Tupelo (MS) officials recently broke ground on a new fire station, according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

The city is using bond money to pay for the new station—which will replace the 64-year-old, soon-to-be-retired current station—and taxes will not increase, the report said.

The report noted that structural issues were at hand with the old station and building a new station was more cost-effective.

Ferrara—Wade Hampton Fire & Sewer District, Greenville, SC, 77-foot aerial ladder quint. Cinder cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,750-gpm pump; 500-gallon polypropylene water tank. Dealer: Safe Industries, Easley, SC.

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Fire Police Officer Laura Madara was providing
traffic control at crash scene

Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Staff

SELBYVILLE, Delaware – WBOC reports that the Selbyville Volunteer Fire Department and the community are mourning the loss of Fire Police Officer Laura Madara, killed while providing traffic control during an April 9 motor vehicle crash.

Delaware State Police say that a fire department vehicle was on Polly Branch Road with its emergency equipment activated.

The vehicle was being used for traffic control while on scene. 

Troopers tell WBOC that as the scene cleared, the driver of the truck reversed. Madara was standing behind the truck when she was struck and killed.

The Selbyville Fire Department said Madara was a fire police officer, assisting with traffic control during fire calls, and also served as President of the Ladies Auxiliary. 

The Delaware State Police are investigating this incident.

Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment:
How To Prevent Backing Accidents

By Alan M. Petrillo

The Naples Airport Authority and the City of Naples (FL) Fire-Rescue Department recently opened a new $5.8 million Naples Airport Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station/Naples Fire Station No. 3 with a hose uncoupling ceremony.

Kerry Keith, senior director of development and facilities for the Naples Airport Authority, says the new state-of-the-art facility replaces the airport’s original station built in 1989. “The old station was past its useful life,” Keith observes. “It was built at a time when we had a lot less activity and staffing needs were different, so there was sleeping quarters for only two persons, the rooms were small, and the general layout of the station was not conducive to spending 24 to 48 hours there.”

Keith notes the new station was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane to ensure continuity of service, and has a conference room with large flatscreen monitors for weather and communications information to allow it to serve an emergency operations center (EOC) to assist with Collier County response efforts. Besides the conference room, the station has three dorm rooms for firefighters, unisex bathrooms, a chief’s office and bedroom, a large exercise room that could be converted to a bunk room in an emergency, a kitchen/dining/day room area, and a patio with a barbeque grill off the kitchen.