The opening of a new Collier County fire station has been delayed as a number of firefighters became infected with COVID-19, reports WINK News.

The new fire station is a collaboration between the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District and Collier County EMS. Greater Naples Fire Chief Nolan Sapp said he’s waiting on funds to hire more firefighters to staff the new station.

Current and retired firefighters honored tradition by pushing the new Fire Engine 61 into the fire barn, reports Merrill Foto News.

A fire official said the new combined unit built by Pierce Manufacturing will enable the fire department to operate a little leaner and more efficiently.

This fire truck will replace both the old fire engine 61 and rescue squad 64, which are being traded in as a part of the purchase arrangement. The advantages of the new truck include extra air packs, water rescue equipment, storage compartments for extra equipment, room for a firefighter to change inside, and a pump located lower than on the old engine.

The new engine also has 360-degree cameras, a foto kite to provide both aerial pictures of the scene and utilizes infrared technology to identify hot spots at the scene.

Funds from a federal Assistance to Firefighters grant program will be used to purchase a state of the art engine to replace a 40-year-old truck, reports Patch.com.

Lansdale Borough officials, Firehouse Grants, and U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick assisted in securing the funds.

By Bill Adkins

Tower ladders are well-known for flowing copious amounts of water. The platform makes an excellent spot for two firefighters to flow two to three nozzles at a time. When thinking of tower ladders, many don’t reference their great ability to perform rescues, engine operations, and the ability to carry a vast amount of equipment. Training the crew to be proficient with the capabilities of the tower ladder is to be an ongoing task. A task that can be rewarding when hearing command say on the radio to leave room for the tower.

Flowing Big Water

Of course, we can’t discuss tower ladders without mentioning their ability to flow water. It is not uncommon to see one flowing close to, if not more, than 2,000 gallons per minute (GPM) on a fire scene. When training your crews, have a couple of different sequences and assignments for each member to minimize set-up time. For instance, if you arrive on a defensive fire the crew will need to assist the operator with water supply and the outriggers to have the ability to get the bucket in the air and flow water quickly. When arriving first due on an offensive fire, the tower can operate as an engine first, tower second; this allows the crew members to concentrate on hose deployment instead of setting up the outriggers right away. Keep in mind, if flowing big water don’t hesitate to establish a second water source coming to another intake of the tower ladder; this allows the pump and engine to operate at a lower RPM with the capability of continuing to flow large volumes of water.

Rescues from the Tower

With proper training, performing rescues from the building can be just as easy from a tower ladder as it is on a straight stick. Sometimes victims are severely terrified of heights and talking them down a ladder can be challenging. Proper placement of the tower bucket can make for a seamless transition from the building to the bucket—allowing the patients to become mor