crosstown Hwy. 62 at 34th Avenue has reopened, hours after a fatal crash closed both directions.

All eastbound lanes remained closed between Cedar and 34th avenues as of 8:45 a.m., the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.

The crash happened at about 3:25 a.m., according to the State Patrol.

According to the patrol, a pickup truck heading east on Hwy. 62 entered the ditch and then collided with a bridge at 34th Avenue.

The patrol confirmed a fatality, but has not released any additional details.

In a secondary crash at the site, a&nbs

With Aqua Pennsylvania’s Delaware River intakes in Bristol Borough shut due to Friday night’s chemical spill, Bucks County officials have brought in tankers from around the county to support local firefighters, levittownnow.com reported.

Aqua provides hydrant and drinking water to Bensalem Township and Bristol Borough and parts of Bristol Township. With the Delaware River intakes shut, there has been concern hydrants may not put out enough water if a blaze occurs, a fire source said, according to the report.

The tanker trucks will provide additional water for fire trucks if needed in place of hydrants, the report said. The trucks will be stationed throughout Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, and Bensalem Township, according to officials.

Aqua has not announced when their Delaware River intakes will reopen. They have been closed since the chemical spill in Bristol Township was discovered late Friday night.

Bucks County spokesperson James O’Malley said the tankers will remain in their locations through Monday evening, the report said.

Bucks County Monitoring Chemical Spill

Late Friday evening, a leak at Trinseo Altuglas chemical facility in Bristol Township spilled between 8,100 and 12,000 gallons of hazardous materials into the Delaware River, Buckscounty.gov said in a press release. Bucks County officials have been closely monitoring the situation and helping to contain the spill. This morning, Bucks County activated its Emergency Operations Center to provide support to, and remain in constant communication with, local, state, and federal officials, as well as affected water providers. The material spilled is a water-based latex finishing solution and non-toxic to humans.  

The county has communicated with providers Pennsylvania American Water, Aqua, and the Lower Bucks Joint Municipal Authority, who have all advised that there are currently no known adverse impacts to drinking water in Bucks County. 

Residents in Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, and Bensalem Township who may have questions should contact their water provider. The county will update residents as information becomes available. 

Statement from Pennsylvania American Water: 

“The health and safety of our customers is our top priority. Pennsylvania American Water is monitoring the water quality of the Delaware River following a chemical release that occurred yesterday from a manufacturing plant into a tributary of the river in Bristol, Pa. The company is maintaining regular communication with state and federal agencies regarding the situation. The company has determined there is no impact to the company’s Yardley Water Treatment Plant, which is located approximately 15 miles upstream of the chemical release. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania American Water serves Lower Makefield Township, Yardley Borough, and parts of Falls Township. We will continue to monitor the source water and provide updates if there are any developments.” 

Statement from Aqua: 

Aqua Acted Immediately to Protect our Drinking Water from Spill on Delaware River Trib

PRESS RELEASE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On March 23, 2023, the Syracuse Fire Department placed the first of three new Pierce Sky-Boom engines into service at Engine Company 5 on South Geddes Street.

The other two new engines are expected to go into service at their respective stations in the coming weeks. Engine Company 10, on East Genesee Street, and Engine Company 1, on East Adams Street, will be assigned the new engines.

These new engines continue Syracuse Fire’s long tradition of innovation and being on the cutting edge of firefighting technology. The engines are each equipped with a 55-foot aerial telescoping boom that can function as a ladder or an elevated waterway. These booms are a hallmark of Syracuse Fire Department engine company apparatus. The new rigs are also equipped with two-stage pumps, a first for the department in recent years. These will enhance our ability to pump fires involving high-rise structures effectively.

By Bill Adams

“It’s not like the good ole days” is a statement often made by former as well as older and experienced members of both the fire service and the fire apparatus industry.

It is debatable whether the statement expresses appreciation and fondness of times past or is disparaging of the current state of affairs. The earlier is admirable; the latter is discouraging. The statement is worth examining, especially in the realm of writing specifications and purchasing fire apparatus. This narration is a personal observation of the industry and fire service and is not influenced by or beholden to purchasers, manufacturers, vendors, and advertisers.

Some apparatus purchasing committee (APC) members do not exhibit the same degree of enthusiasm when serving on a committee as did their predecessors. Perhaps they are less educated; don’t have the time; or just aren’t interested in the process of writing, understanding, and evaluating fire apparatus specifications. Being educated is being well informed and knowledgeable of both the product and the process of purchasing fire apparatus. Apathy is displaying a lack of concern or interest, which is a disappointing trait. It is an injustice to the taxpayers who are funding a new purchase. More importantly, it is a disservice to the firefighters who must staff the apparatus.

