The Houston (TX) Fire Department recently placed into service a new, custom-built ladder truck at Station 28 in southwest Houston.

The 2021 apparatus is a 105-foot aerial unit manufactured by Spartan.  It’s able to move up to 1,500 gallons per minute. The interior seats eight firefighters and came fully equipped with tools, radios, air packs, and saws at a total price of $1,740,000.

The funding was approved by city officials to replace the previous unit, which was destroyed in a fire.

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The Victorville (CA) Fire Department recently celebrated the grand opening of its new Station 315 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The department officially opened Station 315—which is staffed with six firefighter/paramedics—on July 3.

City officials note that Station 315 was first envisioned more than 13 years ago by fire officials. Construction began in 2008 and was completed in 2009, right when the recession hit. Financial issues forced the city to defer its station plans until now—thanks to revenue generated by Measure P, the one-cent sales tax approved by Victorville voters in November. Measure P is expected to generate an estimated $18.94 million this fiscal year.

Victorville will also use Measure P revenue to purchase two Type One fire engines to augment the department’s response; one engine will be assigned to Station 315, and the other will replace aging apparatus in the department’s fleet.

“We are quite excited to begin fulfilling our promise to invest Measure P revenue to increase essential services and build a stronger Victorville,” said Victorville Mayor Debra Jones in a press release. “Today, it’s Fire Station 315. Soon, it will be the expansion of our police, code enforcement, animal care and control, and library services that are sure to have a lasting, positive impact on our city.”

The Rapid City (SD) Fire Department could receive more than $15 million to remodel Fire Station 1, according to a report published by the Rapid City Journal.

The paper reported the money would come from the $20 million the city got for COVID-19 funds from the federal government.

If the city council approves the allocation, the money will be used to expand the current station from 17,400 square feet to about 40,000 square feet, the newspaper reported.

Infrastructure work and a burn building are included in the proposal, according to the paper, which also reported the department is also seeking about $1.5 million for a training tower.

Task Force Tips (TFT) was created 50 years ago by a firefighter to provide tools to help first responders to do their job more safely and effectively. Now today, TFT is helping to keep firefighters healthier as well. TFT has partnered with Purafil – part of the largest air filtration company in the world – to integrate proven and patented filtration technology into a new TFT product: CrewProtect^TM.

Put simply, CrewProtect cleans the apparatus air that firefighters and EMS personnel breathe. It rapidly filters cancer causing particulate soot and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can off-gas for up to 45 minutes. In addition, because of medical responses and close quarters in apparatus, CrewProtect also filters a wide range of bacterial and viral threats like COVID-19. Systems with similar filtration technologies are used globally today in hospitals, industrial sites, schools, telecom, energy sites, agriculture, and food production.

CrewProtect tackles all three major air threats in the cab and ambulance body:  particulates, VOCs and aerosols carrying bacteria and viruses. Other systems only tackle one or two. Most importantly, CrewProtect is safe. Many other systems are ineffective at particulate and VOC removal or have the unintended consequence of adding more harmful elements, such as ozone and formaldehyde during operation.

TFT designed CrewProtect specifically for fire apparatus. It’s an easy installation in a new truck or retrofit into an in-service unit. It’s encased in steel, compact and rugged. CrewProtect is fast and effective as it filters the air in the average cab every 3.5 minutes, which exceeds the air exchange rate of “clean rooms” and operating rooms in hospitals! Lastly, CrewProtect is automatically helping to protect occupants whenever the apparatus is in use without switches or adjustment controls.

For more information, contact your local TFT dealer or go to https://crewprotect.net/