For more than 30 years, Highland Beach residents have depended on Delray Beach Fire Rescue’s services, PalmBeachPost.com reported. But no longer.

On September 13, the Palm Beach County Commission voted unanimously to allow Highland Beach to establish its own fire-rescue department, the report said. It will mark the first time in three decades that a city within the county has created a fire-rescue agency.

The move will save taxpayers at least $2 million per year, according to a report conducted by Matrix Consulting in May.

As it works right now, there is one fire station in Highland Beach, but it is staffed by Delray Beach firefighters, the report said. The report found that more than 2,000 trips per year are made to Delray Beach from trucks stationed in Highland Beach.

Highland Beach Fire Rescue is expected to debut in May 2024, the report said. It will have two full medical transports, two fire ladder trucks and a fire chief car. 

The Palm Beach County Commission’s vote comes after a referendum last fall in which Highland Beach residents overwhelmingly approved the $10 million initiative for a new fire department, the report said. The plan had a 92% approval rate.

The department will serve the town’s roughly 4,000 residents, according to the report. 

The city of Collinsville is holding a public meeting to discuss potential locations for the new proposed fire station, KTUL.com reported.

The meeting will be dedicated to the city’s new “Comprehensive Plan” on Wednesday, the report said.

Public Safety Officers will be available to answer questions about the proposed improvements to the police department and the new fire station after the meeting, according to the report.

The city posted on Facebook about the fire station’s location Tuesday saying it will explore all options, the report said.

There are also plans to have public meetings for citizens to give input about more proposed projects as the November 8 election gets closer. The first public meeting tomorrow is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Veterans Community Center.

The driver of a firetruck was injured in a single-vehicle crash at 2:20 a.m. Monday on County Road 2200, a mile west of Aurora in Lawrence County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, JoplinGlobe.com reported.

Gene L. White, 61, was flown by medical helicopter to Mercy Hospital Springfield with serious injuries, the report said. 

White was driving an International firetruck that ran off the road and overturned, the patrol said.

The Worcester Fire Department was awarded almost $15 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to hire 60 new firefighters over the next three years and purchase new gear, officials said, MassLive.com reported.

FEMA awarded the department a SAFER grant in the amount of $14.1 million, which is for the salaries of 60 new firefighters over the next three years, the report said.

FEMA also awarded the department the Assistance to Firefighters grant of $806,000 to increase the department’s inventory of self-contained breathing apparatuses, personal radios and turnout gear for new recruits, according to the report.

In June 2022 the Worcester City Council approved an increase in the fire department’s budget to increase the staffing levels of the department from 409 members to 452 members, the report said. The next two classes will bring the department to approximately 435 members, officials said.