The Tift County Fire Department, Tifton, GA, has taken delivery of an HME MiniEvo™ fire truck, which is integrated onto a 2015 Ford F-550 Super-Duty Crew Cab XL.

This MiniEvo combines exclusive HME Ahrens-Fox Hydra Technology™ with a 1,500-gpm Hale DSD midship pump all mounted within a 24 inch heated pump house. Other features include a Powerstroke 6.7-liter V-8 OHV direct diesel injection 32-valve intercooled turbo diesel engine, torque capability of 660 pounds at 1,600 rpm, six-speed electronic Select Shift automatic transmission, 40-amp ProMariner battery charger with a Kussmaul super auto eject, six-speaker AM/FM stereo CD player, stainless steel piping, panels and framework, dual 1½ inch crosslays, Fire Research TurboFoam class A foam system with a 17-gallon foam tank, a 400-gallon T-tank for water, Fire Research TankVision, Gortite roll-up doors, Whelen LED warning light package, backup camera system, 139 cubic feet of compartment space and a 40-cubic-foot hosebed.

Salesman: Steven Bowles

Dealership: HME Georgia

Dealer Location: Johns Creek, GA

Truck 20 went into service with Dallas (TX) Fire-Rescue in January, 2015. This unit was part of a multiaerial order which was delivered in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Escambia County is moving forward toward new fire station for the Beulah community.

The Escambia County Commission has approved the purchase of the current 6,000 square foot fire station on six acres on West Nine Mile Road from the Beulah Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. for $300,000. The purchase price was the average of two appraisals for the county.

The county plans to replace the aging Beulah Fire Station with a modern facility, using Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds.

Unless most other county fire stations, the Beulah station has no showers, no bunk room or other facilities for firefighters to sleep as they man the station.

Current firefighters describe the station as a "big shed" that proved its inadequacies during the flooding last year and previous hurricanes. Many of Beulah’s 20 volunteer firefighters  were crammed inside with no showers and no place to sleep.

For more information, view www.northescambia.com

Sturtevant trustees will address whether or not to pay Mount Pleasant $17,000 for 2016 South Shore Fire Department equipment purchases a Sturtevant committee late last month voted against.

Trustees Chris Larsen and Chris Wright on Facebook are urging residents to attend Tuesday's board meeting to voice their concern over the SSFD item on the agenda they say was placed there by thwarting both village ordinance and Roberts' Rules of Order.

"Call to Action: A member of the board is trying to go against the vote of the Finance Committee to deny giving Mount Pleasant $17,000 for purchase they chose to make without Sturtevant's approval. This trustee ran to the attorney with your tax dollars to pay for their time to find a loophole to get his way. It was placed on the agenda for this Tuesday when they knew I had a family conflict that prevented me from attending. Your voice needs to be heard call the board and tell them to vote no or go to the meeting Tuesday at 6:00 PM and tell them no," Wright's post reads.

In a nutshell, Sturtevant contracts with Mount Pleasant for fire and rescue services through South Shore Fire Department. The terms of the contract say that both villages need to approve fire department purchases, and if Sturtevant does not approve any item but Mount Pleasant funds the purchase anyway, then Mount Pleasant pays for whatever that item may be.

A formula for determining how much each village pays into South Shore puts Sturtevant's responsibility for about 18 percent.

At issue is a list of SSFD items for 2016 that totaled $1.2 million, making Sturtevant's portion around $68,000. Sturtevant only approved $50,000 for those purchases, leaving a balance of about $17,000 Mount Pleasant picked up because that village board decided to go ahead with the entire list as presented.

After SC Johnson announced the company was donating $324,000 to South Shore, thereby reducing the financial responsibility for both villages in 2016 for certain improvement purchases, Mount Pleasant officials asked Sturtevant to make up the $17,000.

For more information, view racinecountyeye.com