Julia Cardi
The Detroit News
(TNS)
Farmington Hills has a revamped headquarters for its fire department, with a new emergency operations center to coordinate command during disasters both natural and man-made.
The project, which city officials celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, was funded by a $3 million state grant. Construction began in March and finished in September. Staff moved back into the headquarters on 31455 W. 11 Mile Rd. at the beginning of October.
“It’s a huge accomplishment, with getting something that we’ve always wished and dreamed for, and through the grant, we were able to make happen,” Fire Chief Jon Unruh said. “And it’s an incredible benefit for the citizens, from the standpoint that we can now work in a facility (to) manage incidents and manage natural and man-made disasters.”
Unruh said the department had outgrown the previous facility. The number of staff working in the headquarters has doubled from seven to now 14 since the facility was built in 1997. Some employees were sharing cubicles, he said, and the city was also using the previous emergency operations space as a warming and cooling center.
The renovations added more 3,000 square feet to the facility, including offices and the emergency operations center.
During construction, headquarters staff temporarily relocated to “The Hawk,” the city’s community center on 12 Mile. Farmington Hills has five fire stations, one of which operates out of the headquarters. Construction did not affect the fire station.
“This is a symbol of how Farmington Hills continues to evolve, while holding true to the legacy of service, preparedness and caring for our community,” Mayor Theresa Rich said.
The new emergency operations center features desk space and wall-mounted screens wrapping around the room that can display information such as data mapping around the city to aid in incident command. Unruh said weather disasters tend to make up most of the incidents that require the fire department’s coordinated response.
Farmington Hills now having its own permanent, dedicated emergency operations center is distinctive in Oakland County, Unruh said, noting most cities rely on the county’s command center.
“It’s truly an example of what can happen when local and state leaders work together for the community,” City Manager Gary Mekjian said Wednesday.
jcardi@detroitnews.com
©2025 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Posted: Nov 1, 2025
When specifying fire apparatus lighting, keep in mind three things: to and from scene, on scene, and maintenance longevity. (Photos courtesy of SoundOff Signal.)
In the realm of fire apparatus specification, one of the most important things to get right, yet one of the most difficult to understand sometimes, is lighting. Firefighters are well accustomed to understanding gallons per minute and pounds per square inch, but lux and lumens are not always terms easily understood, nor is understanding the nuances of getting a scene light, for example, to shine light where you think it will. Along the way there are numerous types of lights, among them silicone lighting, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compliance, and writing the specs themselves. But, companies like SoundOff Signal offer support when specifying the lighting on your next rig.
SILICONE LIGHTING
SoundOff Signal designs, engineers, and assembles its lighting products in its Hudsonville, Michigan, headquarters. Among its product lines are its mpower® products. According to Damon Mirate, director of product management at SoundOff Signal, “The lenses of the mpower fascia, 4×2, 6×4, and 7×3 lights include an integrated seal. The light housing directly clamps the compressible lens to prevent moisture intrusion. Other brands require a sealing gasket in addition to the lens, which increases the number of surfaces needing to be sealed, allowing for more leak points.” Mirate adds that SoundOff Signal is the only fire light manufacturer that offers a full fire light line with silicone lenses, although other brands offer pieces of optical silicone within their light. “But, they do not offer all silicone lenses for the full product lineup of warning, scene, tail light, and turn signal lighting like we do,” he says.
mpower® silicone lenses include an integrated seal. The light housing directly clamps the compressible lens to prevent moisture intrusion.
Advantages of SILASTIC silicone include UV stability, which prevents the cracking and crazing that occurs with uncoated polycarbonate lenses. While UV causes polycarbonate to yellow, it causes silicone to become more clear.
SILASTIC silicone, by DOW, demonstrates 94% light transmission through the silicone material compared with 88% to 90% through polycarbonate material, according to a study DOW conducted on its SILASTIC silicone. This allows SoundOff Signal engineers
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Posted: Oct 31, 2025
LAURENCE HAMMACK
The Roanoke Times, Va.
(TNS)
A fire that caused major damage to Botetourt County’s fire training center in September was caused by an electrical wiring failure, an investigation has determined.
At about 5:14 a.m. on Sept. 26, firefighters responded to a blaze at the Troutville facility, which serves as a training center for firefighting and emergency services.
Blaze destroys Troutville Fire Training Center, a ‘significant loss’
A fire ripped through Troutville’s training center for firefighting and emergency services Friday morning, in what Botetourt County says is a difficult loss of such an important resource.
“A segment of electrical conduit was noted to have what appeared to be an opening, as though a large-gauge electrical wire may have arced and caused a failure within the conduit,” the Botetourt County Fire & EMS Department said in a news release Tuesday night.
Results of the investigation have been turned over to the insurance company for the property.
“Once confirmed, the insurance company will work with the county and Troutville Fire Department to determine the amount of coverage to restore an operational training facility on the same grounds,” the release stated.
Jason Ferguson, chief of the Fire & EMS Department, said it was too early to estimate the cost of damage to the building and its contents.
Ferguson told the county board of supervisors Tuesday that the insurance carrier has already agreed to issue an initial payment of $50,000, knowing that the final claim will be “well over” that amount.
There was substantial damage to both the structure, a 75-year-old former schoolhouse, and the equipment and supplies that it housed.
The building on Sunset Avenue in Troutville served as the county’s primary training location and hosted a volunteer firefighter academy. The academy has relocated to the nearby Troutville Fire Station, and a backup 911 center has been moved to the Greenfield Administrative Center.
© 2025 The Roanoke Times, Va.. Visit www.roanoke.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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