According to a report from The Greenville Sun, it was announced that the Tusculum (TN) Volunteer Fire Department (TVFD) will be moving into a new station in 2023 after the town board approved its construction on Monday.

The town’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners approved a contract with Greenville’s Idell Construction Co. to build the new three-bay, 16-foot-high, 60- x 80-foot fire station across from Tusculum City Hall at 145 Alexander Street.

The city Board of Mayor and Commissioners approved a contract with Idell Construction Co. of Greeneville to build the new fire station on land across from Tusculum City Hall, 145 Alexander St.

Idell Construction’s contract was approved for about $758,200, with about $550,000 being provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and the remaining $208,000 coming from the city fund balance.

The station will be constructed of prefabricated metal, or “package”-style.

The three-bay fire station will be a prefabricated metal, or “package”-style, building.

Building components should arrive within 12 weeks, company owner said.

Business owner Jeff Idell said construction will take a bout six to seven months, with onsite work beginning soon. His bid was the only one received by Tusculum.

Construction of the new station will allow the town’s police department to move into the garage space currently occupied by fire truck bays under city hall as well as an expanded meeting area above for the town recorder’s office.

TVFD Chief Marty Shelton said the new station will meet many fire department needs including extra space to accommodate the department’s primary response vehicles such as a recently purchased ladder truck to be housed in the building bays. The station will also include a new meeting room, kitchen, equipment storage and cleaning areas, and a design to allow for further expansion.

After completion, Shelton said the TVFD will look at other grant funding opportunities to secure a station generator for backup power, vehicle exhaust removal systems, LED programmable signage, wall-mounted gear storage racks for personal protective equipment, spare hose racks, and furniture.

Rosenbauer—Manhattan (IL) Fire Protection District pumper/tanker. Commander 7011 cab and chassis; Cummins X15 600-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump; UPF Poly 2,000-gallon water tank; Command Light KL415D-FX light tower; low hosebed; Rosenbauer EXT heavy-duty aluminum body; Rosenbauer Lo Pro hydraulic ground ladder rack. Dealer: Bill Schreiber, Sentinel Emergency Solutions, St. Louis, MO.

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Six people, including five firefighters were hurt when a Washington D.C. Fire and EMS fire truck and a tour bus collided in Southeast, D.C., according to a report published by WJLA News 7, that added none of the injuries appear to be life threatening.

According to the report, the collision occurred at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Alabama avenues as the fire truck was responding to a call.

Five fire personnel where on the fire truck when the collision occurred and the tour bus was occupied by only the driver, according to the report which added that all were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Spartan Emergency Response, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc., and leading manufacturer of fire apparatus, announces Toronto Fire Services has ordered two all-electric Vector^™ fire trucks. When delivered, Toronto Fire Services will be one of the first fire departments in Canada to have fully electric, North American-style fire pumper trucks in their fleet. These fire apparatus were sold by authorized dealer Safetek Emergency Vehicles Ltd.

REV Fire Group introduced the Vector fire truck in August 2021, representing the latest in green, energy-efficient technology for the daily use of fire services. Equipped with 327 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of proven automotive-grade batteries, these trucks will deliver the longest electric pumping duration in the industry, enabling Toronto Fire Services crews to accomplish their typical driving and pumping tasks exclusively on electrically generated power. In addition, the design features low battery cell placement, offering a safer, lower center of gravity for enhanced stability while operating.

“We are extremely proud to partner with Toronto Fire Services, the largest fire service in Canada, and the fifth largest in North America, to help protect the people of Toronto and the environment in which they live,” said Mike Virnig, Vice President of Sales, REV Fire Group.

With these new additions to the fleet having low to zero carbon emissions, Toronto Fire Services will further support the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, an effort to achieve net zero emissions community-wide by 2040. Toronto Fire Services responds to 300 to 400 calls per day, making this purchase a historic order and a big step to achieving this goal.

“Toronto Fire Services is pleased to be working with Safetek and Spartan Emergency Response on the design and delivery of our first fully electric pumper trucks,” said Chief Matthew Pegg of Toronto Fire Services. “These trucks will have the same functionality and capabilities as our other pumper trucks but will leverage leading-edge electric vehicle technology.”

“Since 1993, we’ve responded to our customers’ apparatus needs and are proud to develop leading technology that supports firefighter safety, efficiency, and progressive climate action strategies,” said John Witt, President of Safetek Emergency Vehicles Ltd. “We’re pleased to be contributing to the City of Toronto’s vision for a net zero emissions community by delivering two of the first North American-style fully electric trucks in Canada.” 

In addition to meeting the requirements of the CAN/ULC-S515 Standard for Automobile Fire Fighting Apparatus and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901 – Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, the Vector™ battery storage solution allows for a complete NFPA compliant pump test.