HIGH RIVER – In late 2021, Town Council approved the purchase of a replacement ladder truck for the High River Fire Department (HRFD).

Currently, the HRFD has been operating the same ladder truck since 2001. This truck has served our community very well over the past 21 years, but as our community grows, so does the need for proper firefighting equipment.

Earlier: High River (Canada) Fire Department Set to Receive C$1.45M Ladder Truck

The new Ladder truck is a 2020 Pierce 100-foot ladder platform truck that gives the department an extended aerial reach of 25 feet and an increase in pump capacity of 950 gallons per minute.

The updated truck is equipped with a 2000 gallon per minute pump, allowing an increase in water flow in the case of larger fires. One of the other significant upgrades is the work platform equipped at the end of the ladder. The platform allows our firefighters to discharge water from up to 100 feet and increase the department’s rescue capabilities.

With the truck now in place at the HRFD, fire staff will begin training on the use and operation of the new vehicle. The new ladder truck will be in service by the end of April after staff complete the required training.

The new ladder truck will provide our fire department with the latest technology and safety features to help keep our community safe. This new truck will remain in service to the community for the next 20 years.

For more information on the High River Fire Department, please visit highriver.ca/fire-department.

With a 1907 birth, it’s believed to be the city’s oldest resident: the downtown Hamilton fire station.

Soon that will not be the case, though. The cramped and dangerous quarters are getting a $5.4 million replacement, set to break ground in August, reports kpax.com.

At the time of the current facility’s construction, its bay was two barn doors out of which the horse-drawn wagons came, according to the report. The corner of Fox Field and Skeels is the site of the future fire station; and the change is due to size, setting, and safety.

The department in the past has had to special order apparatus to get them to fit in the station. Plus, there’s no decon room, which puts crew at a higher risk of cancer.

The city’s general fund, a state grant, and the board of investments will help pay for the new digs, which are expected to be operational by fall 2023.

City officials are hoping the community will contribute in covering the facility’s soft costs, which should come in around $150,000. The department plans to send out a donation mailing, the report notes.

The Springfield Fire Department (SFD) has donated a pair of fire trucks—Engines 16 and 17—to the Elizabethtown Fire Department (EFD).

Along with the apparatus, EFD received a generator, four fans, axes, pike poles, nozzles, hoses, and fittings.

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“Today we prolonged the useful life of two of our most ‘experienced’ rigs,” SFD writes on Facebook. “We donated Engines 16 and 17 to Elizabethtown (IL) Fire Department who can give them the TLC they deserve. The twin Luvernes were purchased in May of 1994 and had most recently served in our reserve fleet. Thanks to Fire Chief John Rose of the EFD for coming up to take them to their new home.”

“We just want to say ‘Thank You’ to the Springfield Fire Department,” EFD writes. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the trucks, equipment, and new opportunities you’ve given us.

“Again, thank you.”

The Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department plans to replace two old fire trucks with a 2022 Sutphen aerial, reports triblive.com.

The department got a deal by going with a demo model; its cost is about $1.265 million with $1.175 million coming from the borough and $90,000 from the department, with the department’s share covered via state relief.

The new fire truck is set for an August delivery, which will send to auction on Municibid the department’s 1971 Mack aerial 1996 Pierce engine, both of which are in working condition, according to the report. All funds will go to the borough.

The new apparatus comes with a 100-foot ladder mounted in the middle, akin to the Mack, though its reach extends farther than its predecessor’s 75 feet. In addition, the new one has a pump and can carry water, two things the Mack lacked.

The department’s station will have to undergo some remodeling to fit the new apparatus, officials say.