Oshkosh Airport Products’ 2021 Road Rally will give aircraft rescue and fire fighting crews a chance to experience the revolutionary new Striker^® Volterra™ ARFF hybrid electric vehicle.

OSHKOSH, WIS. (August 10, 2021) – Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) Company, announced today that its upcoming ‘Road Rally’ will offer aircraft rescue and fire fighting crews at airports throughout North America a hands-on and immersive experience to learn about the revolutionary new Striker^®  Volterra™ performance Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Oshkosh Airport Products’ Road Rally will provide airport fire department representatives an opportunity to meet one-on-one with experts to learn about the Striker Volterra vehicle’s attributes and its ability to meet each location’s unique environmental and sustainability initiatives. Featuring live demonstrations and Q&A sessions, and more, the Road Rally kicks off at Portland International Airport (PDX) August 9-12, 2021.

“In June 2021, we introduced the Striker Volterra ARFF hybrid electric vehicle, which is designed around Oshkosh proprietary and patented technology,” said Jack Bermingham, business unit director for Oshkosh Airport Products. “Since that time, customer response to learning more about this fire apparatus has exceeded our expectations, and we are eager to share more about the Striker Volterra ARFF vehicle in person during our North American Road Rally.” 

Road Rally Locations and Dates Include:

• Portland International Airport (PDX), August 10-12
• John Wayne Airport (SNA), TBD
• Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, August 29 – September 2
• East Coast U.S., Canada, and International Dates TBD

Features of the Striker Volterra HEV Include:

• An Oshkosh patented hybrid-electric drivetrain featuring an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission allows zero-emissions operation when powered by the integrated onboard batteries, and can be coupled to the internal combustion engine to provide continuous and uninterrupted power to the pumping system or drive system
• Faster acceleration: setting a new standard for performance, the Striker Volterra HEV is capable of achieving 28% faster acceleration than before when fully loaded, resulting in a quickened response time
• Idle reduction for up to one hour of zero-emissions standby using onboard energy storage
• Zero-emission driving during entry and exit of the fire station using onboard energy storage
• Available Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) options for further electric vehicle driving capabilities

Bermingham continued, “Another key feature of the Striker Volterra hybrid electric vehicle is its ability to meet the growing emergency response and environmentally-conscious needs among airports of all sizes, without compromising on operational performance, functionality, safety, customization, or the traditional configurations and styling our customers expect.”

The Striker Volterra performance HEV is custom-engineered and extensively tested to deliver rapid response while simultaneously managing its carbon footprint. Additionally, it is fully compliant to NFPA 414 and ICAO standards while being certified to off-highway EPA and EU regulations. 

As Oshkosh Airport Products’ Road Rally takes place over the next several months on the west coast of the U.S., airport emergency response and fire fighting crews on the east coast of the U.S., Can

Firefighters with the Ridgeley (WV) Volunteer Fire Company hope to get a $875,000 in federal funding for a new fire station, according to a report published by Cumberland Times-News.

According to the newspaper report, US Senator Joe Manchin requested the money for the new station to replace one the firefighters have been using since the 1970s, according to the newspaper report.

The final design of the new stations has not been developed, but if funding is approved, it will be located on land across from the current fire station which was once used by a beer distribution company, according to the report.

If funding is secured, the community hopes to have the new station completed by the late summer, or early fall of 2022.

The new fire station is expected to have a bunk room, community hall, kitchen, meeting room and an exercise room, the newspaper reported.

By June 30, 2022, firefighters with the Sheldon (IA) Fire Company should have a $1,066,000 aerial in service after the city councilors approved the purchase, according to a story published by nwestiowa.com.

According to the report, the city will purchase the new 100-foot rear-mount aerial platform built by Spartan and it will be paid for with a bond. The new truck will replace another aerial that was totaled when it hit a large maple tree branch, the report said, adding the city got $180,000 in an insurance payment to help pay for the new aerial.

The city will pay the difference with a 15-year general obligation bond, according to the report, adding that the city wants to act quickly as the insurance company is paying for a leased aerial for 10 months to temporarily replace the one damaged.

After some delays, the $10.3 million project to build a new Marion (IA) Fire Station 1 is now complete, with plans for the department to move in as early as today, reports thegazette.com.

Located at 100 Irish Dr., the new digs is the city’s third and will serve as the department’s headquarters. It’s the city’s first new station since 1991, when Marion was about half the size it currently is.

Earlier: Opening of Third Marion (IA) Fire Station

The new Station 1 has biophilic design elements that use lighting, color, and nature to promote the emotional health of firefighters, officials say. In addition, it has been designed to keep firefighters safer as they wake up for calls and return from battling fires.

The former Station 1, at 600 Eighth Ave., will be renamed Station 3. The current headquarters is Station 2, at 3933 Katz Dr.

A public open house event will be held in the fall, and the city is continuing to look for a suitable site for a fourth station.

Throughout the months, the report says, multiple obstacles delayed the station’s opening—from COVID to the August 10 derecho to a building-materials shortage in May to a change in management for Christner Construction.