The saga of the Spirit of Oklahoma‘s return home is nearing its conclusion, reports kxii.com.

The fabled apparatus has crossed into Oklahoma and is now making its way to Calera. The Spirit spent last night in Adair and began travel to Calera first thing this morning. Once it arrives it’ll undergo restoration before heading to its final destination.

Calera Fire-Rescue is still raising money for the restoration project; updates are being posted on the Calera Fire-Rescue Facebook page.

The Spirit of Oklahoma saw action in both the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11. The bond began 26 years ago when 10 New York firefighters came to the rescue following the Oklahoma City Bombing; those same 10 men lost their lives in the September 11 attacks.

Following the latter attack, students at a Fort Gibson school raised nearly half a million dollars to buy a new truck, which was dubbed the “Spirit of Oklahoma” and sent to New York City to aid. However, it was sold at auction.

Officials then attempted to buy the truck from its owner in Massachusetts. He gave the department two weeks—ending on June 15—to raise the $25,000 to buy and transport the truck back to Oklahoma. It would all have been for naught, but an anonymous donor stepped up with $15,000 in the 11th hour.

The Spirit of Oklahoma bears the names of the 10 heroes who lost their lives, carrying the legacy of an inseparable bond between the two states.

Marlborough (MA) officials will host a second public meeting on July 20 to discuss plans for a proposed new fire station along Elm Street on the city’s west side, reports patch.com.

The new station has long been in the department’s sight, and, last fall, the city purchased 481 Elm St. for $440,000 with the hope of building the new digs there. However, residents near the site are concerned about traffic and noise problems. If the station doesn’t get built there, the city may resell the parcel.

The public meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 140 Main St.

Lancaster County (PA) Fire Department has been working on building one new consolidate station for 27-year. They finally got approval and COVID-19 hit driving the cost of materials far in excess of the funds available.

According to a news story published by Fox43 television station, COVID drove the price of the long-awaited project up by $700,000 more than expected.

Lancaster Township Fire Chief Steve Roy told the newspaper the department has all the necessary approvals for needed for the construction to begin, but when the final bid was submitted in March, construction costs had skyrocketed with the cost of steel increasing by $75,000 alone.

The department needs a new station to replace two separate locations one that is at least 70 years old and neither meeting the needs of a modern fire station, the newspaper reported.

Currently, the plan is to wait and see if the cost of construction goes down or do fundraising to make up the difference, the newspaper reported.

A retired fire pumper has been donated to the Warren County (PA) Career Center, according to a report published by the Times Observer.

According to the newspaper, the Warren (PA) fire department decided the value of students learned how to use fire apparatus was more valuable than whatever the city would have been able to gain in trade-in value.