The Bayville Fire Department was awarded a $34,000 grant that they will use to purchase life-saving equipment, jerseyshoreonline.com reported.

The grant came from the NJ Department of Community Affairs Fiscal Year 2022 American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant, the report said.

The local grant was part of $10 million in American Rescue Plan money distributed to 293 fire departments throughout the state. The goal was to ensure firefighters have proper protective, cleaning, and sanitization equipment during this time of heightened community need.

Fire departments can use the grant funding to help cover costs associated with the purchases of:

• Protective clothing (turnout clothing ensembles, pants, garments, helmets, hoods, gloves, footwear, etc.);

• Cleaning and advanced cleaning equipment;

• Oxygen equipment;

• Personal protective equipment (PPE); and

• Other fire/virus protection equipment as determined to be appropriate by DCA’s Division of Local Government Services.

The Fairfield mayor and council passed a bond ordinance that will provide an appropriation of $1.2 million for the acquisition of a fire truck for the township and authorize the issuance of $302,000 bond or notes for financing part of the appropriation, tapinto.net reported.  

The next council meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers. 

City staff has been evaluating locations for a future second fire station as called for in our strategic plan, developed with recommendations from an outside consultant, to improve our fire response as our community continues to grow, the city of North Liberty said in a press release. Earlier this fall, we began to take steps to identify and acquire a specific site for that future station.

During site evaluation, staff considered several factors including emergency response times, 1.5-mile radius coverage from the existing and proposed fire stations, land and other development costs and compatibility with current and future uses. The process also included inviting community members to an open house in October to answer questions, hear concerns and provide feedback.

The City Council is expected to discuss potential sites, but not take any formal action, at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2022, in the City Council Chambers, 1 Quail Creek Circle, North Liberty. The public is invited to attend.

At this meeting, staff will share with the council information about the previously identified, preferred site immediately adjacent to Harvest Estates and an alternative site along St. Andrews Drive to the west nearer Alexander Way (see map on the reverse side), as well as other previously considered, but ill-suited, locations.

That memo will be available late next week online in the meeting’s information packet at northlibertyiowa.org/meetings/citycouncil, and this post will be updated when it’s complete.

During the City Council meeting on Dec. 13, there will be time set aside on the agenda for public comment should you wish to provide any spoken comment. You can also send written comments to the City Council and Mayor Hoffman via email to council@northlibertyiowa.org or mail to PO Box 77, North Liberty IA 52317, at any time.

At its meeting Monday evening, the Stratford City Council awarded the fire department $310,809 in federal grant funding for a new fire truck, KQRadio.com reported.

The Stratford Fire Department has decided to purchase a Freightliner Two-Door Pumper-Tanker for $416,006, the report said. Delivery is roughly 19 weeks out. The fire department has $93,906 in its capital equipment fund which they will be using, but instead of bonding for the payment, they will utilize an internal loan with the city of Stratford borrowing from the city’s electric fund, according to the report.

The council voted to purchase the fire tanker truck.