The St. Lucie County Fire District has welcomed a new fire apparatus, reports CBS 12.

The station put Engine 1 into service with a traditional “push-in” ceremony in Fort Pierce.

Chaplain Tommy Neiman, a retired lieutenant, presided over the ceremony.

The Martinsville Fire Department’s 1948 fire station has had a major indoor renovation, reports Martinsville Bulletin.

A roof leak had caused damage. Once the roof leak was repaired, the walls could be fixed. Removing all the plaster that had covered the brick was a difficult job.

The group also installed dimming lights and ceiling fans, sealed the brick and painted the rest of the room.

Honor guard axes and old helmets the department had collected over the years were hung on the brick wall.

New Hanover County Fire Rescue has rededicated a fire station that was damaged by Hurricane Florence, reports WECT 6.

The fire department posted to Facebook, “The station was badly damaged after Hurricane Florence, and today we are celebrating the completion of repairs and renovations that have made the station even stronger and better equipped for our fire rescue staff to serve and protect this critical industrial corridor.”

NHCFR crews operated out of an old fire station located on the site of the Stepan Plant. This allowed NHCFR to continue providing important fire protection and safety.

By Alan M. Petrillo

W.S. Darley & Co. has built four custom pumpers designed to ford high water conditions for Sheldon (TX) Fire & Rescue, a fire district in Harris County to the east of Houston.

Roland Balderas, Sheldon’s assistant chief administrator, says Sheldon has been using Darley apparatus, pumps and other equipment for a number of years, so when the department decided to replace several engines, it turned to Darley to get the rigs it wanted built. “We consulted several manufacturers, and one of them quoted a two-year build time to get what we wanted,” says Balderas, “but Darley told us they could get it done right away.” Balderas notes that the area has a history of bad hurricanes and tropical storms with localized flooding conditions. “In 2017 during Hurricane Harvey, the area got 60 inches of rain and we saw water up to our bays at Station 1,” he observes.

Sheldon’s truck committee went to Darley and specked four identical pumpers that could be driven through moderate flood waters. Neal Brooks, Darley’s national sales manager for the apparatus division, says Sheldon had been using a refurbished military 6×6 truck to rescue people from flooded areas, but wanted a high-water transit ability for its front-line engines. “This is a forward-looking fire department that wanted to get things set for the next flooding emergency where they might need to go through standing water,” Brooks points out. He notes that the challenges Darley faced include moving the air intake for the engine, relocating the exhaust system, and waterproofing all electrical components.

“We moved the engine air intake to slightly below the level of the windshield,” Brooks says. “With the exhaust system, we went with a vertical exhaust that has a special containment device between the cab and the pump module to shed heat from the exhaust pipe. And we waterproofed all the vehicle’s electrical components. Even the fuel tank vents had to be raised to prevent water contamination. Now, if they have an emergency where they need to go through standing water, they can do it, as long as the water doesn’t exceed the height of the top of the rim of the tires.”

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