The West Natick Fire Department invites the public to tour its new station during an official dedication ceremony on December 3, NatickReport.com reported. Tours of the facility will begin at 10 a.m., with a formal dedication ceremony at 11 a.m.

West Natick Fire Station No. 4 at 268 Speen Street was completed in July 2021. The 17,000 square-foot station is ADA-compliant and has all the bells and whistles, including five double-deep apparatus bays; training areas; enhanced safety measures; and more, the report said.

EVENT: West Natick Fire Station dedication
DATE: Saturday, December 3, 2022
OPEN HOURS: 10 a.m.-noon
DEDICATION: 11 a.m.

Wilson County (TN) Emergency Management Agency (WEMA) will have its own 100-foot aerial ladder fire truck after the Wilson County Commission approved the $1.6 million cost at its meeting November 21, WilsonPost.com reported.

The resolution passed with a 24-0-1 vote, the report said.

The Lebanon Fire Department has spent $30,000 to add a electric battery fire extinguisher to its selection of gear.

The Rosenbauer Battery Extinguishing System Technology is designed to attack high-voltage lithium ion battery fires using compressed air from a SCBA tank to drive a spike through the battery’s casing and deliver a stream of water inside.

Fire Chief Duane Trautman said the department decided to use grant funds to purchase the device to be prepared for an EV fire. He notes the department has never experienced an EV fire, and he hopes the equipment is not needed.

Kevin Shea – nj.com

A Manchester fire chief was seriously injured Tuesday evening when his fire vehicle flipped over after striking a pole while returning from a call, Manchester police said.

Brian Flanagan, 43, was airlifted from the scene to Jersey Shore University Hospital in Neptune Township following the 10 p.m. crash, Manchester police said in a statement. Flanagan is a chief with the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department.

His injuries were later found to be non-life threatening.

The crash occurred on westbound County Route 571 (also called Ridgeway Road) near the intersection with Richard Road, about a third of a mile from the fire station.

When police officers arrived, Flanagan was trapped in the vehicle, which was partially suspended by low-voltage wires. Firefighters from several area companies joined Ridgeway firefighters at the scene, and cut Flanagan free.

Police said they determined that Flanagan drifted off the road to the right, struck the pole, went airborne and pulled down a wire from a nearby home. The fire chief’s vehicle came to rest on its left side.

A snapped wire then struck a Ridgeway fire vehicle that was following Flanagan, causing minor damage to the apparatus. The driver and passenger in that vehicle were not injured.

Manchester police did not say to what incident the fire company had responded.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.

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