According to a report from The Independent, Massillon (OH) Fire Department (MFD) Chief Tom Burgasser said he wants to land a new quint ladder truck for the MFD’s fleet prior to his upcoming retirement.

The cost of the truck is expected to be about $860,000, with around $740,000 of that coming from the city’s carryover funds.

Councilman Ed Lewis IV said the city’s stable financial situation should lessen concerns about the price of the vehicle, with the city’s carryover being about $3.4 million.

If acquired, the new engine will include a 30-gallon foam-extinguishing system and 75-foot aerial ladder.

Burgasser said the city would have had to spend $300,000 to $ 400,000 in repairs to save its old truck, which was lost in 2018.

The MFD currently runs four engines in its fleet.

Burgasser said a new truck will take between 10 and 12 months to build and customize. It could be delivered to the city as soon as early 2022.

City Council is scheduled to consider legislation Monday regarding the purchase.

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According to a report from 19News, the Cleveland (OH) Fire Department’s (CFD’s) apparatus fleet is causing concern among department members, jeopardizing the first responders’ ability to help in an emergency.

At Station 30 on Cleveland’s east side, CFD firefighters were forced to use a damaged apparatus because the city didn’t have any reserves available. Firefighters were working a car accident on I-90 early last week when a driver crashed into Ladder 30, heavily damaging a utility ladder on its side, breaking a tail light, and smashing in a few compartments. Cleveland Firefighters Union Francis Lally said that no member was injured in the crash, but the accident did shake their confidence in using Ladder 30 on future responses.

Regardless, Ladder 30 is back in position at Station 30, and there is no timeline as to when it will be fully repaired.

Lally says the CFD can’t take it out of service because there are no spares available to replace it, drawing attention to the long-time problem his crews have been mentioning for years. He also said that city leaders had listened at one point, purchasing a few new trucks in 2020. However, those vehicles are sitting around waiting for radio equipment to be installed.

It’s frustrating, because he says if the trucks were in operation his crews wouldn’t just have to make due in Ladder 30.

The CFD did not reply to a request for comment.

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According to a report from the Topeka-Capital Journal, the Topeka (KS) Fire Commission officially released its recommendations and will suggest to the town’s governing body to construct a new fire station. However, they did not recommend any ways to fund the station, which would cost around $6-$8 million.

City Manager Brent Trout said that the completion of any new station would be about six years away from construction in District 9. He continued to say that, to fund a new station, the city would have to rework its budget, raise the mill levy, or increase sales tax. However, he also said the civilian and councilmember commission shouldn’t make that decision. 

Tax increases were not accepted by all council members, with Cristina Valdivia-Alcalá saying she would support an increase as a last resort, while Councilman Mike Lesser said he would not. 

Topeka Fire Department Chief Craig Duke said some stations are outdated and need repairs, which are known to most involved. 

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According to a report from WCSC, the city of Charleston, South Carolina, has purchased more than three acres of land for the new Charleston Fire Department (CFD) Station 23 on Johns Island.

The land sits near the intersection of Wildts Battery Boulevard and Maybank Highway.

Charleston’s Capital Projects Division is managing the design and construction of the station.

Station 23 will be the home of one engine company, one ladder company, and eight firefighters.

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