The Gholson Volunteer Fire Department has added a new rescue/small brush truck to their fleet thanks to a $45,000 grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

“This new truck will be one of our first-out for wildland fires and rescue situations,” said Gholson VFD Fire Chief Mitch Vaughn. “The truck was made ready for service by adding a slip-on unit with a 300-gallon water tank and is also equipped with extrication tools that will be very helpful when responding to vehicle accidents on the busy Farm-to-Market Road 933.”

According to Vaughn the department has been saving funds a long time for this truck and is pleased to be placing it in service and retiring an unreliable, older truck. It will allow the volunteers to respond more efficiently since it can transport as many as four firefighters, making it more economical with fuel costs.

A proposed fire station closure could leave a 30-mile hole in emergency cover in West Somerset, a councillor has warned.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has opposed the closure of Porlock Fire station and any cuts to stations in Taunton, Wellington and Williton in response to proposals by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Protestors gathered in Porlock on Thursday afternoon (July 25) to demand the fire service reverse proposals to close their station, claiming it would put both tourists and elderly locals at risk.

Now their district council has called on the fire service to stop the cuts, and will be writing to Somerset's MPs asking them to lobby for further funding from central government.

The Siloam Springs Fire Department celebrated the opening of its new training tower today with a ribbon cutting and demonstrations.

The tower opened after about a year of construction and cost of about $800,000, money City Administrator Phillip Patterson said was available because of the city's residents.

Fire Chief Jeremy Criner said in 2017, the department spent $112,256 in associated construction costs and $650,000 in 2018. An extra $50,000 had to be allocated for additional soil work, Criner said.

An Horry County Fire Rescue truck and trailer was submerged at a Conway area boat landing Wednesday night and the department is “looking into the cause of this situation.”

During normal training operations, the truck and trailer used by the marine and dive team became submerged at the Reaves Ferry Boat Landing, at 5883 Old Ferry Road, the department tweeted. No injuries were reported.

It is yet to be determined if the truck, which carries dive team equipment, is a total loss, said Tony Casey, HCFR spokesperson.