Taylor Heeden
The Daily Democrat, Woodland, Calif.
(TNS)

The Woodland Fire Department is grappling with significant challenges related to aging fire apparatus and ongoing supply chain disruptions.

Due to the pandemic’s aftereffects, fire apparatus manufacturers are experiencing substantial delays, leaving fire departments nationwide, including Woodland’s, with aging front-line and reserve apparatus remaining in service far beyond their expected lifespans.

“This is a significant challenge for all fire departments, but it’s especially pronounced for us here in Woodland,” said Fire Chief Eric Zane. “Our ability to maintain and operate reliable apparatus is essential for ensuring public safety.”

Woodland Fire Department usually sources from Westates Fire Apparatus, a local manufacturer. However, Westates ceased operations several years ago, complicating the process of sourcing replacement parts for the department’s reserve apparatus, some of which are over 20 years old.

This has resulted in increased out-of-service times and the need for frequent repairs, creating a severe logistical problem for the department, according to a release from the city of Woodland.

In recent months, the Fire Department has been forced to borrow fire engines from neighboring jurisdictions to maintain adequate coverage within the city.

Notably, the department has recently taken possession of a reserve engine from the city of Davis. While this engine is similarly aged, its manufacturer remains operational, making parts more readily available and reducing out-of-service issues.

“We are grateful for the support and partnership with neighboring fire departments like the city of Davis, especially as they have recently upgraded their fleet with two new engines and a ladder truck,” Zane said. “This collaborative effort helps us bridge the gap during these challenging times.”

The current predicament prompted a review of the department’s apparatus replacement policy, which has called for a 10-year service life for front-line apparatus and a 10-year reserve period, totaling a 20-year lifespan.

Zane noted this policy, while effective in the past, is now under strain due to increasing call volume and operational demands.

“Our call volume has doubled over the past decade, meaning our apparatus is experiencing twice the wear and tear,” Zane explained. “Responding to calls with larger, older fire engines, especially when our crews are constantly on the move, poses a risk. A smaller unit would require frequent returns to the station to retrieve the appropriate apparatus in critical situations, potentially delaying response times.”

To address these challenges, the department will pilot a new strategy by placing a two-person squad into service to handle lower-acuity calls within Woodland.

This initiative aims to reduce the wear and tear on the primary fire engines and ladder trucks while evaluating the potential for extending their service life.

“Ultimately, addressing these issues will require additional funding,” Zane concluded. “Reducing the life cycle of our apparatus and staffing a smaller unit full-time will necessitate budget increases. As we continue to respond to a growing number of calls—9,000 in 2023 alone—securing the necessary resources will be crucial for maintaining our operational effectiveness and public safety.”

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(c)2024 The Daily Democrat, Woodland, Calif.

Visit The Daily Democrat, Woodland, Calif. at https://www.dailydemocrat.com/

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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PRESS RELEASE

Apparatus Issues Pose Challenges for Woodland Fire Department

PRESS RELEASE

The Notre Dame Fire Department recently acquired a new fire engine, and members of the Notre Dame community turned out for a “push-in”—a bit of fire service custom and culture, with a dash of pageantry surrounding the occasion, ndworks.nd.edu reported.

The new engine—an HME Ahrens-Fox urban attack pumper, number 1141—was the centerpiece of a tradition dating back more than 200 years, to a time when fire trucks were no more than horse-drawn carts. As horse anatomy and physics would have it, horses could pull a cart, but pushing a cart back into a bay was something just not doable by the four-legged fire service animals. So, firefighters unhitched the horses and then pushed the cart back into the bay.

Today, that “cart” is 27 feet long, seats four members in the cab, and carries equipment such as vent fans, electric saws, a fire blanket for battery fires, and five types of fire extinguishers, according to NDFD Assistant Chief Tim Hoeppner.

The new engine, which replaces the oldest engine in NDFD’s fleet of three, features a shorter wheelbase and tighter turning radius, “which makes it much easier to navigate on campus,” Hoeppner said.

“Fire departments are based on a lot of culture, from the helmets we wear to the trucks we drive. And today’s ceremony, known as a push-in, is designed to help us remember those that served before us,” Fire Chief Bruce Harrison said to a bay full of well-wishers.

As attendees gathered just outside the fire department bay prior to the push-in, Rev. Brian Ching, C.S.C., rector of the Basilica, shared a few words before blessing the engine.

“Even with all the skill and talent in the world, there’s an element of danger each and every day. So we have long asked God’s protection on you and God’s protection on your equipment,” Father Ching said. “In fact, the blessing that I’m about to use was first written by the Church in 1912, specifically to bless fire trucks. And we updated the language just a little bit. But know that this blessing goes back a long time because we are grateful for the sacrifice and service that you all provide. And we certainly want to ask God’s protection on all of you.”

About 20 firefighters took part in the pushing-in of the engine—after it was hosed down, another part of the nostalgia of welcoming in a new engine. The transferring of water from the old fire engine to the new engine signifies the transferring of service and responsibilities, Hoeppner said.

