Springdale Fire Department is showing off the agency’s new helmets.

The city approved replacing the helmets earlier this year. And in addition to replacing the worn gear, the department opted to move away from the modern-style helmets to more traditional helmets.

“Quite honestly, it’s the helmet that most firefighters love,” Assistant Chief Jim Vaughn told 5News. The city approved $63,000 for the helmets earlier this year, the Democrat Gazette reports.

The Panama City Beach City Council approved an $8 million contract to the low bidder Dominguez Design-Build of Pensacola for the construction of a new fire station to replace the existing Station 31 at the Municipal Complex, according to a press release by the city. The city received two bids for the project. 

The new 12,680-square-foot station will be constructed at the site of the current station, which is in a state of disrepair and has been deemed unsafe during high winds. The old fire station will be torn down after temporary housing is constructed behind the fire station. As part of the project, a 3,600-square-foot, two-story accessory building is also being constructed behind the station. It will temporarily house a fire engine until the new station is completed. Ultimately, the accessory building will be used by multiple City departments for storage.

“The contract time is set for about 17 months which is longer than for normal building construction but prior to starting construction of the new fire station, we’ve got to build temporary housing for six firefighters,” said Project Manager Al Shortt, who consults for the City on multiple projects. “We’ve got to move them in, then go ahead and do demolition on the fire station before we start construction.”

The temporary housing is a prefabricated dormitory, which takes times to construct. Shortt estimated building construction to take approximately 11 months. 

The council also approved a task order for $312,953 with JRA Architects for architectural and engineering services for the construction of a new fire station on the east end, replacing the existing Station 32 on Hutchison Beach Boulevard. The new station will be located southeast of the Hutchison Boulevard/Alf Coleman Road intersection and will be of the same design as Station 31; using the same design, with a few changes, will accelerate the design process and save money. It is expected that Station 32 could be ready to bid in the spring, and it could be completed before Station 31 is completed.

“Getting both of these stations done is a huge deal and we’re all super excited to get this done,” said Mayor Mark Sheldon. “This is a huge move forward for the City. This gives us three new fire stations. It’s a good use of City funds. A new fire station on the east end is so needed and the station we have now doesn’t serve our needs.”

The city’s third station, 30, was constructed in 2020 and is located on Nautilus Street.

For five years, residents in the Paradise Beach (FL) area have been without a fire station. Station 20 in Paradise Beach was closed by the county after the lease expired on the property, weartv.com reported.

An Escambia County commissioner said the decision by previous county administration to close the facility was a mistake, the report said.

Homeowners say their insurance premiums have skyrocketed because a fire station is not within five miles of their home, the report said.

The commissioner said the county is now trying to negotiate the purchase of land needed to build a new fire station, the report said. The county is very close to making a deal to purchase the land, and expects something within the next six months, according to the report.

The county says they hope to build a new fire station not far from the Southwest Sports Complex in Paradise Beach off of Bauer Road, the report said.

The Dowagiac City Council recently approved an agreement with Frederick Construction to serve as Construction Manager for the Fire Station and Department of Public Service projects, leaderpub.com reported.

After proposals were sought, seven firms expressed interest in serving in this capacity. Interviews were held with two firms and Frederick Construction was hired to provide these services. The firm was the most competitive price of those firms seeking the contract, with a total cost of $597,420, the report said.

While still in the planning phase, the city is eyeing the industrial park as the location for its new fire department, the report said.