When the Clinton Township (OH) Fire Department chief approached Sutphen with a unique request for the department’s new apparatus, the manufacturer reached out to Kussmaul to help design a system that would fit the requirements. The customized Freedom eGen system enables power to be provided to critical components even when the engine is not running. Solar panels installed on the cab roof allow for replenished charge while the vehicle is on scene.

On March 7, residents of Audubon will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed $2.8 million general obligation bond. If passed, this proposed bond would strictly be used to help fund the construction of a new Audubon Fire and Rescue Station.

Audubon Fire and Rescue currently uses a building built in 1971 as a car dealership. Audubon Fire and Rescue moved into the building in 1975. The building has been added to three times since then, but the facility can no longer be expanded due to floodplain issues and existing property lines.

Voters approved the purchase of a new fire truck at a special town meeting held on Thursday at the Sorrento-Sullivan Rec Center, ellsworthamerican.com reported.

The article was passed in a 31-20 vote after hours of heated debate, the report said.

The new truck, an International pumper and tanker combination, will be paid off over a period of 10 years, and is expected to be in service for at least 20, according to the report.

The new truck will replace Sullivan’s existing tanker truck, which is a 1992 Ford and at more than 30 years old is no longer in active use. The current truck is too old to find parts for, making it difficult to refurbish, the report said.

A big point of contention at the meeting was that up to $650,000 was sought to purchase the truck, as specified in the warrant article, but the truck is expected to cost roughly $100,000 less than that amount, according to the report. Some residents said that they felt this was a way for the Select Board to write a “blank check” for any amount.

Officials said the extra financial wiggle room was added due to the volatility of truck prices, but that no more money than was required to purchase the truck would be used, the report said.

The Gadsden City Council last Tuesday approved the $1 million purchase of a new ladder truck for the Gadsden Fire Department, weisradio.com reported.

The E-One HP75 Quint on an E-One Typhoon chassis will replace a 16-year-old ladder truck at Station No. 4 in Alabama City, and according to a fire official is a case of needing to move now or face a lengthy wait, the report said. 

The $1,019,956 tab will be paid from American Rescue Plan funds that had been set aside for renovations to the Memorial Bridge on Broad Street, according to the report. But the council must approve an ordinance shifting those funds to the fire department’s account after its second reading. 

A city official said he’s confident after a city delegation’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., that Gadsden will be successful in its request for federal grant money for bridge upgrades, the report said.