The Erie City Fire Station will soon have a reliable source of back-up power during outages, reports yourerie.com, as a new system of rooftop solar panels will soon be installed. The system will provide 100% of the electricity at the facility.

Officials say the installation process will begin within the next two months.

The project is partly funded by a $200,000 Green Mountain Energy grant. The city also received grants from Penelec and the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, according to the report.

The battery storage will keep the department running—even at night and during cloudy days—for up to seven days, the report notes.

Officials say there could even be some excess electricity created, which will be sold to Penelec to provide revenue to the city. They add that if this project is successful it could lead to more eco-friendly projects.

Florence is in the process of securing land—the former site of the Knights Inn—for a new fire station on its east side, reports linknky.com.

City council Tuesday approved a municipal order to purchase 8049 Dream St. Officials say that negotiations for the property had been going on for months. They add that the station is necessary to address an abundance of calls on the expressway; the location is just two minutes from U.S. 42.

The next steps, officials say, include finalizing the sale and beginning to lay out plans for the new facility. A ground-breaking ceremony for the station is expected in 2023.

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) Wednesday introduced the bipartisan Fire Station Improvement Act of 2022 to help local fire departments make improvements, repairs, and renovations at their local facilities.

“Every day, America’s firefighters put their lives on the line for their communities. At a bare minimum, Congress should ensure that these brave men and women have what they need to succeed, including access to the best tools, facilities, and resources,” said Senator Hawley. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Ossoff on this legislation that will cut red tape so firefighters can have the tools to do their jobs.”

“When your home is on fire, every minute counts for you and your children. There’s no worse nightmare than a fire in the middle of the night but no timely rescue. My bipartisan Fire Station Improvement Act of 2022 will help ensure every family and every community in Georgia is served by fire and rescue services,” said Senator Ossoff. “This bill will help Georgia’s heroic firefighters upgrade their facilities to the highest standards.”

This bill will amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, and cut the red tape that limits the use of funds from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

Read the full text of the bill here.

Since taking office, Senator Hawley has been committed to introducing legislation and improving laws to help America’s first responders in every line of defense. Senator Hawley introduced the Supporting and Treating Officers In Crisis Act of 2019 which funds grant programs that provide support services for police officers and their families, which passed the Senate unanimously. Senator Hawley also introduced the National Urban Search and Rescue Parity Act which met a critical need for FEMA access to more volunteers to get to disaster areas and rescue survivors faster.

Both bills were signed into law in 2019 with bipartisan support.

Pierce—Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department 100-foot steel aerial platform. Arrow XT cab and chassis; Cummins X15 565-hp engine; Harrison 10-kW generator. Dealer: Garry Davis, MacQueen Emergency, Whitestown, IN.

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