SAM MCLAUGHLIN
The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff
(TNS)

The Mormon Lake Fire District has taken delivery of a new 600-gallon “Mini Pumper” truck to improve its firefighting abilities in and around the community.

The vehicle was manufactured by Iturri, a company specializing in firefighting apparatus, and procured through Fire Truck Solutions. Funding for the purchase came from Arizona’s 2023 Senate Bill 1720, distributed by the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

“We are incredibly grateful for the funding made available through SB 1720,” Chief Shawn Western said in a press release. “This Mini Pumper will significantly improve our response capabilities, allowing us to better protect lives, property and the natural environment in our district.”

The release called the Iturri Mini Pumper “particularly well-suited to the rugged terrain and remote access challenges faced by the district.”

The vehicle combines “the power of a Type 1 pumper with the agility of a Type 3 wildland apparatus,” the fire district stated.

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Type 1 engines are the archetypal fire trucks seen in urban areas across the U.S., providing a minimum of 1,000 gallons per minute of pumping capacity. Type 3 engines are four-wheel-drive, offroad-capable trucks capable of carrying both crew and hundreds of gallons of water, commonly used by wildland fire crews. The Iturri Mini Pumper features a 4×4 chassis and a crew cab, and it also carries a water pump capable of delivering up to 1,250 gallons per minute (when connected to a sufficient water supply).

“This investment is not just in equipment, but in the safety and resilience of our community,” Western said. “We thank our state legislators and the governor for recognizing the unique needs of rural fire districts like ours.”

More information about the Mormon Lake Fire District is available at mormonlakefire.com.

© 2025 The Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Ariz.). Visit www.azdailysun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The city of Pocatello (ID) announced the arrival of a brand-new aerial apparatus to the Pocatello Fire Department, the city said in a press release. The new apparatus will enhance the department’s ability to respond to emergencies and protect the community.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, crews welcomed Truck 1, a tractor-drawn aerial, also known as a tiller, to the department’s fleet.

Truck 1 features a 107-foot aerial ladder, updated technology, and enhanced maneuverability provided by its tiller steering system. The tiller has a separate cab and steering wheel with a driver in the back. Unlike standard ladder trucks, the aerial tiller allows for greater precision in navigating tight city streets, alleys, and challenging rural roads.

“This is more than just a fire truck, it’s an investment in safety, efficiency, and the future of our department,” said Chief Ryan O’Hearn. “The tiller truck expands our operational capabilities and ensures our firefighters have the best tools available to protect lives and property.”

Truck 1 will replace the 23-year-old Tower truck that has served the department since 2000. Over the coming weeks firefighters will be undergoing specialized training to ensure they are fully prepared to operate the new apparatus safely and efficiently. Truck 1 was approved by city council and ordered in 2022 for $1.8 million.

The city of Pocatello continues to invest in modernizing equipment and strengthening emergency response. The acquisition reflects the city’s continued commitment to public safety.

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R. Christian Smith
Chicago Tribune
(TNS)

The city of Aurora is looking to finish construction of a new well at Fire Station 10 with the purchase of a new pump and motor.

The new well located at 2390 W. Illinois Ave. is set to replace one that collapsed in 2022, bringing the city’s water production division back up to 18 wells in total, according to Superintendent of Water Production Bob Leible. Construction is currently in its second of three phases, and the Aurora City Council could soon consider a contract for the third phase with a cost of around $178,000.

“This is a big engineering project,” Leible said.

Aurora collects water from wells and the Fox River, which then goes through the city’s water treatment plant before being piped out to users like businesses and homes. Although it changes day to day, wells provide on average about 40% of the city’s water while the rest comes from the river, Leible said.

He presented city staff’s proposed contract for phase three of construction, which includes the installation of the new well’s pump and motor, to the Aurora City Council’s Infrastructure and Technology Committee on Sept. 22. That committee unanimously voted in favor of the contract with Water Well Solutions of Elburn, so it will now go before the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday before heading to City Council for final approval.

