The most recent American Rescue Plan Act grants in Cass County will benefit a fire department, brainerddispatch.com reported.

The grant was requested by the Federal Dam Volunteer Fire Department in the amount of $20,000 to assist in purchasing a new fire truck, the report said. A fire official said with the department being solely made of volunteers it does not have adequate funds to purchase a new vehicle.

Recently the department, with funds received from Enbridge and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, was able to purchase a tanker truck from the state, which required painting and lights in order to be put into service, the report said.

When responding to a fire recently it was realized more repairs were needed to this vehicle, the fire official said, plus they had another truck break down at a previous fire, according to the report.

The fire official said at the moment more funding from Enbridge and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is not obtainable and with the department covering about a 100-mile area it would like to purchase another vehicle. The fire official also told the board he located a truck for purchase for $25,000, the report said.

Updating the city of Ghent’s fire hall is one of the latest area projects to get funding from federal stimulus dollars, marshallindependent.com reported.

On Tuesday, Lyon County commissioners approved a request from the city of Ghent for a total of $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds that will be used for a few different projects, the report said.

The list of requests included $20,000 for items for the Ghent Fire Department, including a new furnace for the fire hall, a new fire engine deck gun and a water auger, the report said.

Commissioners approved Ghent’s request, according to the report.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum recently announced plans for the Improve Our Tulsa renewal, which would be decided on by voters this summer, ktul.com reported.

The $609 million capital funding package would pay for improvements of city facilities and streets, and public safety equipment, the report said.

For months, NewsChannel 8 has reported on the city’s aging fire equipment. In August, NewsChannel 8 discovered six of the department’s 19 aerial ladders failed annual inspection.

Between 2007 and 2011, a fire official said the city of Tulsa didn’t buy a single piece of fire apparatus, according to the report.

Now, leaders are playing catch up. Bynum said the Improve Our Tulsa plan would help with replacing the aging fleet, the report said.

A fire official said he hopes to have about 14 new fire apparatus by November, the report said.

On Feb. 6, firefighters held a traditional push-in ceremony celebrating the addition of Engine 12 to Habersham County Emergency Services Firehouse 12, nowhabersham.com reported. Keeping with a time-honored tradition, Habersham County personnel pushed the truck into a bay at its new home on Duncan Bridge Road.

Engine 12 is a 2022 Spartan S180 with a 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank. The truck has a full complement of rescue tools and other necessary equipment for fires, wrecks, rescues, and medical emergencies.

At 4:17 p.m. on February 8, Habersham County E-911 dispatched Engine 12 and other units to a report of a fully-involved structure fire in the area of 1055 Wheeler Road, the report said. 

The engine joins the county’s other front-line fire trucks, manufactured in 2012, 2010, 2003 (two trucks), 2001, 1993, 1992, and 1990, according to the report. Two reserve engines are 1989 models.

The average age of the entire engine fleet is 23 years old, while the average for front-line engines is 17 years, the report said.