SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs (GA) City Council has approved the construction of a fire station at 7800 Mount Vernon Road to support public safety efforts in the City’s Panhandle district.

“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” said Mayor Rusty Paul. “I am pleased we are able to move this important project forward. The station will help improve response times and save lives.”

Fire Station No. 5 will be located at the intersection of Spalding Drive and Mount Vernon Road. The new station will be designed to blend in with the residential character of the neighborhood.

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The Panhandle area is currently served by Fire Station No. 51, located on Spalding Drive at Roberts Road, with support from Engine 55, housed at the City of Roswell’s Fire Station No. 27 on Holcomb Bridge Road. Response time to reach some areas within this district can take from 10 to 15 minutes. 

Time is a critical component in fire station response. For someone experiencing a cardiac arrest, irreversible brain damage can occur after four to six minutes without proper treatment and death after 10 minutes. An estimated 80% of sudden cardiac arrest incidents occur at home. A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. The chance of injury or death for civilians and firefighters increases alongside the growth of that fire.

The City conducted due diligence and surveys as part of the process. The City selected an architect through its procurement process. The project followed the City’s zoning process, including community meetings before the plans were presented to the Planning Commission and then the City Council for approval.

A Sanford (ME) firefighter had to jump out of the way as a car went out of control and hit a fire truck blocking a previous accident scene recently, according to a report published by WGME 13.

According to the television station, the damaged fire truck was being used to block off a street at an accident scene where Sanford firefighters were working. As firefighters were clearing the scene, a vehicle headed right at them, narrowly missing a firefighter who had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, the station reported.

The fire truck suffered front-end damage that will need to be repaired, but the driver of the other vehicle suffered only minor injuries and was soon released after being checked out at a hospital, the television station reported.

The crash gave the Sanford fire chief a reason to remind motorists to stay alert while driving and not use their phones or be distracted by other activities, like eating and drinking, the station reported.

Two fire trucks in Cleveland (OH) were hit in separate incidents on Saturday morning, according to reports published by WOIO, Cleveland 19.

The first crash occurred at 5:52 am on the city’s East Side when an allegedly intoxicated driver crashed into a fire truck at the corner of East 55th Street and Carnegie Avenue, the television station report, adding damage to the truck was minor.

The second crash was a hit and run that occurred at 11:45 am, also on Saturday, near Fulton and Bailey avenues , the station reported.

Before the vehicle fled the scene a license plate number was noted, the station reported, noting the truck remained in service and there were no reported injuries in either collision.

Ferrara—West Chicago (IL) Fire Department pumper. Igniter cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Waterous CSU 1,500-gpm pump; UPF Poly 750-gallon water tank; 35-gallon foam cell; eductor foam system. Dealer; Mark Nixon, A.E.C. Fire and Safety, Springfield, IL.

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