The Grande Prairie Fire Department in Alberta, Canada will host an engine push-in ceremony September 12 to recognize the arrival of the brand-new fire engine, a 2022 Spartan Gladiator Classic Smeal Custom Pumper, according to a press release from the City of Grande Prairie.

On Monday, September 12, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. residents are invited to the Pete Eagar Fire Station on Resources Road for a traditional engine push in ceremony to officially put the engine into service. Local food truck vendors will be onsite at the fire hall for the celebration, along with guided tours of the fire trucks from the department.

Push-In Ceremony’s are a tradition dating back to the late 1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment. Upon returning to the station after a fire call, the horses could not easily back the equipment into the station. The firefighters work as a team to push the engine into the bay by hand.

About the New Engine

The new engine is equipped with several enhancements over the model it is retiring including:

• Additional airbags and roll cages for protection in the event of a motor vehicle accident.
• Agronomical hose deployment and equipment storage.
• Added vehicle extraction tool for faster motor vehicle extrication.
• Lower emissions from battery operated electric hand tools.
• Shorter turn radius of the vehicle for better access to certain neighborhoods.

The new engine will be stationed at Pete Eagar Fire Station.

For more information on the Grande Prairie Fire Department’s Engine Push-In Ceremony visit, cityofgp.com/enginepushin.

Firefighters from the Huntsville/Lake of Bays (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department have just made it back to in to Canada after driving a gently used fire truck from Alabama back home, according to a report published by Huntsville Doppler. They documented their trip with photos and shared them with the public.  

According to the report, three firefighters left Ontario on August 28 and flew to Alabama to check out a used fire truck and drive it home after attempts to buy a new one provide to be too long and too expensive because of supply change and other economic issues. The department needed to replace a 1999 model apparatus this year at the Baysville fire station and approved $420,000 for a replacement, but later found it would cost at least $500,000 for the apparatus and take two years to build, according to reports.

Undaunted, the department found the used apparatus and got authorization to spend up to $400,000 for it, according to reports. Firefighters made arrangements to get the apparatus and have been driving it home this past week and just crossed the border today (Sept. 1), according to the report.

According to the Lake of Bay’s web site, the fire truck and crew made their last fuel stop this afternoon are expected to be home soon.

South Bend, IN (September 1, 2022) – A pair of Toyne Tailored Apparatus is a welcomed sight for Southwest Central Fire Territory (SWCFT) firefighters in South Bend, Indiana. Their latest Toyne Pumper Tanker/Tender delivery concludes a multi-apparatus buildup for the department in 2022. Toyne is proud to have been a part of SWCFT’s modernization efforts. 

Established in 2008 with the merger of two departments, SWCFT protects a 75-square-mile area comprising unincorporated Centre and Portage townships, as well as most of unincorporated Greene township. They operate out of two stations with 19 full-time and 14 paid on-call firefighters.

Earlier this year, the department had received its first new Toyne apparatus: a fully customized pumper. This Toyne Pumper replaced an older engine and now carries the designation “Engine 41” and is stationed with SWCFT’s Squad 41 at their Fillmore Road Station.

Similarly, their Toyne Pumper Tanker/Tender will replace an older apparatus in their fleet. These new additions greatly enhance the department’s ability to take the call.

“It’s been a pleasure to work closely with the Southwest Central Fire Territory for each of their Toyne deliveries over the last year,” said Bill Bird, Toyne Product Support Coordinator. “We are very proud of this new partnership, as they are an admirable department with great dedication and unwavering support to the residents they serve.”

SWCFT’s pumper tanker/tender lives up to its name, equipped with a 3,000-gallon UPF tank and 1,000-GPM Hale MBP pump. For additional scene support, crews can rapidly deploy a 3,000-gallon Syntex portable tank by utilizing the apparatus’ Zico Hydraulic porta tank rack. Firefighters can also control an electric dump chute on the rear and one on each side of the apparatus.

Toyne mounted the custom body on a two-door Freightliner SD114 6×4 chassis. Under the hood is a 450-HP Cummins ISL9 engine with an Allison 3000 EVS transmission. The apparatus has custom lettering and stripping. For lighting, the pumper tanker/tender has Whelen warning lighting, FRC LED 900-Q65 scene lighting, and ILI LED strip compartment lighting.

This apparatus was sold to SWCFT by The Fire Company, an authorized Toyne dealer in Allendale, Michigan.

For a look into the build of this Toyne Pumper Tanker/Tender, delve deeper into the September Featured Delivery page. You’ll find a photo gallery, an in-depth apparatus highlight video, and delivery information about the department’s pumper tanker/tender.

On behalf of FDIC and Clarion Fire & Rescue Group, I am sad to share the news that Lila Mae Gillespie passed away peacefully and surrounded with love on August 30, 2022. Lila entered the first responder market as the owner of a communications company serving the first responder industry.  A change of direction ensued, and Lila joined the FDIC team, where she was gainfully employed from 1995 until her retirement in 2012. As Lila was originally an exhibitor at FDIC, she was a strong advocate for the exhibitors throughout her career. With retirement, Lila no longer did the day-to-day work; however, Lila’s love for the fire service, FDIC, and all those associated with the industry kept her closely connected to her FDIC family and coming back to help with FDIC year after year, until the pandemic hit. Lila was kind, loving, and hard-working with a giving heart and always reminded us to smile.  She was a friend and mentor to so many throughout the years. 

Lila was also loved by the manufacturing community, most especially as a driving force and founding member of the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association (FEMSA).  Lila volunteered her time and talents to FEMSA for more than 30 years. She was valuable in the reformation of FEMSA in the late 1980s, serving as a director on the Board in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1995 and as the secretary/treasurer from 1990-1994. Lila resigned from the FEMSA Board in late 1995 to take on her new role as FDIC Exhibits Manager. Lila continued her support of FEMSA on behalf of FDIC through her attendance at annual meetings and committee work, most notably as a member of the Nominating Committee from 2002-2005 and later as committee chair from 2006-2011, recruiting new members and candidates for the Board.

Lila was a volunteer at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, North Carolina, until Hurricane Florence hit. She was a very active member of Saint Paul Catholic Church, where she worked as a Tobit Minister, Eucharistic Minister, and the children for Faith Formation, RCIA, and even worked in the office one day a week. In addition to faithfully working at Saint Paul, she was an active member of the USCG Aux. Lila was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of America.

She is survived by her husband Edward J; children Robert Pietrangelo, Susan Betz (Tom), Ed “Hoot” Gillespie (Marie), Teresa Ryan (Steve), and Cookie. Lila has 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A Visitation will be held from 10:30-11:30 AM at St. Paul Catholic Church in New Bern on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. A Funeral Mass will follow beginning at 11:30 AM. The family will hold a Memorial Mass in Cape May, New Jersey, in mid-October.

In lieu of flowers, Lila would love donations to be made to Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, 1000 W. Lycoming Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140.

Our deepest condolences to Ed and the entire Gillespie family. Rest in eternal peace and forevermore in God’s love, dear friend!

Regretfully,

Eric Schlett

Sr. VP Clarion Fire & Rescue