The new well, called Well 105 in city documents, is a shallow well cut into bedrock, Leible told The Beacon-News. The well that previously collapsed, which is why a new well is being built, was also shallow but was a sand and gravel well, he said.

The city is set to once again have six shallow wells once this new one is finished in 2026, according to Leible. He said Aurora also has 12 deep wells.

Phase one of construction was the actual drilling of the well, which ended up costing around $500,000, though the Aurora City Council approved up to roughly $712,000 for the work, Leible said.

With that borehole about 200 feet deep into limestone, phase two began, he said.

This part of the process, which is still happening, has seen the construction of underground “site improvements” like piping, valves and the like, according to Leible. He said all of that needs to be put in new because the site has never held a well before.

The Aurora City Council previously approved a contract of up to $963,000 for phase two of construction, Leible said.

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If the newly-proposed phase three contract is approved by City Council at an upcoming meeting, the equipment to be purchased still won’t come in for another 22 weeks, he said.

In addition to the equipment purchase, the proposed contract also includes the

Brendan Nordstrom
Baltimore Sun
(TNS)

The deputy chief of Reese & Community Volunteer Fire Company in Westminster has been “operationally suspended” after a July incident in Montgomery County that led to criminal charges against him, Chief Michael Robinson of the Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services confirmed Thursday.

Alan Barnes, 44, has been charged with intentionally flooding a Silver Spring baseball field along with another firefighter while Barnes was acting in his role as a Montgomery County master firefighter. Police said the two flooded the field in retaliation for a baseball hitting fire department property, according to charging documents.

“The suspension is consistent with his current employment status within Montgomery County Fire & Rescue,” Robinson wrote to The Carroll County Times, adding that he conducted a briefing with the volunteer fire company in Westminster and the company supported his actions.

Barnes can be reinstated to his position with Carroll County after the case is resolved and he is reinstated by Montgomery County, Robinson wrote.

The Reese Volunteer Fire Co. said in an email that they were aware of the situation and declined to comment further due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Barnes and Fire Capt. Christopher Reilly are charged with malicious destruction of property over $1,000, conspiracy and disorderly conduct in connection to the July 17 incident.

Richard Finci, a lawyer representing Barnes in the case, said his client simply parked the fire truck while Reilly sprayed the water. He said Barnes went back to the station and came back out to find Reilly spraying the field —a claim that contradicts the charging documents.

Charging documents state that a video from the Montgomery County Fire Department shows Barnes reversing the fire truck into the parking lot and removing the hose. Reilly then aimed the hose toward the baseball field before Barnes appeared to hook the hose up to an object believed to be a fire hydrant. Reilly activated the hose while Barnes stood beside the truck.

The firefighters allegedly sprayed gallons of water into the outfield at 5:35 p.m., rendering the field unplayable for the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League game scheduled for 7 p.m. that night. The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts were forced to cancel the game due to a “pond in center,” according to a social media post from the team.

In the charging documents, Thunderbolts founder Richard O’Connor told police: “We lost substantial income due to the cancellation of the game and the disruption to our end-of-season league schedule.” The charging documents say patrons who purchased tickets for the game received refunds.

When reached by The Carroll County Times, O’Connor declined to comment due to the pending charges.

The firefighters sprayed the water for about three minutes before O’Connor and a Thunderbolts coach approached them. Reilly then admitted to flooding the field and told O’Connor he did it “to get your attention,” according to charging documents.

The incident follows a yearslong plea by O’Connor for raised nets on the field after balls repeatedly hit fire department property, which is located beyond the left field fence, Finci said.

Reilly admitted to the flooding and said he was driven by frustration, according to charging documents.

Barnes is slated for trial on Nov. four in Montgomery County District Court.

“My client is a family man and he is a volunteer firefighter in his home community,” Finci said. “This is a professional first responder.”

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