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.

The new Edsall Road Fire Station, in the Springfield area of Mason District, has opened after a three-year, $12 million project to build a new station at the same location, AnnandaleToday.com reported. Just a small section of the old building remains.

During construction, the 11-member staff of Fire Station #26 were housed in a temporary building across the street on Carolina Place, the report said. The old station was heavily damaged in a fire in 2017, according to the report.

Members of the public are invited to visit the new Edsall Road station – and all 39 fire stations in the county – on Open House day, Oct. 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The theme for this year’s Open House is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.”

Shreveport Fire Department has a new home for one of its stations, KSLA.com reported.

Firefighters have moved into the new Fire Station 8 on Greenwood Road a few blocks from the Louisiana State Fair Grounds, the report said.

The new station has modern amenities and more space for firefighters and their equipment, according to the report. There’s no word yet on when they’ll officially hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and/or grand opening.

The new station is part of a land swap in which Willis-Knighton Health System gains the previous Fire Station 8, the report said.

That structure at 3406 Velva Street was built in 1925 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since June 2000, according to National Park Service documents.

Weis—Lee Center (NY) Fire Department Quick Attack 400 RM unit. Ford F-550 Super Cab XL cab and chassis; 6.7L V8 diesel engine; Hale HPX200-H20 with Honda 20-hp gas engine 260-gpm @ 150-psi pump; UPF Poly 400-gallon water tank; 12-gallon foam cell; Trident Foamate model 31.008 ATP 1.0 Class A around-the-pump foam system; TFT EF1 monitor with joystick control. Dealer: Dan Ford, J.B.P. Fire Services, Liverpool, NY.

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