According to a report from The Falmouth Enterprise, Falmouth (MA) Fire/Rescue (FFR) has taken delivery of a new combined ladder and rescue fire truck from Pierce.

The truck, which will be kept in the Main Street station, was funded in 2019 for $1.5 million and will replace FFR’s current ladder truck, which was used for technical rescues. The ladder truck it is replacing was built in 1991. The final price tag was for $1.2 million; the remainder of the funding will be spent on outfitting the truck with equipment.

FFR Deputy Chief Scott Thrasher said the truck is safer and more efficient than its predecessors.

The 107-foot aerial comes with a built-in water hose with an electronically controlled telescopic nozzle.

Before, a hose was run up the ladder when the crew arrived on scene.

FFR Chief Timothy R. Smith said the new addition will save time, help staffing, and deliver a more focused water stream.

The aerial is also safer for the occupants as well, featuring roll protection, shoulder belts, air bags, and anti-lock brakes were added. In addition, it is 4,000 pounds lighter than other ladder trucks, making it easier to handle and will consume less fuel.

To function as rescue truck, Jaws of Life, cribbing, jacks, air bags, and other equipment will be added.

Thrasher said the department wanted a compact truck for easier maneuverability, but it also had to hold all the tools for the job.

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Haltom City-based Trotter Controls eceived a patent and FAA approval for the world’s first all-electric fire gate system, reports Dallas Innovates.

The company’s FRDS GEN III was selected as a fire gate for Air Tractor and its latest version of the AT802F firefighting plane.

The new system replaces the hard-to-maintain hydraulics and pumps with a simpler electric motor that’s 40 percent lighter. That means the plane can carry more liquid fire retardant and the design automatically compensates when the tank is not level to deliver consistent coverage on the ground.

The post Fort Worth (TX) Company Develops Equipment for Aerial Firefighting appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

Firefighters in South Chicago said they’re concerned the relocation of a 100-foot tower ladder will slow response times to the high-rises in South Shore and nearby communities, reports Block Club Chicago.

The ladder with a platform to hold firefighters and retrieve citizens moved to the department’s $30 million fire station.

A fire department spokesperson said that tower trucks are still in service in Hyde Park, Back of the Yards and Archer Heights.

Some residents fear South Side neighborhoods with many high-rises still in existence — and with higher densities than the area around West Pullman — will now see slower response times if fires require a tower truck. Even with the tower truck already moved, residents said that officials could move it back.

The post Chicago (IL) Firefighters, Residents Want Fire Apparatus Returned to Southeast Side appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

Fire officials gave a first look inside Streetsboro’s new fire station, reports Record-Courier.

In 2019 voters approved a 20-year, 0.8-mill levy to fund the $5.43 million project. Nearly a year after ground broke on the project in April 2021, construction is nearly halfway finished. Designs were carefully planned to ensure the new building could be all of those things.

The first floor features two emergency bays. One is for the city’s three ambulances while the other will hold larger apparatus such as ladder trucks. The ambulances get their own area, because a majority of calls received by the fire department are for medical emergencies.

The fire station also had modern amenities like a turnout gear room. It is outfitted with special extractor to help clean gear and rid it of smoke and other carcinogens. The nearby vehicle bay will also have a diesel exhaust system to help dispel fuel fumes.

Upstairs there is a gym, two locker rooms, a laundry room, and 10 individual sleeping areas. An average shift of firefighters has at least six people.

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