The Irving (TX) Fire Department has settled into its new $3.7 million Station 4 at 800 Metker St., which aims to improve response times better house modern equipment, reports DallasNews.com.

Irving considered remodeling and adding on to the old station—on MacArthur Boulevard and built in 1960—but the upgrade costs didn’t make financial sense. The city paid for the station with voter-approved bond funds.

The new digs will house one engine and one ambulance, with about five personnel on every shift. Residents are invited to tour the new station Friday, beginning at 10 a.m.

New Fire Station 4 will have an open house at 10:00 A.M. on June 18th! As a reminder, the address of the new station is 800 Metker Road. pic.twitter.com/bG8HNCCcX9

— Irving Fire Dept (@Irving_Fire) May 25, 2021

H.O. Bostrom, a leading designer and manufacturer of seating solutions for vehicles and equipment, announced the addition of Ryan Rollins as Northwest Regional Sales Manager. Ryan has been in the fire industry for over 15 years and has worked for a major component manufacture and a major OEM.

“Ryan is a welcome addition to our team and we believe he will be an asset as we continue to grow our market share in seating for Fire, EMS, Marine and Specialty vehicles,” said Ron Truhler, Vice President of Sales for H.O. Bostrom.

 About H.O. Bostrom

Founded in 1946, H.O. Bostrom, Inc. celebrating its 75^th year in business. Bostrom is a leading provider of seating solutions in industries such as fire (FireFighter™ brand), marine (SeaPost™ brand), construction, transportation, military and other specialty markets. Headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in the greater Milwaukee area, H.O. Bostrom offers complete design, engineering, fabrication, and assembly of seating systems and components. Customers benefit from convenient single sourcing for all their seating system needs in the US. The company currently supplies products to customers in over 70 countries spanning five continents and maintains ISO 9001 certification.

Longtime Washington County (ME) firefighter Richard Zielinski was hit by a pickup truck on June 8 and broke his leg and wrist, reports BangorDailyNews.com.

Zielinski, 75, was handling traffic control for the Wesley Volunteer Fire Department on Route 9 by the site of a tractor-trailer fire when he was struck around 8:45 p.m. Zielinski, who’s served the community for more than 30 years, is recovering from his injuries—which are not considered life-threatening—at a Bangor hospital. A benefit dinner in his honor on July 2 at 5:30 p.m. has been announced.

The driver was traveling east at about the speed limit—55 mph—when they came around a long curve and had about 1,000 feet of visibility to where Zielinski stood, officials say. The driver didn’t see Zielinski until he was about 100 feet away, which was too late.

Maine State Police are investigating the collision, but no charges are expected because the driver wasn’t speeding.

“Tuesday evening started off typical with a vehicle on fire, but the night didn’t end that way,” the department wrote on Facebook. “It is no secret that we had a fire fighter get injured in a serious event away from the burned vehicle, but we were able to work through things with the help of our fellow agencies. Thank you’s need to be given to the Washington County RCC, Alexander Fire Department, Calais Fire-EMS, Downeast EMS, Lifeflight of Maine, Maine State Police, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. We plan to announce more information soon about how the community can assist us with support for our fellow fire fighter.”

The Athol (New Zealand) Volunteer Fire Brigade has recently settled into its new $1.6 million headquarters in northern Southland, reports stuff.co.nz. Since its opening earlier this month, three people have contacted the department about becoming volunteers.

The government contributed $1.4 million via its Shovel Ready Projects fund, while the remaining $200,000 was provided by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

The old station was a basic, two-bay building that had heating installed just three years ago. The new digs is nearly four times its size—from about 861 square feet to almost 3,423 square feet.

The new station’s features include a heated locker room, showers, toilets, kitchen, office, and an area for use as a common, meeting, or training room. A generator has been installed to keep the building operating in the event of electricity being cut in the town.

The station’s official opening will be in August.