SUN PRAIRIE, WI – Fire houses across the country are preparing to handle a different kind of flame in 2023. Celebration candles. 20 different fire departments are celebrating the 20^th year of having their Fire Facilities training towers in 2023.

Since 1989 Fire Facilities has manufactured all-steel training structures for fire stations and training programs. The first tower was placed in Traverse City, Michigan, more than 30 years ago. Now, in 2023, fire stations from Alaska to North Carolina are celebrating two decades of hard work and service with their Fire Facilities training towers.

“The Lieutenant is very durable and has withstood our abuse in training for the past 20 years,” says Fire Chief Greg Ray, with the Ashland Fire Department in Ashland, Kentucky. “The tower has been very beneficial to our overall training. We’ve incorporated it into a multitude of training scenarios. The structure has held up pretty good over the years and we haven’t had any major repairs we need to address.”

The Lieutenant is a 34-foot tall training building with a burn room annex. Atop the four-story fire training building is a parapet roof guard with a chain opening for easy rappelling and roof exercises. Other locations with The Lieutenant training facilities marking their 20^th anniversary in 2023 include North River Fire District in Palmetto, Florida; Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Jacksonville Fire Department in North Carolina; Wellsville Fire Department in New York; Jasper Fire Department in Indiana; Maysville Public Works in Kentucky; and, Palominas Fire Department in Hereford, Arizona.

U. S. Air Force bases obtaining The Lieutenant in 2003 for training include McChord Air Force Base in Washington; Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota; Creech Air Force Base Fire Department in Indian Springs, Nevada; Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland; and, Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

Celebrating in Connecticut

For the historic town of Glastonbury, Connecticut, this is a double anniversary year. The town was incorporated in 1693, so this is its 330-year anniversary. It’s also the 20^th anniversary of the town’s Assistant Fire Chief training tower. This four-story structure includes a burn room annex, residential section and fire training tower.

“We use the building about 25 times a year,” says Fire Chief Michael Thurz with the Glastonbury Fire Department. “It’s an important aspect of our overall training program because we are limited in doing the required training on your typical commercial or residential building.

“In addition to live fire, we use the building for laddering, search and rescue, and standpipe evolutions. This structure allows my department to stay in town for annual live burns. Overall I’ve been satisfied with the tower.

“If someone is looking to get a Fire Facilities structure, my advice is to design a building tha

Police are at the scene of a collision at @SeattleFire Station 10. A driver traveling down South Washington Street experienced a brake malfunction and crashed into the station doors. No major injuries. Please be sure your vehicle is safe for the road before beginning your trip! pic.twitter.com/xV5fAADhCh

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) January 23, 2023

A driver was heading down South Washington Street Monday when their brakes started acting up, KIRO7 reported. Unable to stop, they crashed into the doors of Seattle Fire Station 10, the Seattle Police Department said.

An Albuquerque Fire Rescue engine struck and killed a pedestrian who was crossing a dark section of road outside a crosswalk on University near Lomas at about 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to police, abqjournal.com reported.

Police believe the crash was due to pedestrian error, and don’t believe alcohol was a factor, according to an Albuquerque Police spokesman, the report said.

The AFR vehicle, which was on its way with lights and sirens to a structure fire, was headed north on University from Lomas, according to the report.

The pedestrian — who has not been identified — was wearing dark clothes and “looking down” while crossing from the west to the east side of the road, the news release said, citing video footage reviewed at the scene, the report said.

The investigation is ongoing and speed evaluations are being conducted. No charges are currently pending, the news release said.

Apparatus ideas BOB VACCARO

As the price of new fire apparatus has begun to skyrocket across the United States no matter what manufacturer you purchase from, a large number of fire departments have looked into refurbishing existing apparatus.

Depending on your budget, the fire apparatus refurbishment process may involve removing the compartment body of the fire apparatus from the chassis after inspecting for rust and then mounting it to a new cab and chassis. In the case of the Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department (LSFD), it also involved removing a rescue crane from the chassis. The body is fitted to a new chassis and upgrades are made to the wiring, lighting, and almost all other components of the fire apparatus.

Before the whole process begins, departments need to investigate the costs to determine if all the necessary work is feasible and how much time will be gain in longevity by refurbishing an existing piece of apparatus.

The LSFD currently operates as a private fire company, governed by the LSFD board of directors that contracts fire and EMS services to Loveland and Symmes Township as well as Miami Township. It operates four fire stations (two in Loveland and two in Symmes Township) that are staffed with firefighters and paramedics 24/7 year-round. It provides protection for 28,000 residents in all three areas mentioned. The area is 15 miles north of the city of Cincinnati and has several major highways, numerous schools, strip shopping areas, and a downtown historic district in its response area.

LSFD Captain Mitch Caito was given the task of designing a new rescue apparatus. “The price of designing a brand-new rescue apparatus was just too overwhelming for our department as far as the cost involved at the time we looked into the process,” Caito says. “We really thought we could get more for our money by choosing to go with a refurb of our existing vehicle, which was still in relatively good condition.”

• Repair-Replace-Refurbish Options Require Complete Analysis
• Refurbishing Remains a Viable Option