According to a report from KIMA, Yakima (WA) Fire Department (YFD) leaders are once again calling on the city council to purchase replacements vehicles for their aging truck fleet.

The calls go back to December 2020, when YFD chiefs discussed that upgrades were sorely needed to the truck fleet. Today, those issues remain, there have been no plans made for ordering new trucks, and the YFD is still using reserve rigs.

YFD Deputy Chief Jeremy Rodriguez said the department must continue to use the old apparatus to the best of their abilities. However, mechanical problems are plaguing the reserve trucks, which is also costing the city money.

According to their most recent annual fire report, the town spent nearly $200,000 repairing and maintaining the current fleet.

Yakima Finance Director Steve Groom mentioned historically low-interest rates for financing, creating a safety equipment savings account that could create enough funds for once-a-decade purchases as well as raising taxes.

However, repair bills are stacking up, and the lack of available resources continue to ail the YFD.

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According to a report from The Wetumpka Herald, the Eclectic Town Council has purchased a lightly-used 1997 engine for the Eclectic (AL) Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) for $35,000. EVFD Chief Josh Dorminey said the vehicle is “like new” and has fewer road miles than the department’s newest vehicle.

Dorminey said the EVFD hopes to have the engine in service within a week. Once in operation, the department plans to welcome it with a ceremonial “push-in” ceremony. It will replace a 1978 pumper truck that the department has been using as reserve.

The 1978 pumper truck was recently experiencing mechanical issues, and so it was more cost effective to get a new truck rather than fixing the current vehicle. The EVFD plans to sell the 1978 pumper.

The department also has a 2009 pumper truck, a 2009 rescue truck, a 2014 ambulance, and a 1998 ladder truck.

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According to a report from Cayman Compass, a new Oshkosh Striker fire truck was delivered to Cayman Brac on Saturday aboard a barge and was received by Divisional Officer Witney Tatum and other firemen. The truck was the third Striker added to the Cayman Islands Fire Service (CIFS) fleet in 2020.

Sister Islands MPs Moses Kirkconnell and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly were on hand for the delivery.

The trucks are part of the ongoing modernization of fire-and-rescue vehicles and equipment for the CIFS and improve the safety of passengers and crew at Owen Roberts International Airport and Charles Kirkconnell International Airport.

In December, the CIFS replaced and expanded its domestic firefighting fleet with seven new vehicles—three tankers and four rapid intervention vehicles.

The three tankers cost $632,734 each, while the four rapid intervention vehicles each cost $271,711. The old tankers were replaced after being in service from 13 to 15 years.

Another tanker will also be ordered for the Brac this year, according to a government statement issued in December.

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Fairhope firefighters pushed in a new engine during the dedication ceremony, reports GulfCoastNewsToday.com.

The fire department posted to Facebook, “Today we placed Engine 1 into service by conducting a Wash Down/Push In Ceremony. This ceremony dates back the 1800’s when horses would pull the fire apparatus to the fires. When they returned to the fire stations the horses were unhooked and the firefighters washed the apparatus and then pushed it into the station ready for the next alarm. Today it’s a way for us to honor those firefighters that came before us. Among our special guests were Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan, and Council President Jack Burrell. Thank you and the City of Fairhope for your continued support. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend today. Thank you to our truck committee for designing a truck to meet the needs of the community. Thank you to E-One and Sunbelt Fire Apparatus for making this truck a reality.”

The new engine cost $517,000 and the fire department funded the purchase through a combination of city funding and community support.

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