Bolton, CT town officials say an expansion of the fire station is needed due to modern fire trucks being bigger, JournalInquirer.com reported Tuesday. It may take some time until the town is able to fund the project, though, according to town officials.

Fire trucks were both shorter and narrower when the firehouse at 168 Bolton Center Road was built in the 1970s, an official said. As a result, the trucks are stored bumper-to-bumper, facing opposite directions so they can exit through the garage bay doors at both the front and rear.

The official said it has become a safety issue, that people should not walk between the vehicles that are parked so close together. The larger vehicles also have led to reduced maneuverability for firefighters and less space for other equipment storage.

The town has been looking at repairs and additions, such as, another bay, and some office space and space for fire equipment, rather than building a new firehouse, the report said.

The Temporary Public Building Commission, which began meeting in December 2021, has been charged with investigating the station improvements.

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday to officially reopen its Station 4 in Walnut Creek (CA), NBCBayArea.com reported.

The station, at 700 Hawthorne Drive, has been closed for nine years, due to recession cutbacks, the report said. It will once again serve the southern portions of unincorporated Walnut Creek and surrounding areas.

Con Fire said in a statement the station’s operational status is expected to reduce response times in its service area, reducing the need for responses to fire, medical and other emergencies from other nearby stations.

Last month, the district finalized its long-awaited merger with the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, bringing 128,000 residents of East Contra Costa under the purview of the larger district, now serving 753,000 residents. The move is expected to improve and streamline service. The merger expanded the district from 304 to 553 square miles, according to the report.

The district also opened new Fire Station 95 in Oakley on June 1 and completed new station 86 in Bay Point, the report said. Planning for two new stations in Brentwood is also underway, with the district opening both in 2024.

Frostburg (MD) city councilors are balking at the Frostburg Volunteer Fire Department’s request for $750,000 of American Rescue Plan money for a new aerial truck, according to report published by Cumberland Times News.

In the report, councilors said they are willing to contribute some amount of money, but they are worried the firefighters haven’t been forthcoming with their financial numbers the councilors want an audit of the finances before giving any money.

The report said the fire department has been given a state grant of $500,000 for capital improvements, including a ladder truck and they have $160,000 in a truck reserve fund and firefighters have said a new aerial will cost about $1.6 million.

No final decisions were made regarding the money and the next steps to take.

Midwest Fire—Forest Waverly Fire Department, Onaway, MI, pumper/tanker. Freightliner M2106 cab and chassis; Cummins L9 350-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,250-gpm pump; APR 2,000-gallon polypropylene water tank; Newton 10-inch stainless-steel dump valve; Zico electric portable tank carrier and 2,100-gallon portable tank; All-Poly™ tank and body construction. Dealer: Brett Jensen, Midwest Fire, Luverne, MN.

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