• Apparatus Purchasing Archives

There ought to be logical reasoning behind the lack of eagerness in belonging to an APC and an unwillingness to become learned in the technical nuts and bolts of fire apparatus construction. Demonstrating apathy is not unique to either the career or volunteer side. No such accusation is inferred. Reasons might best be found if a fire department does an objective analysis of how its APC is chosen and how specifications are formulated. Such a self-evaluation could also help in determining the effectiveness of an APC’s performance. Merely backing a new rig into the barn that is painted the proper color and has the name spelled correctly is not an indication that the APC has done an exemplary job—or even an adequate one. That determination often takes some “in-service” time.

COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

Commentators do not have the right to proclaim there must be a specific number of people who should comprise an APC. Likewise, APC members’ areas of expertise, levels of experience, and years on the job should not be stipulated—recommended maybe, but not stipulated; there are too many variables. It is best to provide examples of APC organization criteria for readers to evaluate.

The makeup of APCs in career departments is often determined by the size of the organization. Those with large fleets of apparatus may have designated personnel whose primary, and possibly only, responsibility is apparatus procurement. Some are very good at it. It’s their job—they’re paid to do it. Large career departments have been known to rotate personnel throughout an organization to gain experience in administrative functions as well as operational firefighting. Such rotation may be mandatory and, in some instances, a requirement for advancement. Career entities are not immune from having an assigned APC member who may be more interested in becoming

SVI Trucks—Oklahoma City (OK) Fire Department ventilation unit. Ford F-450 4×2 cab and chassis; Ford 7.3L 2V DEVCT NA PFI V8 430-hp engine; Onan 15-kW generator; Super Vac 48-inch SVU Ford gas-powered fan with 250,000-cfm output; 270-degree electric turntable with scissor lift; 30-gpm @ 60-psi shroud misting ring; OnScene Solutions LED compartment lights. Dealer: Cary Provence, Conrad Fire Equipment, Olathe, KS.

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The town of Erin will be buying a new fire truck but they’re going to have to pony up a little more dough than anticipated, elorafergustoday.com reported. 

At a Thursday afternoon meeting, Erin council approved the purchase of a new fire tanker truck at a cost of $554,000, which is $104,000 more than it was budgeted for, the report said.

A fire official said truck builders have told him the increase in cost is due to the ripple effects from the pandemic impacting the supply chain, according to the report.

The budget shortfall will be funded through the emergency vehicle reserve, the report said.

PRESS RELEASE

The Cape Coral Fire Department posted the following on Facebook Friday:

“This afternoon the Cape Coral Fire Department along with city leaders, Sweet Sparkman Architects, and Wright Construction Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for new Fire Station 13, which will be located at 2025 NE 6th St. Fire Station 13 will incorporate areas currently covered by Stations 2 and 5, the city’s two busiest stations. The addition of this station is necessary to match the growth and increasing demand for service in this rapidly developing area.

“The station will house a four-person fire engine that provides fire suppression and Advanced Life Support (ALS) services and a battalion chief. The estimated completion date for the station is December 2023.”

The building will cost the city almost $7.5 million to complete, according to a report by winknews.com.

PRESS RELEASE

“We are very excited to announce that construction is finally starting on the rebuilding of Station 3, located at 3533 N. Highway 27, Sulphur (near the High Hope Road / Highway 27 intersection),” Ward Six Fire Protection District said in a Facebook post March 15.

“Our previous station was destroyed by Hurricane Laura in August 2020 and after more than 2 1/2 years, we are finally on the road to getting a new station.

“Our first delivery of construction items were delivered today at the exact time we were there putting up the banner. Soon, everyone will see a lot of activity at the location. Please be aware of construction vehicles, personnel and equipment entering and exiting the property.

“The new station is being funded by insurance proceeds and is set to be completed by mid-March, 2024.”

Terry Richards
The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
(TNS)

Mar. 25—VALDOSTA — With flashing lights and blaring sirens, the latest addition to Valdosta’s firefighting fleet rolled into service Friday.

A new pumper truck, manufactured by the Sutphen Corporation, made its debut at the Valdosta Fire Department Station No. 1 at 106 S. Oak St. amid a crowd of city officials, firefighters, children and well-wishers. Fire personnel from Lowndes County, Quitman and Moody Air Force Base were on hand.

After an invocation, Fire Chief Brian Boutwell said the new truck is the first purchased with his input. Boutwell has headed the fire department for four years.

A vendor had contacted the department offering a “demo” unit that was being assembled, he said, but the vendor said the department would have to act fast or it could be sold to other interests.

Quick action by the Valdosta City Council in putting the truck on a meeting agenda and formally approving the purchase cut the usual wait time from 2.5 years to six months, the chief said.

The truck was ceremonially rolled back into one of the station’s bays manually by a crowd of school children wearing plastic fire helmets and assisted by a number of adults. Boutwell said the tradition dates back to the 19th century, when horse-drawn fire equipment couldn’t be backed into the bays by the horses and had to be done by hand by firefighters.

Shortly afterward, the truck rolled out of the station and into traffic.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.

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