Oshkosh Corporation Fire & Emergency Group is displaying the all-new Oshkosh® XP fire apparatus at Intersec 2016 to be held January 17-19 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The Oshkosh® XP fire apparatus represents a co-venture between Oshkosh and Scania, and will be on display at Stand 5-D11.

“Intersec is among the world’s leading fire protection trade fairs, and we’re proud to showcase the new Oshkosh XP fire apparatus at this important exposition,” said Salim Hawi, Oshkosh Corporation vice president of international sales. “The Oshkosh XP has received excellent feedback and reviews from industry professionals. It is a fully integrated and well-equipped product and is backed by a comprehensive service and support network.”

The new Oshkosh XP fire apparatus is engineered and constructed to exacting standards by an Oshkosh Corporation Company, Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. (North America’s leading designer of custom fire and emergency vehicles) and will be displayed on a Scania P360 chassis. The vehicle is fully outfitted with a powerful 4,000-LPM pump, an integrated foam system, a high-pressure hose reel, and a full complement of rescue tools and equipment.

The Oshkosh XP fire apparatus is built on a corrosion resistant 4638 mm aluminum body with full-height compartments on both the driver and passenger sides.  Storage space is ample and well designed, and compartments are organized to accommodate customer-specific requirements. Other features include rugged spatter paint finished compartment interiors, roll-up doors with LED strip lighting, and enclosed ladder storage.

Oshkosh Corporation serves customers across the Middle East with a wide range of severe duty vehicles and world-class support. The Oshkosh Striker® is an industry-leading aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicle that offers many proprietary technologies, including proprietary Oshkosh TAK-4® fully independent suspension. Striker vehicles are on duty at leading airports across the Middle East, including Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, Pierce industrial firefighting apparatus and rapid response vehicles are in service with countries throughout the region.

 For more information, please visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

The Croghan Fire Department is looking to sell its ambulance service to Lewis County Search & Rescue in hopes of improving service.

"It will up the level of care here," said Stephen G. Monnat, assistant ambulance captain and executive board member of the Croghan department.

Plans are to sell the department's ambulance and equipment to the county's largest squad -- and only one with paid members -- then offer a bay in the fire hall here for free, Mr. Monnat said.

"It will be staffed by members of Lewis County Search & Rescue 12 hours a day, seven days a week, in house," he said.

Evenings and nights would still be covered primarily by area volunteers.

Search & Rescue has already added five Croghan squad members and may bring in a couple more, according to Justin R. Astafan, chief of operations at Search & Rescue.

However, the move likely won't happen for awhile, as the Lowville non-profit squad is awaiting receipt of a certificate of need, allowing it to serve the entire county. The proposal is slated to go before the North Country Regional Emergency Medical Services Council in late January and, if approved there, move on to the state for final approval, Mr. Astafan said.

The impetus came from a change in state policy where mutual aid is now defined as "time to time," not on a regular basis, he said.

When the squad began looking into getting a certificate of need to cover the town of Pinckney, state officials suggested that a certificate covering the entire county could be sought, given its volume of calls outside the primary coverage area, Mr. Astafan said.

For more information, view www.watertowndailytimes.com

Sandusky officials are replacing an aging ambulance in the fire department's fleet.

The new ambulance costs about $215,300 in public funds and an ambulance billing account will fund the entire purchase.

Delivery of the new ambulance is expected sometime in February.

"When we buy an ambulance, we place it at fire station No. 1 (on West Market Street) and this becomes 911," Degnan said. "The rest of the ambulances are shifted to another station due to the lower call volume in those districts. This allows us to prolong the life of the ambulances instead of the same ambulances always getting beat up year after year."

For more information, view www.sanduskyregister.com

After a series of pointed questions regarding need, cost and other issues, the Town Board voted unanimously to allow the West Fort Ann Fire Department to proceed with the purchase of a $550,000 Ferrera fire truck.

The new truck will replace a 29-year-old pumper the company bought eight years ago. The purchase will be made with financing over 10 years.

Dave DeLor, Fort Ann's first assistant chief, answered many of the board's questions regarding the purchase during a public hearing. He ultimately convinced the five members to vote unanimously in favor of allowing the purchase.

Before that vote, all of the board members had questions about the request, which came after West Fort Ann had made its budget request for 2016.

"The truck we have now was out of service Saturday, and we have had continual mechanical issues with this truck since we bought it (used) either years ago," DeLor said. "It's 29 years old, and the National Fire Protection Association recommends trucks not be any older than 20 years."

DeLor said the department is really in need of both an engine and a tanker but because of the size of the fire house and the number of people in the department, the decision was made to get a hybrid truck, though a basic one.

"This truck is bare bones. There are no bells and whistles," DeLor said. "Bay Ridge (fire department in Queensbury) bought a similar truck, and that was four years ago.

"This new truck is going to service Fort Ann for the next 20 or 25 years," he said.

Board member Deb Witherell wanted to know why the truck was not in the 2016 budget, and she was told the truck committee had not finalized its deliberations at that point.

DeLor stressed this will not be an immediate purchase and that the department already has a $40,000 down payment put aside.

"It's going to take 10 months for them to build it, so we will not start paying on the financing until 2017," said DeLor, who estimated that personally, he will pay an extra $15 that year, noting his fire district tax is $115 on a $150,000 house.

For more information, view poststar.com