The money raised through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has covered the $18,150 cost of 10 new firefighting suits for the Glynn County Fire Department and $1,300 for a new automated external defibrillator for the Brunswick Fire Department.

The new equipment will be presented to the departments during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the local Firehouse Subs in the Glynn Isles Shopping Plaza in Brunswick. The public is invited.

"It's a great feeling to be a part of a program like this," said Eddie Wells, owner of the local Firehouse Subs. "With city and county budgets so tight we know the needs are there. It's nice to be able to contribute something so worthwhile to the entire community."

Buckets are the chief source of raising money for the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. Pickle buckets to be exact. Pickles served to customers arrive the restaurants in 5-gallon buckets. Employees clean the empties and resell them to customers and the public for $2 each. A company specializing in sandwiches goes through a lot of pickles -- nearly 10 buckets a week at the local Firehouse Subs alone.

"We can't keep up with the demand," said Wells, whose restaurant has been donating items to local fire departments for eight years. "As soon as we put the buckets out there, they're gone. People use them for tomato plants, to hold softballs, fishing gear ... you name it."

The program also raises money by allowing customers to round their purchases up to the next dollar, with difference going to the foundation. Additionally there is a tip jar for the foundation at the cash register at each restaurant.

A federal grant is paying for a study to determine whether the building is exposing firefighters to toxic levels of known carcinogens from the exhaust of fire trucks and rescue vehicles.

The Tucson City Council is considering whether to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the ballot next May. The tax would generate an estimated $50 million annually, with approximately $30 million going to replace aging equipment — including this station — and to repair infrastructure for the Tucson Police and Fire departments.

The other $20 million would go to road projects under the current proposal being considered by the council.

Assistant Fire Chief Joe Gulotta says Station No. 3 hasn’t changed much since he started working with the department 27 years ago.

He paces back and forth on the empty cement floor of the two-vehicle garage as he explains his concerns about various threats to the health of employees.

He points to a makeshift gym set up only a few feet from the fire engine’s usual parking spot,and to a rack of firefighter gear hanging less than a foot away from the paramedic transport vehicle’s spot. Diesel exhaust coats the gym and the gear.

Williams was responsible for delivering supplies to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department stations.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said he had been to each of several fire stations where thefts were reported.

Officers placed a camera and money in three locations in the kitchen area of a fire station where Williams was scheduled to make a delivery.

Williams took $167 from two areas where money was placed, police said.

Officers said they took Williams into custody and found a large sum of money in his left pants pocket.

The 2016 model 105-foot Pierce Arrow heavy-duty ladder truck, which will be used by the district's 36-member crew, meets all current state Department of Transportation, National Fire Protection Association and emergency standards, according to South Fire District Chief Robert Ross. "Its safety features include airbags, anti-roll protection and a different suspension system that offers a much-improved ride and stability on the road. It has a bigger pump and is equipped with a (more efficient) class A foam."

Also, the truck can can pump up to 2,000 gallons per minute as opposed to the older vehicle, which could only handle 1,500 gallons within that time frame, the chief explained. South Fire's coverage area -- essentially from South Main Street to the Connecticut River -- consists of the 25-square-mile South Farms area of the city.

A quintuple combination pumper, referred to as a quint by crews, is a fire service apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and ladder truck, Ross said. Quint refers to its five functions -- it works as a pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladder.

As part of the last budget package, Ross explained, voters approved up to $950,000 for a new truck and equipment. "We negotiated $945,000, less the $35,000 trade-in value (for the former 20-year-old truck), and negotiated an additional $15,000 worth of equipment. We'll probably spend in the $940,000 range by the time we equip it and have radios installed," he added.