The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority has received a new firefighting truck, WIBW.com reported.

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority said Tuesday it received a 2022 Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 aircraft rescue and firefighting truck.

MTAA noted that the new truck holds 3,170 gallons of water with 1,250 GPM high flow roof and bumper turrets and a full suite of safety features. It said the addition expands its ability to keep the Topeka Regional Airport, as well as the public, safe.

The Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company has received a federal grant to help buy its first ever firefighting boat, ChesapeakeBayMagainze.com reported.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a $112,500 Rural Development investment grant to Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company, the report said. It will go towards the purchase of a 36-foot aluminum fire and safety rescue vessel.

Rock Hall has a rescue boat but it possesses no firefighting capabilities. That means volunteer crews must rely on equipment from nearby counties, like the Kent Island fire boat, which has to travel nearly 15 miles (a 30-minute ride) to help with fires, according to the report.

The fully-equipped fire boat would cost more like $400,000, a fire official said.

The fire company is actively pursuing grants to get it closer to its goal, and once leaders see how much of the cost can be covered through grants they will launch a fundraising effort, the report said.

The Berwyn Fire Company has been working collaboratively with the Board of Supervisors from Tredyffrin and Easttown townships to formulate and execute a plan to build two new Fire/EMS Stations to serve the community better. This website aims to keep the residents of Tredyffrin and Easttown updated and informed about the two projects.

Phase I of the project will replace the 93-year-old station at 23 Bridge Avenue in Easttown Township.

Phase II of the project will be constructing a permanent station in Tredyffrin Township to replace the temporary quarters near the Gateway Shopping Center.

Why do we need new buildings?

It will allow our Paramedics, EMTs, and Firefighters to respond faster to emergencies while providing a safer environment for our personnel.
 
The current infrastructure at both stations negatively impacts service delivery and personnel safety. 

At the Main Station, the trucks and equipment barely fit through the doors of the 93-year-old building. The building layout is insufficient for personnel safety and equipment storage. The building does not meet many local, state, and federal codes, including ADA accessibility. There is also no location to decontaminate gear/equipment properly, there are deficient sleeping quarters and showers, and a lack of space for administrative duties. There are leaks and cracks throughout the building, threatening expensive equipment, storage, and the overall structure.

The temporary Tredyffrin Station is a tent and some rented office space. The tent has a stone and asphalt floor, no storage space, and is very difficult to regulate temperatures during the summer and winter months. There is no administrative or hospitality quarters for staff to shower, sleep or decontaminate gear. And the “ready-room” for the staff requires the staff to descend a flight of stairs, exit the office building to the outdoors and travel across the parking lot to get to their ambulance or fire engine for a response.

The condition of both of our existing facilities negatively impacts service delivery and impedes our volunteer and career personnel. We are looking to the residents of Tredyffrin and Easttown to come together to support the fire department and be a strengthening force to raise these funds and help us reach our fundraising goal!

​We are confident that with the support of the community we serve and the support of the Board of Supervisors of Tredyffrin and Easttown that these critical capital projects will become a reality.

For more information or to donate to the project, please go to Berwyn Fire Company Capital Project.

A contract has been awarded to a Pendleton company to remodel Anderson Fire Department’s Station 4, HeraldBulletin.com reported.

The Anderson Board of Public Safety on Monday awarded the contract to Earl’s Remodeling Solutions in the amount of $54,711, the report said.

Station 4 at 621 West Cross Street is the last of the city’s fire stations to be remodeled, according to the report.

A fire official said the work includes interior painting, new flooring, a new kitchen area, upgraded lighting to LED and a remodeling of the bathroom. The plumbing work includes three shower stalls, a new kitchen sink, faucets, a new toilet, new water lines to three refrigerators and a new bathroom vanity top.

The fire official said the remodeling work was included in the 2022 budget and is being funded through the department’s Building and Equipment Fund, the report said. The work is scheduled to be completed by late February or early March.