There will be a vote on Thursday in Bernardston, Mass., regarding a proposed $3 million station expansion, reports recorder.com.

With space at the current station—built in the early 1970s—at a premium, Article 38 asks voters to approve a sum of up to $3 million to build a new, four-bay station addition adjacent to the current building. The cost of the project is expected to be around $2.4 million, but officials said the $3 million figure will add a buffer for unforeseen expenses.

A $2.6 million proposal to purchase land for and construct a new building at 23 Kringle Dr. was rejected in 2017. Bernardston resident Frank “Bud” Foster has since donated his property at 12 Church St., sitting next to the present station, to be used.

Architectural drawings of the proposed expansion can be seen here.

Thanks to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation and an unnamed benefactor, the Hawaii Fire Department received a donated a Big Dog wildland tanker, reports westhawaiitoday.com.

The $453,000 Textron and Howe & Howe 4×4 Big Dog tanker can hold 1,200 gallons of water and will be stationed at the South Kohala Fire Station off Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

The Big Dog is the second of three water tankers donated by the same unnamed benefactor. The first was a Bulldog tanker that’s been assigned to the Waimea Fire Station since arriving on the island in 2019. The second Big Dog, currently being built in Idaho, is expected to arrive next month and will be assigned to the North Kohala station in Kapaau.

Since starting the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation, which benefits the Hawaii Fire Department, more than $7 million has been raised—including more than $814,000 in fiscal year 2020 alone—to fund equipment and training.

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Right on time. Following reports that Niagara Falls’ (Canada) Station 7 would be ready “sometime in May,” Station 7 is now ready—in May, reports niagarafallsreview.

Officials said on Monday that the $7.2 million project—which includes a fully equipped pumper—is now complete and the 12,000-square-foot station is officially open. The project was funded entirely through development charges.

Bromac Construction of Fonthill was awarded the contract for the project after being selected among a group of 10 other bidders.

The need for a new NFFD station was identified in as far back as 2010, when a study showed it would be needed within the next two years to accommodate city growth. Since then, the city has indeed seen large-scale growth in the south and west ends, including future projects such as the massive sold-out subdivision built by Empire south of McLeod Road near Kalar Road and the new hospital for south Niagara.

In 2019, city staff contacted Whiteline Architects, which had been working on the initial design of the station from 2015 to 2017, before it was deferred in order to engage a consultant on staffing issues.

Jefferson City (MO) Council members approved a $588,000 renovation project for Station 4, reports newstribune.com.

Under the plan, work is scheduled to be completed on the building—located at 820 Ellis Blvd. and which opened in 1969—by the beginning of November.

Of the $588,000 needed for the renovation, about $322,220 has been allocated from leftover funds from Station 2. The rest, officials noted, could be available through sales tax F money.

Officials noted the renovations would include:

• Expanding the back of the station for a storm shelter and fitness room.
• Creating an ADA-compliant bathroom.
• Adding partitions in the bunkroom for increased privacy.
• Adding a designated office space.
• Updating electrical services for increased reliability and future solar power options.
• Creating a decontamination area for gear.
• Adding storage.

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