The ceremony was well attended by firefighters both active and retired, as well as many other members of the ND community. Mike Seamon, vice president for University Operations, Events, and Safety, was also in attendance. NDWorks caught up with him immediately after the push-in.

“I had chills. You instantly think of everybody who’s come before us, for decades and decades—literally hundreds of years of people that came before us, regardless of what their equipment looked like. There’s just such a sense of gratitude and humility to be able to serve the University community this way. It’s just really emotional. It is beautiful. It is a true blessing.”

Jeff Edelstein
The Trentonian, Trenton, N.J.
(TNS)

Oct. 12—EWING — Mercer County officials broke ground this past week on a new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) facility at Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN).

County Executive Dan Benson, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, labor leaders, and elected officials from Mercer County attended the ceremony.

“Today’s ground-breaking is an important milestone in the first year of my administration,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “When I ran for this office, I pledged to see the Terminal Replacement Project through to completion and build it with union labor. The new firehouse is the first step towards realizing Trenton-Mercer Airport’s potential as a transportation and economic hub.”

The facility will replace the existing airport firehouse and marks the beginning of the larger Trenton-Mercer Airport Terminal Replacement Project. It will house both the Trenton-Mercer Airport Fire Department and the Ewing Township Fire Department under a shared services agreement.

“This moment marks an important step forward not just for the airport, but for our entire community,” Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said, “It’s a reflection of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that the people of New Jersey have access to the best infrastructure, public safety, and job opportunities possible.”

The new two-floor, 20,000-square-foot building will include training areas, equipment storage, medical decontamination rooms, workshops, and a conference room. It is designed to be energy efficient and includes a stormwater system to reduce runoff.

The Terminal Replacement Project will be Mercer County’s largest public works project in over 50 years. It will use local union labor under a Project Labor Agreement (PLA).

“This project is a tremendous win for working families here in Mercer County,” Wayne DeAngelo, President of the Mercer County Building Trades Council, said. “When we build with union labor, the job is done safely, on-time, and under budget.”

Ewing Mayor Bert H. Steinmann and Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora expressed support for the project, highlighting its importance for community safety and regional transportation.

The facility was designed by DY Consultants with support from Mott MacDonald. AECOM/Tishman/Jingoli are the Owner’s Representatives. Epic Management is the construction contractor. Pro-Tec Fire Services operates the Trenton-Mercer Fire Department.

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(c)2024 The Trentonian, Trenton, N.J.

Visit The Trentonian, Trenton, N.J. at https://www.trentonian.com/

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Joan Lynch
The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
(TNS)

Oct. 11—Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services is getting a new home for its training operations on Union Road.

The Union Road Fire Training Facility — a master planned development for the fire department — has been in the works since 2021, and recently saw the completion of Fire Station No. 3 at the corner of Ardmore Road and Union Road.

At Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting, the other half of the development was unanimously approved 6-0.

The project will include overall frontage improvements and will call for the construction of two buildings behind Fire Station No. 3: a 3,600 square-foot training building and a 43-foot-tall training tower structure.

Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief Randy Harris said the training facility is badly needed for a growing city.

“The needs for this are huge — we do not have a local academy,” Harris said. “Our closest academy to the north is in Monterey, and our closest academy to the south is in Lompoc, so when we look at the regional aspect of this, we’re looking at partnering with Cuesta College and actually having a local academy where we can have youth kind of come up from high school to college and hopefully be able to get their public safety credentials — both police and fire — locally.”

What will new training facility look like?

The area surrounding Fire Station No. 3 was originally supposed to be a police substation, but was reorganized to be a corporation yard at an August Planning Commission meeting, according to the staff report.

The new training buildings will host state-required training that the fire department’s current facilities are not capable of supporting — a gap that earned the department a zero out of 35 by the Insurance Service Office, according to the staff report.

The training building will match the existing fire station’s appearance and will sit behind the main building, bordering some of the open storage space.

The training tower is a different story. The tower will be constructed from stacked sea train containers, which can be replaced if individual units are damaged during live fire training exercises, according to the staff report.

“The overall scope of a fire training facility usually focuses on the tower and that’s because that’s such a unique material and property that has to hold up to fire over time,” Harris said. “It used to be you’d build these giant concrete structures, and over the years of setting them on fire, the concrete actually starts to spall and starts to lose strength.”

Stacked four-and-a-half units high, the containers would also feature shingled roofs and a range of interiors and points of entry, allowing firefighters to practice different types of rescues, Harris said.

Each container will be modified to resemble a dwelling before being shipped to the site and stacked, allowing for changes and improvements over time.

Both of the new structures will be used by the fire department and Paso Robles Police Department for training, Harris said.

How long will construction take?

According to the city’s 2024-25 budget, the tower and training building will cost around $5 million, drawing its funding from Measure J-20.

Construction is expected to end by 2027, according to the budget.

According to the budget, a potential Phase III of the development could introduce new permanent living quarters along the east side of the station, though designs won’t be completed until the 2026-27 fiscal year at the earliest.

“This project is d