Jacksonville’s 1950s fire hall on C Street has been rebuilt with the addition of a second floor and seismic reinforcement to withstand earthquakes, MailTribune.com reported.

Work is nearly complete, and fire officials expect fire staff to occupy the building in October, according to the report.

City officials wrestled for several decades with how to create a better, larger facility for the department, considering purchase of property for a new fire hall at one point. A state of Oregon seismic reinforcement grant of $1.34 million has covered over half of the cost for the rehabilitation, the report said.

A total of 112 pilings, some as long as 21 feet, tie the building to bedrock below the soil. More than 1,300 helical ties secure the first story’s original brick wall exterior to the new 2-by-6 framing constructed inside the brick shell, according to the report. State historical preservation standards and grant requirements called for retention of three of the existing walls.

Business Oregon awarded a $1.34 million grant for seismic reinforcement of the fire hall in May 2020. Another $1 million for the remodel came from the city’s urban renewal agency. Increases in costs were covered by federal funds from the American Rescue Plan provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Total cost of the building is estimated at $2.6 million, the report said.

Firefighters helped a mother deliver a baby at a fire station in Tulare County (CA) on Sunday morning, YourCentralValley.com reported.

Around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, officials with the Tulare County Fire Department said a woman in labor walked into the fire station in Terra Bella and asked firefighters for help, the report said.

Fire officials quickly prepared an area at the fire station for the woman to give birth and a healthy baby boy was delivered minutes later, according to the report.

The mother and the baby were taken to a local hospital to be checked out.

Jim Kasuba

The News Herald, Southgate, Mich.

(MCT)

Sep. 10—The Gibraltar Fire Department didn’t have to look far to find an artist to paint a mural at its fire station.

As a matter of fact, they got two artists for the price of one, in a manner of speaking. Their “price” was hard to beat, since they agreed to work on the project at no charge.

Fire Chief William Cain said that the Fire Department has a longstanding practice of involving the community and schools in its events and special projects, including students at Parsons Elementary School, Shumate Middle School and Carlson High School.

So in looking for someone to paint a mural at the fire station, he knew who he needed to turn to.

He contacted Katie Beidelschies from Carlson’s Art Department to see if any of her art students would be interested in the project. He soon had his answer.

Kira Lewis and Julia Stein stepped forward to say they would be glad to do it. Cain supplied the paint and brushes and told the girls to feel free to work at their own pace. They got started the first week in July and spent two to three hours during each session.

“I had a starting point for the girls to see what it was that we were looking for and then they took the lead,” Cain said. “Kira and Julia started about a month ago and traced out the mural with pencil and then completed it with four visits to finish the painting, and came up with the beautiful mural that now exists.”

The teens used the city of Gibraltar logo, as well as the Maltese cross as a symbol of the Fire Department as their starting point, and then used their creativity to include elements of the Detroit River that include waves at the bottom of the mural, a lighthouse and geese in flight.

Although many people probably are familiar with the Maltese cross as a symbol often used by firefighters, they may not know that it symbolizes protection. It has come to stand for a firefighter’s willingness to lay down his or her life to protect others in danger of perishing in a fire.

“Kira and Julia are very talented and have a promising future in art,” Cain said. “We are very pleased with the outcome and are happy to know that it was completed by two graduates of Carlson High School.”

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(c)2022 The News Herald, Southgate, Mich.

Visit The News Herald, Southgate, Mich. at https://www.thenewsherald.com/

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Eight Paterson firefighters were injured when a pair of fire trucks collided Saturday evening while responding to a call, officials said.

Around 5:30 p.m., authorities were responding to a fire at a Targets Closeout store at 141 Main St., which was brought under control without injuries.

But as two fire trucks were en route to the fire, they collided at the intersection of Broadway and Straight Street, sending one vehicle careening into a tree and the other into the Golden Mango supermarket at 200 Broadway. Eight firefighters were seriously injured in the crash, said Jerry Speziale, the city’s public safety director of police and fire, who was on the scene Saturday evening.

All firefighters were rushed to St. Joseph’s medical center in Paterson. The three most seriously injured were in stable condition with “non-life-threatening” injuries, Paterson Fire Chief Brian McDermott told NorthJersey.com. No one was injured in the supermarket, Speziale said.

Paterson Mayor Andrew Sayegh told News 12 New Jersey that three of the firefighters were in critical condition.

“Paterson’s firefighters are the bravest and most talented group of individuals,” Speziale said. “We’re all praying for them. They do this everyday for the residents of Paterson.”