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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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.”

In September, firefighters with the Bozeman Fire Department officially transitioned into a new station at the corner of Rouse and Oak streets, BozemanDailyChronicle.com reported.

It was a bittersweet move that was long anticipated by members of the department. The previous location was iconic and centrally located, but dated and potentially dangerous, the report said. The old station carried decades of residual memories of firefighters who served Bozeman, but also carried decades of residual carcinogens, according to the report.

In the kitchen, a giant table bore the signatures of firefighters who served in Bozeman since the 1990s. On the walls of the kitchen and bedrooms, the outline of the wood framing the walls was visible through the drywall as dark, vertical lines, a constant reminder of the smoke and diesel exhaust saturating the bones of the building, the report said.

A fire reported in a hangar at Felts Field Spokane Airport prompted a heavy response from Spokane Fire Department (SFD) and Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD), just after 6 p.m. Saturday, KHQ.com reported. 

The details and cause of the fire are unknown at this time, the report said.

While responding to the fire, a major accident on Trent and Fancher was reported, involving multiple vehicles, including a fire engine, the report said. 

The extent of injuries and number of vehicles involved is not known at this time, according to the report.