SVI TRUCKS—Poudre Fire Authority, Fort Collins, CO, heavy rescue. Spartan Gladiator LFD cab and chassis; Cummins X15 600-hp engine; 26-foot walk-in rescue body with cab and rear access; Warn Zeon 8,000-pound 12 VDC electric winch; OnScene Solutions LED compartment lighting; SlideMaster structural steel slideout trays. Dealer: SVI Trucks, Fort Collins, CO..

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According to a report from WCSC, the St. Andrews Public Safety Department (SAPSD) in Charleston, South Carolina, is seeking more than $8.3 million from Charleston County to upgrade facilities and equipment, arguing that its structures are outdated to the point where anew construction is now a necessity and, if not done, fiscally irresponsible.

Fire Station No. 3 in West Ashley is more than 50 years old now, so the SAPSD says it hopes to build a new facility at the Church Creek Plaza, which is across the street on Old Parsonage Road.

SAPSD District Manager Christie Holderness said the new fire station would have an additional bay for an engine, living quarters for firefighters, and more. The Fleet Maintenance Facility, which holds all of the district’s 40 fleet vehicles such as fire apparatus and garbage trucks, is also approximately 50 years old.

Holderness says the SAPSD wants to knock down the current facility and rebuild a new one to include much needed space for service and maintenance for the district’s 40 fleet vehicles, as well as serve the 20 employees of the Environmental Service Department.

Holderness says the SAPSD hopes to break ground on the Fleet Maintenance Facility sometime in 2021.

The post Charleston (SC) Public Safety Department Seeks Funds for New Fire Station appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

According to a report from Newmarket Today, Central York Fire Services (CYFS) in Newmarket (Ontario, Canada) will now use the state-of-the-art SAM system to operate its new fire truck’s pump system, which is usually a complicated manual process.

This technology has been in use by fire departments in the United States for several years. After learning that CYFS was receiving a new fire truck, the system’s manufacturer offered the CYFS a discount as a way to break into the Canadian market.

CYFS Captain Andrew Burdette said that, with the SAM system, a member will pull up and engage the pump, and by the he steps out of the apparatus, it’s already flowing water.

The SAM operates the truck’s fire pump system, which takes water from a hydrant and feeds it into the hoses at the required pressure. Operating the pump is a complicated task that requires special training. CYFS Deputy Chief Claude Duval said having the SAM system in place is like having “a second set of hands,” which will improve safety for firefighters.

Duval explained that the system can detect a critical failure or a problem in the water supply before even a well-trained pump operator would have time to react, determine if there is a critical failure, and then take the steps necessary to fix it.

A tablet computer mounted on the truck’s interior controls the system. What once required opening and closing valves manually to “bleed off” air and charge individual hoses can now be done with a few taps and swipes of the screen.

The pump operator can also take the tablet out of the engine and make adjustments to the water flow from up to 30 meters away.

The SAM system came installed in the fire department’s new truck that was delivered two weeks ago. Firefighters have been training on the new system, and it is expected to go into service shortly. 

The post Fire Department is Canada’s First to Adopt New Smart Technology into Its Fleet appeared first on Fire Apparatus.