The Mentor Fire Department recently added two engines to its current roster and is awaiting the delivery of a breathing apparatus/rehab truck, News-Herald.com reported.

Mentor 1157 is a heavy rescue/special services unit which officials noted is the only such vehicle in the region. In late 2019, the city was awarded a federal grant providing up to $545,454 toward the purchase of this vehicle with a city match of just over $54,000, according to the report.

The city also accepted delivery of Mentor 1133. The cost was $602,000 and was paid for from the Mentor fire levy, the report said.

A fire official said 1157 is equipped with special lighting, a breathing air cascade system, confined space rescue capabilities, heavy rescue equipment special torches and cutting equipment, concrete saws, jack hammers and special heavy-lifting equipment, ropes for high-angle recuses, winches for extrication and complex transportation accidents and an array of tools, according to the report.

A fire official said rescue fire engine 1133 was custom built by Sutphen Monarch, the report said. It is a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pumper with special rescue capabilities. It carries rescue tools, consisting of the new generation jaws of life which are light-weight battery-powered cutters and spreaders for motor vehicle and industrial accidents; has full fire-fighting capabilities; and will be staffed by paramedics and outfitted with state-of-the-art advance life support equipment making it a rescue/fire engine.

The department is also receiving a new breathing apparatus/rehab truck that will be used to fill air bottles and provide support services at fires and at other hazardous zones, the report said. This truck, which will replace a 1985 vehicle, cost $277,316 and was 100 percent covered by grant funding.

Grant County Fire District 7 received $20,000 toward a new fire truck Friday courtesy of Teck American Inc., ColumbiaBasinHerald.com reported.

The $20,000 will go towards GCFD7 replacing a Type 3 apparatus – also known as a wildland fire truck. The department lost one of its trucks in June while fighting a fire when the truck rolled with two personnel inside, the report said.

A fire official said the district has seen an increase in fires and that it needs apparatuses like the Type 3 truck because they can hold more water and can be outfitted to be operated by one person, which is crucial when staffing is as low as it is at GCFD7, the report said.

Replacement of a type 3 apparatus ranges from $80,000 to more than $200,000, depending on if the truck is new, used or built from acquired parts, according to the report.

Currently, GCFD7 is already working on replacing the truck. They bought a used chassis through a government surplus sale but still need to outfit it to the specifications necessary prior to putting it into service. Between the $20,000 and the money from the insurance on the rolled vehicle, the fire official said they believe it will cover the total cost for the replacement, the report said.

The North Attleboro Fire Department’s new pumper truck is now in service, TheSunChronicle.com reported.

The E-One Pumper, designated Engine 5, went into service Saturday, a fire official said, according to the report.

The $665,000 fire truck has new equipment, including battery-powered extrication equipment, low-pressure hoses and nozzles allowing firefighters to spray 1,500 gallons of water a minute, the report said.

The truck also has hydraulic lifting struts to stabilize vehicles involved in accidents and a variety of other tools, the report said.

The department received the truck in July but it is now being used after firefighters underwent training. The truck replaces the aging Engine 1, the report said.

The Springdale Fire Department chief says his team needs a new fire engine and helmets, and has asked the city council to spend up to $800,000, NWAOnline.com reported.

The fire department asked the council to approve $753,930 for a new fire engine and $63,000 for 160 new helmets, the report said. Payment for the engine at the time of order saves the city $31,643, a city official said.

The money would come from undesignated money in the city’s budget. The fund held $21 million as of last week, the report said.

The fire department said it would save $8,800 if it buys the 160 helmets together instead of a few helmets at a time, according to the report. Individual helmets cost about $355. Accompanying gear such as the chin strap would come at no cost with a promotion from the company selling the equipment.

The helmet money would come from the Act 833 fund, which returns to fire departments tax money residents pay in their homeowners insurance, fire insurance and property taxes. The fund now holds about $400,000, reported a city official.

The council, meeting as a committee of the whole last week, moved the measure for a vote September 27, the report said.