Newcastle (Australia) station is planning to add a $2.3 million aerial ladder to its fire-fighting arsenal, reports Newcastle Herald.

Officials say the ladder platform will help firefighters reach new heights in tall buildings. The new apparatus comes on the heels of a $930,000 upgrade for Newcastle station.

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The Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department is using a new rapid response vehicle, FR-9, to patrol Venice, reports cbslocal.com.

FR-9, a fully equipped paramedic unit with a 150-gallon water tank, will respond to medical emergencies and small fires. Because of its size, it can get to smaller fires or medical emergencies in a more efficient manner than a larger engine.

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The Vermilion (OH) Fire Department plans to dedicate Station 1 on Saturday at noon, reports morningjournal.com.

The $4 million building, located at 1041 Douglas St., was funded without additional taxes. The station was approved for occupancy in January and the fire department moved in the next month. But city officials waited for a public gathering until pandemic conditions improved.

In addition, officials have formed committees to implement recommendations of a new report analyzing operations of the fire service. The committees include command staff and firefighters, and the teams are open to anyone who wants to be part of the process, an official says.

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The brakes were pumped on plans to replace an aging rescue truck at Unity Volunteer Fire Department in Plum (PA) after council declined to contribute the bulk of its cost, reports triblive.com.

Now, town officials contracted with Emergency Vehicle Response to do a fire apparatus fleet analysis for the borough and develop a 15-year plan for future purchases. The cost of the evaluation was estimated at $29,000.

Unity’s rescue truck is 21 years old with a rusting frame. It is expected to be put out of service within the year. The plan was to purchase a new rescue truck from Pierce Manufacturing for an estimated $750,000, with $510,000 of that coming from borough coffers; the rest would come from a $200,000, 20-year, low-interest state loan and fundraising.