The Coffee County (GA) Fire Department’s purchase Monday of a 1993 International fire truck from SMJ Equipment (TX) was supposed to be a great day. Unfortunately, a blown tire led to the apparatus crashing Tuesday en route to its new home back in Douglas (GA).

Luckily, no injuries were reported.

It all started when fire officials flew to TX to bring the truck back; they say they inspected it prior to leaving. However, about 70 miles into the trip the right front tire gave out and sent the truck off the road, reports douglasnow.com.

The truck was lying on its side in a ditch beside US 90 near Beaumont.

Officials say the county has insurance on the truck, and, if it’s a total loss, it will look for another truck.

Residents in northwest Minot won’t have to wait much longer for improved fire protection, as FA reported earlier.

Although heavy equipment has already been working at the site along Fourth Avenue NW for weeks, Fire Chief Kelli Kronschnabel and others helped “officially” break ground for Fire Station 5 on June 6.

“Every time I drive by here, I think back to when the discussion of Fire Station 5 in this location first began, and I appreciate how far we’ve come with this project,” Kronschnabel said at a groundbreaking ceremony. “For the past couple years, we’ve a sign here that says ‘Future home of Fire Station 5.’ Well, the future is here. We’re happy to become part of this neighborhood. I’m looking forward to seeing you all here again next summer when we celebrate Fire Station 5’s grand opening.”

Related Articles:
$4.2M Fifth Fire Station on the Horizon in Minot (ND)
Minot (ND) City Council Expedites Approval of Engine Purchase
Minot (ND) Fire Apparatus on Display

City Manager Harold Stewart and Mayor Shaun Sipma joined Kronschnabel in celebrating the construction of Fire Station 5.

“There’s a lot of satisfaction and pride taken by this community with regards to our fire department, and we want to continue to hold that standard,” Stewart said. “Improvements like this will help us to continue to hold that standard and improve that standard for the foreseeable future.”

Sipma highlighted the ongoing commercial and residential growth happening in northwest Minot, as well as a new high school on north hill, as reasons why Fire Station 5 is so important.

“The changing landscape of northwest Minot requires that the City of Minot’s commitment to fire safety must evolve, too. That’s why we’re here today,” Sipma said. “It’s critical that the expanding business community in northwest Minot is afforded the same peace of mind regarding proper fire and emergency response as other parts of our community. That’s why we’re here today.”

Construction on the approximately $3.8 million project is under way and expected to be complete in the spring of 2023, with the station being operational later that summer.

The City of Wheeling’s Warwood fire station is home to a brand-new engine truck.

New Engine 9 – housed at Station 9 on Richland Avenue is a 2022 Sutphen 1,750-gallons-per-minute Shield Pumper. The truck rolled off the assembly line at the Sutphen Corporation facility in Dublin, Ohio in late April, but wasn’t officially put in service by the Wheeling Fire Department until Sunday, June 5.

New Engine 9 is the first brand new fire truck for the Warwood station since 1962. Many used fire trucks have served the area since then, with the most recent being a 1987 model.

Related Articles:
Seven Fire Station Renovations, New Fire HQ Part of $66M in Wheeling (WV) Upgrades
Happy 150th to Wheeling (WV) Fire Department’s Station 4
Wheeling (WV) Puts New 100-Foot Sutphen Aerial into Service

“We sure did get good use out of our former 35-year-old truck for Warwood,” said Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier. “This new, up-to-date addition to our fleet ensures that the Wheeling Fire Department is well equipped to fight fires and respond to various emergencies for another generation.”

In recent years, the fire department has been able to update its fleet, most recently with two new ambulances, and a new ladder truck in 2021. The new additions also allow WFD to keep older models in service for spares.

Wheeling City Council passed an ordinance to purchase Engine 9 in December 2020, using money from the city’s project fund.

The Fairview Volunteer Fire Department is looking to upgrade outdated SCBA equipment, reports cullmantimes.com.

The department’s current SCBA equipment is 20 years old and was last certified in 2019, according to the report.

Department officials have applied for a grant that would allow for the purchase of 15 new units at about $9,000 each. They’ll find out if they’ll get it in September.