A fifth fire station in northwest Minot is anticipated to cost nearly $4.2 million, and city council at its Tuesday meeting accepted some bids, reports minotdailynews.com.

The cost includes construction, engineering, and contingency for Station 5, which has been in the works for five years, the report says.

In 2017, the city purchased land along Fourth Avenue Northwest, and the architectural design began. Pandemic-related cost delays ensued, though.

The entire council meeting can be seen here:

City Council Meeting – February 22, 2022 https://t.co/Qk3mdnewOV

— City of Minot (@CityofMinot) February 22, 2022

Council accepted bids from Roers Construction, general contract, $2.62 million; C&C Plumbing and Heating, mechanical contract, $690,150; and Jesse Braun Electric, electrical contract, $419,900, according to the report. The contracts include four items as optional, depending upon on price: floor heat, northside skylights, westside bay windows, and sleeping room lighting control.

Work on the facility is expected to commence this construction season.

Also during the meeting, Hess Corp. presented a $41,534 grant to the Minot Fire Department for a new air compressor.

Are you attending FDIC 2022 and JEMS Conference and Expo 2022 in Indianapolis (IN) from April 25-30? If not, you should because both events will feature all kinds of new H.O.T. (Hands-on Training) Evolutions, which aren’t your typical “weekend training events.”

They cover the latest technology and techniques, and they’re instructed by key figures within the fire industry. Attendees will ascertain valuable information to take back to their respective departments to implement for an exponential safety impact on their overall community.

Participation in H.O.T. Evolutions requires filling out a liability waiver and uploading it to your registration dashboard. All FDIC H.O.T. Evolutions can be found here, and all the JEMS Con H.O.T. Evolutions can be seen here.

Examples of classes include:

Fundamentals of Open Water Rescue and Drowning Resuscitation, with speaker Mike Hudson, Chief Lifeguard Paramedic, Sea Bright (NJ) Ocean Rescue
Active Shooter Response for the First-Due Company, with speaker Mark Litwinko, Lt., Fort Wayne (IN) Fire Department
Fireground Skills and Drills for Success in Suburbia, with speaker Charlie Fadale, Chief of Safety and Training, Fishers (IN) Fire Department
Flowing and Going: Search and Extinguishment on the Fireground, with speaker Dustin Martinez, Captain, Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services
Realistic Fireground Solutions, with speaker Michael Dowling, Lt., Maryland Fire/EMS.

The Watertown City Fire Department will be getting its rescue truck back, reports nny360.com.

City council voted to put the apparatus back on the road for emergency response, after the previous city council ixnayed its use, citing costs, in January 2021. The department is purchasing some new equipment and will be using a Ford F-550 as the rescue truck, the report says.

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Watertown (NY) And Other Departments Impacted by Loss of Fire Apparatus

The truck’s return was prompted by October’s Arsenal Street crash that trapped a man underneath his vehicle’s dashboard for 16 minutes. First responders had to wait for extrication tools to save the 18-year-old, according to the report.

Officials say the new apparatus will go on calls for heart attack and stroke victims as well as a second emergency medical vehicle when an engine is already deployed.

Alachua County Fire Rescue announced the installation of five Stryker Power Load systems in the department’s critical care trucks. This rescue equipment enhances the safety of both EMS providers and patients by hydraulically lifting patients up to the level of the transport. The providers will still manually move the patients into and out of the patient care compartment.

This rescue equipment will be instrumental in reducing workplace injuries and fatigue to emergency personnel who must otherwise physically lift the entire weight of the patient and stretcher before loading into the truck. Following a user demonstration, EMT Driver Elizabeth Duenas states that she is looking forward to utilizing the new Power Load systems. “The equipment will be extremely helpful, especially when it’s only a two-person team getting a patient in and out,” she says. “It prevents us from suffering back pain every night.”

The systems can safely accommodate up to 870 pounds of weight, including the patient cot and any additional equipment such as monitors and oxygen tanks. They meet SAE J30 27 dynamic crash test standards and additionally minimize the risk of patient drops by providing continual support until the wheels are on the ground.

Assistant Fire Chief Michael Cowart wishes to thank the Fire Chief and Board of County Commissioners for investing into this equipment to keep our teams and patients safer while helping with employee longevity. For more information on the Stryker Power Load systems or their recent installations, please contact Chief Cowart at 352-562-6550.