Jennifer Bailey
Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.
(TNS)

Mar. 2—DANVILLE — It was a little more expensive than expected, but the Danville City Council’s Public Works Department recommended approving purchasing a new 100-foot aerial ladder fire truck.

The purchase cost is $1.686 million from dealer A.E.C. Fire & Safety. The low bid was $1.758 million for the Ferrara fire apparatus, but the city will be receiving a lower cost demonstration model of a similarly manufactured vehicle that would be made available this summer.

The full city council will act on the purchase next week.

The $1.637 million price includes a pre-build estimate of 3 percent factored for $49,111.

In the city’s ARPA spending plan from May 2022, the estimated aerial truck cost was $1.4 million.

City officials are trying to work out the overage on the aerial to pay for a pumper.

Fire Chief Aaron Marcott said they have bids for the pumper and it likely will have a 650-day wait to receive it.

Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said the demonstraiton aerial truck hasn’t been used or showcased. It was ordered by another company which ended up not needing it, he said.

He said the city can receive it this summer instead of waiting two more years.

The city then would have a little less ARPA money to purchase the pumper truck, Williams added.

City officials are looking at selling some old equipment to help pay for the pumper.

The committee also discussed, but didn’t act on, the SAFER grant application for six additional firefighters.

Marcott and Williams said the SAFER grant would pay for 100 percent salary and benefits for three years, with the city required to pay for equipment and training. The city also has the opportunity for some equipment cost reimbursement through another grant.

Marcott said the SAFER grant will eliminate fire department overtime expenses. He reminded the aldermen the fire department has about a dozen firefighters at or near retirement age in the next three years. The SAFER grant would put two additional firefighters on each shift.

Williams said the grant would save the city $500,000 to $700,000 a year in overtime for the next three years, primarily due to minimum manning requirements. These also don’t have to be permanent positions to lock the department into having 51 firefighters. The city can assess how the casino and additional businesses will be affecting the fire service in the next few years, he said.

Williams said the city could lay off firefighters through attrition.

“I think this is the best way to control overtime until that time,” Marcott said of the SAFER grant, adding that the city also could again apply for another grant in a few more years.

In other fire department reports, since the city changed residency requirements for city employees, aldermen learned that four of the newest probationary firefighters live outside of Danville: Justin Moore of Covington, Ind., Nathan Michael and Jaren West of Hoopeston, Jeffrey Christison of Oakwood.

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(c)2023 the Commercial-News (Danville, Ill.)

Visit the Commercial-News (Danville, Ill.) at www.commercial-news.com

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Elizabeth Borough leaders held a short meeting Tuesday, hurrying to welcome the long-awaited arrival of the fire company’s new boat, monvalleyindependent.com reported. 

Councilman and Fire Chief Chad Rager announced the boat’s arrival during the meeting, and council members quickly motioned to approve all new business in one vote and adjourned the meeting, the report said. 

Members rushed to Market Street, where crews had blocked off the road in front of the fire hall. Within minutes, an Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Company truck approached, hauling a 26-foot long, 300-horsepower boat covered in blue protective wrap, according to the report.

Everett Eaton
The Virginian-Pilot
(TNS)

A new electric fire truck, developed by the fire service vehicle maker Rosenbauer, made a run through Hampton Roads recently. It stopped at Volvo Penta in Chesapeake, which had built the battery components. It was then on display during the Virginia Fire Rescue Conference at the Virginia Beach Conference Center last weekend.

The truck — called an RTX, for “Revolutionary Truck” — is almost silent, but that doesn’t mean its sirens won’t let cars know to watch out when it’s time to stop a fire.

The truck is one of the first to debut in the United States. A Los Angeles fire station began using one in 2022. Rosenbauer started with a concept vehicle in 2012 and later partnered with Volvo Penta.

The motor, lighting and equipment are powered by Volvo Penta batteries. Running on batteries makes the vehicle quieter, helps fight noise pollution and makes it easier for firefighters to communicate.

Electric-powered vehicles do not release carbon emissions, which helps the air quality in the vicinity of the truck. The truck is also made of metals and plastics that are more easily recyclable than traditional vehicle plastics. The truck has a battery life extension system run by a diesel motor. When the battery’s charge drops to 20% the system kicks in and charges the battery to provide about another six hours of battery life.

While parked, the truck sits about 7 inches off the ground. An air suspension system can raise the truck to a clearance of 10 inches for paved roads and to 14 inches for locations where the truck would need to go off-road; the system can raise it to a maximum clearance of 19 inches for flooded areas.

“You can never fully prepare for floods, but when they do happen, firefighters still need to get to areas to help people,” said Todd McBride, sales and marketing manager with Rosenbauer America.

Many of the operations on the vehicle, like the opening of its water tanks, can be monitored and controlled with tablets, one of which has a range of about 300 feet outside the truck.

The truck will make its way to Baltimore and Canada for more demonstrations. Other trucks have already been delivered to major cities around the world, including Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“We have also been getting a lot of interest in these trucks here in North America,” McBride said. “Sometimes the firemen are a little hesitant, but after they take it for a spin they always leave with a smile on their faces.”

No plans have been made for a local fire department to purchase one of the trucks.

Everett Eaton, 262-902-7896, everett.eaton@virginiamedia.com

©2023 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation donated more than $37,000 to the Quincy Fire Department for lifesaving equipment, wtxl.com reported.

The department used the grant money to buy a new cutter, spreader and ram, the report said. QFD now has a third set of extrication equipment to help them get people stuck in a car out quickly and safely.

The new equipment is battery-operated, making it faster and more efficient in a life-or-death situation, the report said.

That new equipment is now ready to use and will be housed at Fire Station 2 in Quincy.