Aprell May Munford
The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
(TNS)

Feb. 22—AGAWAM — Agawam is finding creative ways to pay for a $1.9 million fire truck.

At Tuesday’s regularly scheduled town council meeting, the panel unanimously approved a resolution establishing a new Capital Stabilization Fund. The measure included a $2 million transfer from the town’s free cash account.

The resolution won a positive recommendation from the finance subcommittee, said Rosemary Sandlin a town council member.

“We should all be aware that Chief (Alan) Sirois talked with us today about needing a new ladder truck, which (will cost) $1.9 million, and he must order it now. … This is the money that we are going to use,” Sandlin said. “The fire truck is a priority.”

Sandlin said the fund is like a savings account that earns interest. “It is the first step in establishing an account that we can purchase even a fire truck out of,” she said.

“It builds interest … this is ongoing (and) you can take money in and out. It is important that we have that flexibility for the bonding issues,” Sandlin added.

According to Sandlin, since interest rates have risen, the town will be able to get a 4.5-percent rate, enabling the fund to grow from the initial deposit.

Council President Christopher Johnson said the fund provides greater flexibility.

“It is also something the rating companies look for,” Johnson said. “The town has made great steps in the last 30 years to bring its bond rating up. At this point I think we are one step away from hitting the top step.”

The goal is to have the ability to pay for small capital projects without the need to borrow, he said.

Town Councilor George Bitzas supported the stabilization fund. He suggested the town also take $400,000 from free cash to repair roads, sidewalks and potholes.

Sandlin said that while the council could consider road and street projects, the fund is not for that use.

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(c)2023 The Republican, Springfield, Mass.

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Mike Crowley
The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
(TNS)

Feb. 22—Meadville Central Fire Department welcomed the department’s newest asset Tuesday: a shiny new fire truck.

The recently completed vehicle’s arrival at about 1 p.m. was met with definite excitement, according to Chief Patrick Wiley, as off-duty personnel came to see the arrival and on-duty personnel began training on the new apparatus shortly after its delivery.

“They were like kids at Christmas,” Wiley said of the firefighters.

The vehicle, a combination ladder and pumper truck, will take the place of two trucks in the department’s fleet for the past three decades. The department’s 1991 Grumman pumper truck was decommissioned earlier this month, according to City Manager Maryann Menanno. The 1993 Sutphen aerial, equipped with a 100-foot telescoping aerial platform, remains in service.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Menanno said of the new vehicle.

Mayor Jaime Kinder said she was headed to Meadville Central to see the truck later Tuesday.

“We’re really happy to have it,” she said of the vehicle.

Wiley said he expected the new truck to be in service around the second week of March. After spending several days in Meadville, the truck will head south for the Monroeville Fire and EMS Show, which takes place March 4-5 at the Monroeville Convention Center just east of Pittsburgh. Following the expo, the truck will go to FAST of the Allegheny Mountains in Somerset where various tools will be custom mounted according to department specifications.

The truck falls into a category of apparatus often referred to as “quints” because such vehicles carry the five primary firefighting tools: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders. Wiley said the new truck’s aerial consists of a straight 75-foot ladder. The device lacks a large bucket like the one found on the department’s current aerial truck, but Wiley said the vehicle’s smaller footprint means it can access more of the tight alleys and residential areas in the city.

“It’s something we definitely needed with the age of our trucks,” Wiley said. “It’s long overdue and very much appreciated.”

City Council ratified a letter of intent to purchase the vehicle in August 2021. The SLR 75 aerial ladder fire truck was purchased from Sutphen Corp. of Dublin, Ohio, at a total purchase price of $874,841.78. The final price was approximately $876,000, Menanno said; the slight increase was due to material costs.

The purchase was part of a three-year, $8.1 million capital plan approved by council in August 2021. At the same time, council approved the issuing of $4.175 million in bonds to help finance the plan.

“It’s a good day for the fire department,” Wiley said.

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.

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(c)2023 The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.)

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Kristina Jackson
The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.
(TNS)

Feb. 22—The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday voted to allow Manhattan Fire Department to purchase more than 9 acres of land for a new fire training ground.

The city will buy the land at 2727 Amherst Ave. from Living Word Church for $850,000.

The land is adjacent to an existing fire station, and fire chief Scott French said the department wants to use the land to build a new training ground in the future.

The current training ground is adjacent to the main fire station at 2000 Denison Ave.

French said the department leases that land from K-State and might have to vacate the training ground portion of the station. French said K-State is interested in getting the land back as part of its North Campus Corridor development project. The purchase would be financed through general obligation bonds.

In other business, the commission also approved a change to the fees for the new Aggieville parking garage. The change eliminates the overnight flat fee for the garage.

Those parking overnight will now pay the same hourly rate as daytime hours, with the first two hours being free then $2 an hour up to a $10 daily maximum.

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(c)2023 The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.

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Binghamton’s new central fire station is preparing to start answering calls soon, binghamtonhomepage.com reported.

The new central station located on Court Street downtown is expected to be fully staffed in the coming days. There is already a fire truck stationed there and some personnel working in the building, the report said.

The $6.5 million, 20,000-square-foot facility features five bays with a drive-through design, allowing fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles to enter from the rear and exit out onto Chapman Street, not far from Mirabito Stadium, according to the report.

The headquarters for Binghamton Fire also boasts bunk areas for firefighters, a kitchen and dining area, and a decontamination room to prevent hazardous toxins from spreading, the report said.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place in August 2021. A spokesperson for the city says an official opening date has yet to be set, the report said.