A $7,500 donation from the First Security Charitable Foundation will help the Marble Rock Fire Department buy a new pumper truck, KIMT.com reported.

A series of fundraisers is underway with the goal of collecting $100,000 to pay for a replacement for the fire department’s 1989 E-One Pumper, the report said.

Marble Rock Community Fire Company is a fully volunteer fire and rescue department comprised of 20 firefighters and EMS personnel. The fire district covers 67 square miles while the EMS district covers 135 square miles of Floyd County, including Marble Rock and Rockford.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Marble Rock Fire Department’s pumper truck fundraising effort can learn more and contact the fire department through its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MarbleRockFireDepartment.

On the November 8 ballot, the Beloit (OH) Volunteer Fire Department is asking voters to consider a 6-mill, additional tax levy for operational expenses, CantonRep.com reported. The last time the fire department asked for additional tax money was 2009.

If approved, the permanent tax would generate about $59,463 annually. It would cost $210 a year per $100,000 in property valuation, according to the report.

The volunteer department has two stations, a tanker and two fire engines. The members are paid on a per-call basis. It currently operates on a $84,000 annual budget, village officials said, according to the report.

The additional tax dollars would increase the budget to maintain and improve the department, the report said.

With the ongoing drought and the Mississippi River hitting low levels in the area, this is causing issues getting boats out on the water, which impacts the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, KFVS12.com reported.

The fire department is limited in deploying certain equipment they use due to the low water, the report said.

A fire official said that river access points are now mostly inaccessible as there is not enough depth for their boats to float in. In order for the fire department to use its larger boat, the river needs to be at least 12.5 feet on the river gauge to be able to launch from the Red Star boat ramp. The river currently sits at around 6.5 feet, the report said.

While the low river levels do limit some capacities for the fire department, the fire official said it is still going to assist anyone that needs help however they can, according to the report.

By Alan M. Petrillo

Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) firefighters now have an electric option in an ARFF truck with the introduction of the Oshkosh Striker® Volterra™.

It’s a close cousin to Pierce Manufacturing’s Volterra Type 1 pumper but with a Scania engine; onboard batteries; and an electro-mechanical transmission that deliver a lot more zip to the vehicle’s acceleration capabilities, even while negotiating 90 degree turns on taxiways to get to the location of an incident quickly and safely.

Jack Bermingham, business unit director of airport products for Oshkosh Airport Products LLC, says Oshkosh developed the Striker Volterra hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) ARFF truck, which is being offered on Oshkosh’s 4×4 and 6×6 chassis platforms, as a vehicle that’s engineered to channel mechanical power and battery power to maximize driving and pumping performance while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Oshkosh Airport Products ‘Road Rally’ to Bring Striker Volterra ARFF Hybrid Electric Vehicle to Locations in North America

Electric Apparatus Make Their Way into the Fire Service

ARFF Archives

ARFF Units at Airports Vary in Size Depending on Aircraft and Airports Being Protected

ARFF Leaders: Are We Training Them for Failure?

Small-Size ARFF Trucks Often Protect Smaller and Midsize Airfields

ARFF Service: a Relationship Business

New and Refined ARFF Truck Designs

“Users will still enjoy legacy features found on the Striker ARFF vehicle while gaining the benefits of the Striker Volterra technology,” he points out. “Operation of the vehicle is consistent with current Striker ARFF models, so no additional training is necessary, which eases operations and fleet integration.”

Bermingham