Bend (OR) Fire & Rescue recently helped get the ball rolling on the local holiday season, as its ladder assisted the Northwest Crossing neighborhood with its annual tree lighting.

The city of Dilworth (MN) is making a plea to replace its 40-year-old fire station, reports parkrapidsenterprise.com, and there’s a very good chance the department will be heard.

MN Gov. Tim Walz recently visited the facility to learn about potential 2022 bond projects, and the report notes that he says it will most likely make the cut.

The total estimated cost of the new station is $6.5 million. The bond would be for $3.2 million, while officials say the city has also received $975,000 of federal funds for the project.

A potential new facility would replace the metal structure that was built in 1982, which officials say is unsafe and cramped. If the project comes to fruition, the current facility would be torn down and the new one would be opened in 2024 or 2025, according to the report. Dilworth provides fire protection for greater Clay County and has a mutual aid agreement with sister city Moorhead.

On Thursday December 16, 2021, the Board of Fire Commissioners of South Brunswick Township (NJ) Fire District #2 will be holding a special election to ask the registered voters of the fire district to approve an expenditure for the purchase of a new aerial tower ladder fire truck to replace an aging tower ladder that has become increasingly expensive to maintain and operate. Specifically, the Commissioners will be asking for authorization to purchase the replacement fire truck for an amount not exceeding $1,950,000 and to secure lease-purchase financing relative to the purchase.

Since the Board of Fire Commissioners has been anticipating the need to replace this piece of apparatus as part of its long-range capital planning process, it will utilize $1.1 million of existing reserve funds to substantially reduce the amount of required financing costs. The Fire District will then secure lease-purchase financing for the balance of the purchase costs not to exceed $850,000. The Commissioners will not be proposing any tax rate increase in the foreseeable future due to the lease-purchase. Currently, the fire district’s tax rate is amongst the lowest in both Middlesex County and the entire State of New Jersey.

South Brunswick Township Fire District #2, which is protected by the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department, covers the Monmouth Junction, Dayton and Deans sections of the township. The election will be held from 2 PM to 9 PM at the Monmouth Junction Fire Station, located at 573 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction. Mail-in ballots will be sent out to those registered voters that have previously requested them from the Middlesex County Board of Elections.

Over the last year, a committee of 6 firefighters from the Fire Department have worked to develop specifications for the new truck, dedicating well over a hundred man-hours on the project. The committee recommends the purchase of a 100-foot mid-mount aerial tower ladder, custom-built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin. The new truck will replace an aging tower ladder currently in operation by the Fire Department. The current truck has required over $66,000 in repairs since 2004, including nearly $18,000 in 2021 alone. “Although we take a great deal of pride in keeping our equipment in top condition, our current aerial is a very specialized piece of apparatus that has required a great deal of maintenance,” says Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith. “The new truck will be easier to maintain, resulting in less down-time and lower maintenance costs. It will weigh less, be more maneuverable, have greater reach, and be quicker and easier to set-up and operate than our current aerial, increasing our efficiency and saving valuable minutes at a fire when every second counts,” according to Chief Smith. The Fire Department has had a long and successful history with Pierce fire apparatus, operating four trucks over the years, including two fire engines currently in service.

As previously mentioned, it is not anticipated that the Board of Fire Commissioners will need to raise the fire district tax rate to support this expenditure. If voter approval is received, and once the financing bids are reviewed, the Commissioners will seek approval from the New Jersey State Local Finance Board to conduct a lease-financing purchase for the truck. If approval is granted by the Local Finance Board, the Commissioners can enter into an agreement to purchase the new truck. Once an agreement is signed, construction and delivery of the truck will take approximately 16 months.

The Commissioners of South Brunswick Township Fire District #2 and the members of the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department thank the public for their support and encourages the registered voters to vote in favor of the expenditure

Driftwood Township (IN) Volunteer Fire Department officials say that the department has outgrown its 68-year-old station, and they want to apply for a $500,000 grant to fund a new facility, reports tribtown.com.

Hence, the department recently mailed to random township residents a letter with an income survey that aims to help determine eligibility for the Community Development Block Grant Public Facilities Program grant, the report says.

Once residents complete the confidential survey—prior to December 10—town officials will review the level of grant assistance requested and weigh the options; adjustments may need to be made and a local match of 10% of total project cost will be required, the report says.