On Saturday, November 13, at approximately 3:53 p.m. Southington (CT) Fire Department unit Squad 1 was responding in a non-emergency mode (no lights or sirens activated and with the flow of traffic) to investigate a report of a tree and wires down.

During their response and while in front of Recreation Park on South End Road, Squad 1 was involved in a head-on motor vehicle accident with a civilian vehicle. The members of Squad 1 immediately called for additional units and began providing medical aid to the driver of the vehicle.

Squad 5 arrived and extricated the driver from the vehicle. Both members of Squad 1 and the driver of the vehicle were transported to New Britain General Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

The Southington Police Department is handling the investigation of the car accident.

The Knoxville (TN) Fire Department’s recently added Big Stick II—a $1.4 million tractor-drawn aerial more formally known as Ladder 1—is already proving its worth, reports knoxtntoday.com.

The apparatus weighs 58,000 pounds, is 57’11” long, and has a ladder that stretches to 107 feet. Its predecessor—a straight-frame ladder truck—had trouble making turns which sometimes led to expensive repairs, the report says; Big Stick II has no such tail swing.

NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace stopped by KFD to check out the new rear tiller. He raised an eyebrow🤔when we told him it makes more than LEFT turns😂😂😂 We love you Rusty! Thanks for making our day!! What an awesome guy!! pic.twitter.com/p8y4dMjMv3

— Knoxville Fire (@KnoxvilleFire) November 10, 2021

The tiller has already seen action—last Monday, November 8, Dave’s Wholesale Transmissions at 1201 Maryville Pike caught fire, the report says. The tiller responded to the two-alarm fire and handled its business.

The truck was dedicated in late October, and it garners picture and video requests when it’s out in town.

Horry County (SC) recently paid $200,000 for around 2 acres of land near the intersection of S.C. 90 and S.C. 22 on which it plans to build a fire and EMS station, reports myhorrynews.com.

County officials say the project would close the volunteer stations at Wampee and Nixonville—Stations 5 and 12—and staff the new facility with full-time crews.

The estimated completion date for the new station is fall 2023, and, although there have been no formal estimates, the price tag is expected to exceed $2 million, the report says. Officials say the funding is already lined up.

Pierce—Farmington (MN) Fire and Rescue Ascendant 107-foot heavy duty aerial ladder quint. Velocity cab and chassis; Cummins X12 500-hp engine; Pierce PUC single-stage 1,500-gpm pump; UPF Poly 500-gallon water tank; 20-gallon foam cell; Pierce Husky 3 single-agent foam system; Harrison 6-kW generator. Dealer: Tom Soland, MacQueen Emergency, St. Paul, MN.

MORE FIRE APPARATUS ARTICLES>>