Jim Sullivan
The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
(TNS)

Oct. 17—NEWBURYPORT — After just over a year of construction, the $9.2 million John F. Cutter Jr. Fire Station is expected to be open for business by Nov. 1, according to city officials.

“We’re really excited to open this new building. It really looks amazing,” Mayor Sean Reardon said. “I can’t wait to show the rest of the community how this worked out.”

The city began work on the new West End fire station at 153 Storey Ave. in late August 2023. The 6,600-square-foot building was built where the 2,258-square-foot fire station once stood.

Although it was always fully manned, the 51-year-old fire station had been deteriorating for years until it no longer met fire codes. That prompted local leaders to draw plans and secure funding to replace it so that the city’s more isolated West End could be protected around the clock.

The new building includes separate firefighter living quarters as well as workspace with five bedrooms and three restrooms with gender separation.

It also features larger apparatus bays and brings the city into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Geordie Vining, the city’s special projects manager, has been overseeing the project he said for roughly the past five years.

He said the fire department received the certificate of occupancy from the Newburyport Building Department on Friday.

Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III said the fire station building committee held its final meeting Tuesday morning and there’s very little left to do.

“We’re just waiting on one final piece of the puzzle, which is connecting the two stations so they can talk to each other,” he said. “Then we’ll be good to go.”

A grand opening ceremony, according Reardon is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1.

“I go by it all the time and I think it looks great,” he said. “Projects like these are important. I hand it to Chief Bradbury for not only be able to work on the construction of a new building but to also work with a combined staff at the current headquarters that also needs an upgrade.”

Late last August, the city broke ground on the project with a promised September 2024 completion date.

All things considered, Bradbury said, holding a grand opening ceremony on the first day of November is a pretty good resolution.

“It’s not bad, really,” he said. “We turned it around pretty quick. All in all, I’m happy with the way it played out.”

The West End fire station has traditionally housed three firefighters. Over the past year, those workers have been stationed in the fire department’s Greenleaf Street headquarters.

Bradbury said the temporary living arrangements have worked out just fine.

“They can see the station nearing completion so everybody’s itching to get over there,” he said. “The furniture has all been delivered. We’re just waiting on the mattresses and some chairs in the kitchen.”

Training on the new building, Bradbury said is scheduled for next Wednesday.

“We’re really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Vining said he’s also very excited to be near the finish line.

“We were all just reminiscing about just how terrible the old facility was and how this one is just worlds better,” he said. “It’s been a real pleasure to see the members of the Fire Department getting familiar with this great new asset for the city.”

The new fire station sits in the middle of a residenti

PRESS RELEASE

CANANDAIGUA, New York – The Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department is proud to announce the delivery of our new fire rescue boat, a project that has been in the works for several years thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of our team. This state-of-the-art vessel is the first of its kind on Canandaigua Lake, marking a significant milestone in enhancing public safety on the water.

The new fire rescue boat is equipped with modern technology to ensure safe navigation through the water, along with a 1,250 gallon-per-minute pump and twin Honda 225 outboard engines. These features will enable the Cheshire Fire Department to respond quickly to emergencies, ensuring the safety of residents, visitors, and anyone in need on the lake.

“We are extremely excited to introduce this fire rescue boat to our community,” said Fire Chief Chris Brown. “This initiative has been years in the making, and we’re confident it will greatly enhance our ability to protect and serve on Canandaigua Lake.”

Our department is responsible for protecting 13 miles of Canandaigua Lake, from the Canandaigua city line into the town of South Bristol, which represents the largest water district on the lake. With this new addition to our fleet, we are better equipped to respond to emergencies, ensure the safety of residents and visitors, and provide crucial assistance to anyone in need on the lake.

Assistant Chief Matt LaFave, who led the efforts of this build, added, “This project represents a great step forward for our department, and it’s a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our entire team. The delivery of this boat marks the end of a nearly 10-year project, and over 20 years of discussion. This fire rescue boat will be a resource that will serve for generations. And although it says ‘Cheshire’ on it, we see this as a resource that serves all departments and towns that are part of the Canandaigua Lake community. This boat will be in service for all of us.”

The Cheshire Fire Department is committed to safeguarding the lives and property of those we serve. With this new boat, we can respond more quickly to water-based emergencies and deliver life-saving support in situations where every second counts. Firefighters will be familiarizing themselves with the new equipment on this boat over the winter months, with additional training on its operations in the spring. The boat is set to be in service by the summer of 2025.

Senator Pam Helming shared her support for the initiative: “The Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to emergencies in the Towns of Canandaigua and South Bristol and, when needed, in our surrounding communities. The CVFD service area includes several miles of densely populated shoreline and a busy recreational area of Canandaigua Lake. Having access to a fire suppression boat will allow the CVFD to assist with shore-based fire containment and safety efforts, as well as respond to water emergencies. As a State Senator, my top priority is public safety. I will always be a strong advocate for our fire departments, members of law enforcement, and first responders. It was a pleasure to work with the CVFD leadership team, including Chief Chris Brown and President Rick Roxin, to secure this important piece of equipment.”

President Rick Roxin emphasized the impact of this new addition: “The acquisition of the fire boat takes Cheshire VFD’s capabilities to a whole new level. We welcomes the responsibility that comes with protecting those on Canandaigua Lake and responding to calls for service.”

WEIS—Cherokee (NC) Fire & Rescue wildland fire apparatus. Ford F-550 Super Cab 4×4 cab and chassis; 7.3L 430-hp gas engine; UPF Poly 300-gallon water tank; Hale HP200-H20 250-gpm attack pump; HiViz brow lights. Dealer: Mike Weis, Weis Fire & Safety, Salina, KS.

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BERLIN (AP) — A brand new fire station in Germany, which was destroyed in a fire, causing millions of euros in damage and destroyed equipment did not have a fire alarm system, local media reported Thursday.

The fire broke out early Wednesday morning at the Stadtallendorf fire station in Hesse and destroyed, among other things, the equipment hall and almost a dozen emergency vehicles, German news agency dpa reported. Initial estimates put the damage at between 20 million and 24 million euros ($21 million to $26 million). No one was injured.

Local officials told dpa that no fire alarm system was installed in the building because experts had considered it not necessary — much to the astonishment of many observers now that the station has burned down.

The fire broke out on an emergency vehicle belonging to the fire department, which contained lithium-ion batteries and an external power connection.

The station opened less than a year ago, local media reported.

“I believe that what has happened will make many people think and act,” about improving fire protection requirements at fire stations, Norbert Fischer, the head of the State Fire Brigade Association of the state of Hesse, told dpa.

Precisely because there is a lot of technology in fire stations and batteries are being charged, it would make sense to equip them with fire alarm systems, Fischer said, noting it was unclear whether such a system could have prevented the worst in Stadtallendorf.

“This fire spread at breakneck speed,” he said.