The Shawnee Fire Department has installed a new station alert system designed to wake sleeping firefighters less abruptly for nighttime callouts.

The alerting system, which cost $150,000, wakes firefighters with a red light instead of a bright one and an alarm that starts softer before increasingly getting louder, KMBC reports.

The new systems, which replace the blaring horns that awaken firefighters, are designed to place less stress on the heart when firefighters are toned out in the middle of the night.

The department also hopes the new heart-healthy alerting system will make the workplace more appealing and help it attract and retain firefighters.

Read the features and news on fire trucks and fire equipment from the March 2023 issue of Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazine.

Florissant Fire-Rescue District held a special ceremony to dedicate its newest light rescue truck as an addition to the fleet, mountainjackport.com reported.

Members of the community then helped push the light rescue rig into the garage to signify its status as officially being in commission to help serve those in the community who are in need, the report said.

Norfolk Fire-Rescue will break ground on a new 14,000 square foot fire station in the Fairmount Park neighborhood at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 21, the department said in a news release Monday.

The new station will be located at 2601 Lafayette Boulevard and will replace Fire Station 11 on Verdun Avenue, which has been in service for 100 years and was the first in Norfolk to house a motorized fire apparatus.

Units from Station 11 are some of the city’s most essential, frequently responding to fires in other districts due to their central location.

Plans for the new fire station include a new fire engine and an additional response unit to provide citywide supervision for fire and emergency services personnel.

Construction is set to begin next month with a targeted completion date of April 2024.