The Houston Fire Department said a chainsaw worth about $2,000 was stolen off a truck on March 9, abc13.com reported. Now the fire department is asking for help in finding it.

The equipment is often used during extractions or entanglement situations such as crashes or other operations, the report said.

HFD said they are working with the police department to identify those involved in the theft. HPD said the incident happened at about 10:20 a.m. at 3111 Woodridge in a parking lot, the report said.

Anyone with information regarding the theft is urged to contact authorities at 713-222-TIPS.

Anthony Cammalleri
Daily Item, Lynn, Mass.
(TNS)

Mar. 15—LYNN — The fire department will donate two surplus Hurst Jaws of Life rescue tools to Ukraine.

City Council voted to approve the equipment donation at a meeting Tuesday night.

The department, Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan said, recently upgraded its Hurst Jaws of Life tools to battery-operated portable options, putting the old pair out of use for years.

The department will donate the equipment through OSF Healthcare, an Illinois-based non-profit that facilitates ambulance and equipment donations to Ukraine.

Sullivan said he decided to donate the Hurst Jaws of Life to Ukraine after he heard that the Beverly Fire Department donated a surplus fire engine last month at a regional fire chiefs’ meeting.

“I just thought it would be a good humanitarian gesture to help people in need,” Sullivan said. “We had them sitting in storage collecting dust, and we weren’t going to use them ever again, so the timing of [the chiefs’ meeting] was perfect.”

The Hurst Jaws of Life, which Sullivan said are worth thousands of dollars each, each contain four components — a spreader, which can pry open metal; cutters, which are capable of cutting through metal; a ram, which can push metal apart or lift vehicles and heavy objects; and a hydraulic hose, which connects the tool to a power source.

The different components can be quickly used to save trapped passengers.

“They could help people get out of vehicles, tanks, cars. If they’re trapped inside a vehicle, these tools can get them out,” Sullivan said. “We felt it would be in good faith, for humanity purposes, to send some equipment like that where it would really help.”

As the war in Ukraine persists roughly a month past its first anniversary, the United Nations reported last month that roughly 8,000 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.

• Chillicothe (IL) Donates First U.S. Fire Engine to Ukraine
• Beverly (MA) to Donate Fire Truck to Ukraine

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(c)2023 Daily Item, Lynn, Mass.

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Wes Bowers
Lodi News-Sentinel, Calif.
(TNS)

Mar. 14—The Lodi Fire and Police departments are set to receive much-needed equipment this week, if approved by city leaders.

The Lodi City Council will consider two items on its consent calendar Wednesday night that will provide the fire department with a new chest compression device, and the police department with a variety of equipment over the next three years.

According to Wednesday’s staff report, the city will purchase a Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assisted System, more commonly known as a LUCAS 3, chest compression device from Stryker Medical for $25,000.

There will be no fiscal impact to the city, according to staff, as the purchase will be made possible through a donation from the Lodi Fire Foundation.

The LUCAS device, according to www.stryker.com, maintains a patient’s chest compressions during transport to medical centers.

The device is placed around the torso so a patient is lying flat against a back plate and the compression component is directly above the chest during transport.

It weighs a total of 17.3 pounds and can be carried by firefighter paramedics in a case that is worn like a backpack, according to Stryker’s website.

Staff said the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of 47 LUCAS devices in 2020, of which Lodi firefighters received four the following year.

The devices were placed on the department’s frontline fire engines. This newest device will be placed on Truck 2051, equipping all of the front-line apparatus with the chest compression unit, staff said.

The council is also set to approve a three-year contract with LC Action Policy Supply of San Jose to provide the police department with a variety of equipment, including body armor vests, duty belts, holsters, flashlights, batons, and weapons.

The equipment is expected to cost no more than $100,000 during those three years, according to the staff report.

About 40 vests will expire within the year and must be replaced, staff said, and the department will also have ongoing vest and equipment needs for new officers, as well as equipment damaged in the line of duty.

Staff said LC Action Police Supply was found to be the most cost-effective, responsive, and guaranteed a quicker delivery.

Garbage rates discussed

The council will also undertake a public hearing to consider future solid waste collection rates for residential customers.

The council is no longer accepting public comments via Zoom or telephone, so you must be present to speak about the proposed rates.

Written comments related to an agenda item or non-agenda item can be mailed or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office or emailed to councilcomments@lodi.gov.

Public comments submitted by email, mail, or hand-delivered are forwarded to the council. Written public comments will not be read aloud during the meeting, but will be included in the final record.

For more information regarding council meetings, visit www.lodi.gov/152/City-Council&nbs

Aprell May Munford
The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
(TNS)

Mar. 15—AGAWAM — Replacing older models that were beginning to fail, the Agawam Fire Department received a delivery of 37 new air packs Monday.

The new self-contained breathing apparatuses — which firefighters don to protect against toxic smoke and gasses generated by structure fires, vehicle fires and hazardous materials incidents — were designed with more safety features than the older models, said Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois.

“This new standard provided a number of safety enhancements including adjusting the amount of time that a firefighter has to exit a burning structure after their low air alarm activates,” Sirois wrote in an email. “Improved redundancies in the air supply system as well as electronics were also included.”

Agawam firefighters last recieved new air packs in 2010 and they were beginning to give out, Sirois said.

According to the fire department, some fires fueled by composite materials and plastics can produce smoke “so toxic that inhalation can result in almost immediate death.”

The new air packs cost the department $254,363, but most of that cost was mitigated through a Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters grant, which also helped the department upgrade its air filling station.

Because there are 37 seated positions across the fire department’s vehicles that include a tower ladder, four fire engines, four ambulances, equipment standards set by National Fire Protection Association say the department must have 37 air packs.

“Each fire apparatus is capable of carrying a set number of firefighters, so an (air pack) is allotted for each riding position,” Sirois said.

The Town of Agawam maintains 60 full-time firefighters when fully staffed.

“These career personnel are augmented by a Call Firefighting force of 6,” Sirois added.

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(c)2023 The Republican, Springfield, Mass.

Visit The Republican, Springfield, Mass. at www.masslive.com

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