The city of Inverness (FL) will receive $715,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Program, according to a press release.

The funding was included in the appropriations bill signed into law last week. The funding request was sponsored and secured by Congressman Gus Bilirakis and will enable the city to acquire a new ladder truck for the Inverness Fire Department—equipment that is currently not part of the department’s fleet.

Aerial fire apparatus are recommended by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) in communities that include multiple three-story structures or buildings with significant fire flow requirements. Inverness has several buildings of this type, underscoring the need for enhanced aerial response capabilities to better protect residents, businesses, and property.

“This funding delivers a much-needed ladder truck that will protect lives, safeguard property, and strengthen pre-disaster preparedness,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “It will also support economic growth by lowering insurance rates for businesses and residents, ensuring our community remains safe and thriving.”

The city will move forward with procurement processes to acquire the new apparatus and provide a 45% grant match to the USDA’s 55% funding. The ladder truck will expand emergency response capabilities and enhance public safety across the community.

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MONTERAY, California—U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced Nov 18, 2025, that he recently secured $935,000 in community project funding for the Cambria Community Services District Fire Department to purchase a new Type 1 engine, according to a press release.

The purchase of a state-of-the-art engine is expected to improve the Cambria Fire Department’s ability to serve and protect the Cambria community, as well as offer aid to neighboring communities, including San Simeon.

“The constant threat of wildfires that we face in California and across the Central Coast, including in Cambria, mandate that communities be prepared at all times of the year,” said Rep. Panetta. “This type of significant investment in a state-of-the-art fire truck provides not just the Cambria District Fire Department, but also our community with the best equipment to help keep our homes and region safe. I’m proud to ensure that the federal government is playing its part with this major investment so that our first responders can continue to effectively respond to emergencies, stay ahead of danger, and protect lives.”

“On behalf of the Cambria Community Services District, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Congressman Jimmy Panetta for his steadfast support of the Cambria Fire Department’s Apparatus Replacement Project,” said Matthew McElhenie, General Manager of the Cambria Community Services District. “His successful efforts in securing $935,000 in federal Community Project Funding will directly enhance our community’s safety and resilience. This critical funding ensures our firefighters have the reliable, modern equipment they need to protect Cambria for years to come. We deeply appreciate Congressman Panetta’s continued commitment to our community.”

The city of Cambria has been designated as a high fire hazard severity zone by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Office of the State Fire Marshal and has historically been threatened by wildfires. The Department currently owns two engines, purchased in 2017 and 2006. Both engines suffered mechanical issues simultaneously last year, taking them both offline, which threatened the department’s readiness and ability to respond to emergencies in the area. While the Department was able to borrow an engine from the Paso Robles City Fire Department during the time both engines were undergoing repairs, it became increasingly clear that the Cambria Fire Department needed a new fire engine to most effectively serve the city of Cambria and the surrounding region.

Rep. Panetta meets regularly with first responders throughout our 19^th Congressional District.  After hearing about the threats faced by the Cambria community, he requested, advocated for, and was able to secure this significant federal grant for the Cambria District Fire Department. This funding adds to the millions of dollars of funding Rep. Panetta has secured for emergency services across California’s 19^th Congressional district, including $2.5 million for the design and construction of a fire and emergency services training facility in Paso Robles and $1.245 million for a new fire engine and equipment for the Templeton Fire Department.

The funding secured for the Cambria Community Services District is part of a grant that Rep. Panetta advocated to be included in the most recent appropriations package. The funds will be delivered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program, which helps increase the competitiveness of rural communities in attracting and retaining businesses that provide employment and services for their residents.

In the 116^th Congress, Rep. Panetta and House Democrats led the

The Sangamon Valley Fire Protection District in Fisher, Illinois, recently introduced its new Engine 555, also know as “Triple Nickel,” a rig it received in 111 days, according to a Facebook post by US Fire Apparatus.

“Congratulations to Sangamon Valley Fire Protection District on the purchase of its new commercial tanker from US Fire Apparatus,” the post said. “From signing of contract to delivery, this order took only 111 DAYS!”

Engine 555 fills two needs at once, a pumper and a tender, Sangamon Valley FPD said in a Facebook post.

The pumper-tender has a 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump and a 3,000 gallon water tank.

“It holds all the necessary equipment to respond as an Engine while also giving us extra water,” Sangamon Valley FPD said. “Water is so vital to fire operations, especially in the rural setting. We are excited for everyone to meet her. Over the next few weeks we will be working to get her in service.”

This fire apparatus features:

• Kenworth T480 commercial chassis
• PX-9 450-hp engine
• Hale QMax 1,500-gpm pump
• 3,000-gallon water tank
• 3/16-inch heavy duty, extruded aluminum body

Check out more photos here.

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Blocker truck programs are not anything new, especially in Texas. There are different variations on what constitutes a blocker—a repurposed rig with or without an attenuator, a new purpose-built rig with an attenuator, a front-line rig dispatched along with first-due apparatus to act as a blocker, etc.

The San Marcos (TX) Fire Department recently instituted a blocker program based on proofs of concept from other cities in Texas, including one of the more well-known programs started by the Irving (TX) Fire Department. But, according to Chief Les Stephens, San Marcos may have rewritten the script on these rigs.

SAN MARCOS BLOCKER PROGRAM

Chief Victor Conley, of the Irving Fire Department, had the original concept and developed the blocker program in 2016. From there, the concept spread statewide and nationwide, according to Stephens. With Interstate 35 going through the center of San Marcos, Stephens saw the need to implement a blocker program there—with the benefit of having watched other departments and how they implemented their programs.

Staffing was a concern for Stephens, but that problem worked itself out when the department was able to add one additional engineer per shift. This means the rig is staffed 24/7/365. “We saw early on that staffing it episodically or when staffing allowed really wouldn’t provide the benefit,” says Stephens. “You couldn’t guarantee that when it was staffed was when it was needed. It needed to be staffed all the time, and we were able to do that.” Stephens says that every engineer who is assigned to an engine or truck can be detailed to the blocker rig.

1 The San Marcos (TX) Fire Department’s Blocker 4 is a 2001 Pierce previously configured as a quint. (Photos courtesy of Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists unless otherwise noted.)

2 Blocker 4 in service at a roadway incident with arrow boards deployed. The emergency lighting package is by Whelen. [Photo courtesy of the San Marcos (TX) Fire Department.]

3 The Command Light arrow boards and light tower are run by a gas-powered portable generator.

The rig, known as Blocker 4, is located at a station that’s about the midpoint of the jurisdiction and only a few blocks away from I-35. “They’re dispatched with the emergency apparatus and the ambulance going to that call,” he says. “They’re part of the box so there’s no delay. They’re dispatched as an emergency response—lights and sirens. They’re busier than they thought they were going to be, I’ll tell you that.”

Once the rig arrives on scene and the operator positions it and sets up the light tower and arrow boards, the operator may move down to the scene of the accident. He can sit in the apparatus at the scene or, if there’s work to be done, he can assist. “That way, we don’t have a person sitting in the blocker vehicle were it to be struck,” Stephens adds.

BLOCKER 4

To get started, the fire department acquired a pumper that was built on a commercial chassis. With a budget secured to design the blocker, San Marcos personnel discovered that the commercial chassis was lighter than they needed. The frame rails were a lighter gauge, and overall the vehicle weighed less. The recommendation to Stephens was to seek out another platform for the blocking rig. Given the opportunity, Stephens determined that if the goal is to block multiple lanes