According to a report from Johnson City Press, Johnson City (TN) Fire Department (JCFD) Interim Chief David Bell says the department will move forward with plans to construct a new training facility with the hopes that Washington County will help with funding needed to build the facility.

Bell says that he’s requested a capital budget from the city for $450,000. The county agencies would have access to the training ground to conduct classroom and live action hands-on experience at the range of training stations that will be on the site.

For Washington County residents, if volunteer departments can access the facility, it could lower their departments’ ISO ratings, which will offer residents a lower homeowners insurance cost.

The four-acre plot of land behind Station 7 on West Walnut Street is owned by Johnson City and has acted as a training facility in the past. Access to the property is on Carter Sells Road.

Bell said the project will forge ahead regardless of county monies, but he hopes the county will help.

Bell didn’t state how much money he wanted from the county, but Johnson City lost $100,000 per year in funding from the county starting in 2012 because the money was going to the city’s general fund rather than directly to the JCFD’s budget.

The Washington County/Johnson City Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is also on board with the facility, but not the monetary support. The EMA would be directly involved because of state law, which says that the agency provides training for emergency responders.

Bell stressed to the committee that, with the county’s support, the facility could be a premier location for fire training.

The post Johnson City (TN) Wants County Aid for New Fire Training Facility appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

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.

The post Falmouth (MA) Fire/Rescue Receives New Ladder and Rescue Truck appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

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.