Stephen Hagan
Gloucester Daily Times, Mass.
(TNS)

Feb. 11—MANCHESTER — Residents may be taking a second look at a fire truck responding to calls in Manchester during the next several days.

It won’t be sporting the logo of the Manchester Fire Department. What people will see is a fire engine more at home in Lynnfield.

After responding to a devastating fire in Essex on late Feb. 3, the Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department lost use of its front-line pumper, Engine 1.

The Manchester fire truck was damaged by the extreme cold weather while in use fighting that blaze, according to postings Thursday on Facebook by the department and Manchester By The Sea Firefighter’s Local 2912. Fire officials reported the temperature hit minus 17 degrees during the fire.

While the fire that destroyed their house at 75R Wood Drive, next to Chebacco Lake, left homeowners Erik Doyon and Kristen Coughlin and their children Colby, Brooke, Aliyah, Liam and Kyla homeless, no injuries were reported.

But the Manchester fire truck reportedly suffered serious damage to its pump and internal piping because of the extreme cold.

“The truck is now temporarily out of service awaiting parts,” said the department’s Facebook posting.

Queue the Lynnfield Fire Department.

“Thanks to the generosity of Lynnfield Fire Chief Glen Davis and his department, we are able to borrow their spare pumper, Engine 3, to use while our truck is repaired,” the department’s Facebook posting continued.

Manchester’s Engine 1 is a 2001 pumper, with a 20-year life span, according to Manchester-by-the-Sea fire Chief Jason Cleary. He said the vehicle is capable of pumping 1,500 gallons of water a minute.

Cleary said the vehicle’s problems began when a number of internal parts broke, which led to damage to the pumper’s transmission.

He predicted repairs to be made by Tuesday or Wednesday. Cleary said he has already informed the Manchester Select Board and Finance Committee about the situation.

“We certainly have (Lynnfield Fire Chief Glen Davis) to thank for letting us borrow their truck,” said Cleary. “It’s the benefit of the mutual-aid relationship.”

While he said the cost of repairs still need to be determined, Cleary estimated they will run between $5,000 and $7,500.

“That could be low or that could be high,” he said.

At least three trucks dispatched to the Essex fire in mutual aid last weekend were damaged, Cleary said.

In addition to the damaged engine, Manchester By The Sea Firefighter’s Local 2912, says the department’s Ladder 2 has been out of service since September and is unable to pass state inspection.

“This means that the only fire apparatus that is in service is Squad 3, a ‘mini pumper’ that lacks the capabilities of a full size and adequately equipped fire truck,” the local said. “The squad is only able to support other apparatus on scene, not function independently as a standard fire truck would. Thankfully Lynnfield Fire was able to loan us their spare Engine 3, without their help our department would be completely reliant on other towns to respond with their equipment for all of our fire calls.”

Making it work

Lynnfield Deputy Fire Chief Jim Wallace said loaning the departme

The city of Newcastle and Guernsey, a design, architecture, and consulting firm in Oklahoma, gathered in an empty field Feb. 6 to kick off the start of construction on Newcastle Fire Station No. 1, City-Sentinel.com reported.

The new facility is designed to provide a higher level of functionality and efficiency for the fire department and will replace the current facility. Fire Station No. 1 is the first phase of a multiyear plan designed to modernize the city of Newcastle, the report said.

The Guernsey team has been working with city officials on this project and others for the last 18 months.

Recognizing the critical need for top-of-the-line facilities to assist Newcastle’s first responders with their day-to-day operations, the new Fire Station No. 1 will include an ICC 500 saferoom and Decontamination Room for proper wash downs with extractors to clean Bunker Gear vital to personnel, according to the report.

Additional features include a state-of-the-art kitchen and fitness room, individual sleeping quarters for up to 10 personnel and a training classroom capable of accommodating up to 25 students for continuing education as needed, the report said.

According to a release sent to The City Sentinel, “The new facility offers all the comforts of a home environment with the commodities of new technology for the firefighters to perform their work and to accommodate future technologies and processes for first responders.

“In addition, the facility also houses spaces to address continuing education, like a study room and a training room, and areas for the firefighters’ health and welfare, including a state-of-the-art kitchen and fitness room.”

By Ron Heal

A rural town of 6,000 people in Chillicothe (IL) decided last year to donate one of its fire engines to Ukraine. It arrived in January 2023 in Mykolaiv, making it the first American fire engine in the war-torn country.

A fire engine from just up the road from Peoria (IL) going to Ukraine? Yes! How did that happen?

For the donation from Chillicothe, everything started with a question from seven-year-old Lily Manson, daughter of Chris Manson. Chris is Vice President, Governmental Relations, OSF HealthCare System, in Peoria. Early last spring while watching the evening news, Lily asked what could their family do for the people of Ukraine. That question got Chris thinking and he founded US Ambulances to Ukraine in March 2022.

Its mission was to solicit the donation of ambulances and medical supplies from providers, hospitals, and fire and ambulance services. The key component is that the vehicles must be donated. This “crazy idea” has been embraced by most that have been asked to help. As of January the group has delivered 28 ambulances and one fire engine to Ukraine.

The pumper fire engine, donated in the summer and fall of 2022 by the Chillicothe Community Fire Protection District, is a 1996 Spartan/Ferrara 1,250-gpm pumper with 1,000-gallon water tank.

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