A 58-year-old Plattsmouth (NE) woman was taken to a hospital after being struck by a Murray Fire Department truck during Saturday evening’s Plattsmouth Harvest Festival parade, FremontTribune.com reported.

An investigation determined that during the parade the Murray Fire Department received an emergency rescue call and had to leave the parade in an expedited manner, the report said.

The Murray fire apparatus, engine 732, driven by Christopher Spangler, 71, of Murray, was escorted off the parade route by parade personnel, according to the report.

As it was leaving Main Street, at a slow pace, it collided with a pedestrian, identified as Ruth Storm, of Plattsmouth. Storm was treated at the scene and transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for further treatment.

No citations were issued, though the incident is still under further investigation, the report said.

The Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in solving the Sunday morning theft of a truck from a fire department, WTVA.com reported.

Law enforcement posted pictures on Facebook of the vehicle taken from the Union Center/Theo Volunteer Fire Department.

One side of the truck has the words “in memory of H.C. Bates.” Bates was chief of the department from the early 1990s until prior to his death in 2018, the report said.

The rescue truck has been located, the fire department announced Monday. A fire official said it was recovered near County Road 738 and County Road 756 west of Corinth (MS).

A fire official said they have suspects in the case but have made no arrests, according to the report.

By Alan M. Petrillo

Battery-powered hydraulic rescue tools have taken the rescue world by storm, giving traditional hosed hydraulic rescue tools a run for their money. The attraction of battery-powered tools, say many departments, is in their maneuverability, ease of use and storage, and ability to be taken to locations that a hosed tool couldn’t reach.

Michael Canon, director of rescue sales for IDEX Fire and Safety’s HURST™ Jaws of Life®, believes smart battery technology has changed so much that it allows firefighters greater abilities in battery life and cycling limits but also in the versatility offered in use of the tools.

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• Power, Speed, and Weight Are Factors in Extrication Tool Design

“The updates in batteries have changed the equation when it comes to run time for battery-powered tools,” Canon observes. He says that the most common demand from fire departments is for HURST’s SP 555 28-inch spreader, which is very popular in use on heavy rescue units. “We also have the SP 777 spreader with a 32-inch spread that gives firefighters more versatility,” he adds.

Canon points out that a big change in the auto industry has been an increase in the tensile strength of cars. “The lower profiles of the A and B posts are getting wider, and automakers are adding wider and more layers of high-strength steel,” he says. “It’s getting very difficult to remove the B post without the cutters swinging into the patient.” Canon s

Gulfport is getting a new fire truck, but it might be a year or more before it’s delivered, TheGabber.com reported.

The city council voted September 6 to approve the $835,160 purchase using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) coronavirus recovery funds, the report said. A city official said this kind of equipment takes about 18 months or more. So the city will get a 2024 truck that likely will not arrive before late 2023 at the earliest.

According to officials, the Gulfport Fire Department’s current Engine 17, a 2012 model, has recently cracked the 100,000-mile mark. Maintenance and upkeep has increased over the years due to its age and the number of calls it runs daily, officials said.