Menu

Welcome

The Finest Supporting the Bravest!

The purpose of the Fire Mechanics Section is to promote standardization of fire apparatus and equipment preventative maintenance, improve safety standards and practices, promote workshops, conferences, and seminars related to the purposes of this Section, and to promote cost savings through standardization of building and equipment purchasing and maintenance.

RECENT FIRE MECHANIC NEWS

Posted: Jul 21, 2025

Redondo Beach (CA) Begins Plans for $93M Fire, Police Station Overhaul

Tyler Shaun Evains
Daily Breeze, Torrance, Calif.
(TNS)

Redondo Beach is starting to plan what the complete overhaul of its public safety facilities will look like, using bond money that voters approved during the November election.

The City Council this week unanimously approved a contract with construction management firm Griffin Structures to serve as the bond project manager, a role that will include helping Redondo decide how Measure FP funds should be spent to build new Fire Stations No. 1 and 2, and a Main Police Station, as well as renovate the police annex facility.

Voters in the city approved Measure FP during the November election, providing $93.35 million to rebuild the fire and police stations, as well as to continue recruiting and retaining personnel for the Redondo Beach Police and Fire departments. The city will repay the bonds via residents’ property taxes.

The city will pay Griffin Structures $150,000 of that money to complete the strategic planning phase for the reconstruction projects, the city manager’s assistant, Luke Smude, said, during which the firm and the city will work together to create a vision for the new buildings, secure temporary police and fire facilities to maintain services while construction is underway, and consider regulatory and environmental factors.

Once strategic planning is done, in about 16 weeks, staff will return to the council for a briefing on the project vision, in late November or early December, before the city prepares for construction.

It’s a “quick phase, but a very meaningful one,” City Manager Mike Witzansky said, “as it’ll set the tone for how we’ll ultimately design and construct these facilities,” adding that he looks forward to seeing the plan lay out how the “real money” will be spent on the public safety building makeover.

Griffin was ultimately the top choice out of the 11 firms that expressed interest in the project once the window for proposals opened in February, Smude said, having completed similar projects throughout Southern California.

Recently, for example, the firm worked on the rebuilt Manhattan Beach Fire Station No. 2, which opened in December 2023.

Councilmember Scott Behrendt, however, said during the Tuesday, June 15, coucil meeting, that he was concerned about the delay in that city’s new fire station opening from its original move in date of July 2023 — and whether that setback resulted in additional costs from contractors.

Leonard Marshall, project management executive for Griffin Structures, explained that the cause was a building height technicality that had minimal impact on the Manhattan Beach project.

“There was a slight discrepancy between what was approved by the planning commission and what was actually built,” Marshall said, and the extension “wasn’t significantly over the budget.”

The city’s risk management deemed it a negligible issue, he added, but cross checking everything across city departments took three months, leading to the opening delay. Settlement amounts for claims from contractors for the extended work period also stayed within the 10% project cost contingency.

Even during the technical standstill, “we didn’t sit on our hands,” Marshall said. “We made sure the contractor was able to reorganize some of the work they would’ve done later on and move it in earlier.”

Redondo Beach staff, meanwhile, anticipates Griffin being a long-term partner on the project beyond strategic planning, Smude said, but the firm would still have to return to the council for approval on any further involvement.

The post Redondo Beach (CA) Begins Plans for $93M Fire, Police St

Read more
Posted: Jul 21, 2025

PHOTOS: 49th Antique Fire Apparatus Show and Muster Held in Harrisburg (PA), Part 6

The annual antique fire apparatus muster and flea market along the banks of the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, hosted by the Pennsylvania Pump Primers, was held July 12.

The Pennsylvania Pump Primers Association is an organization of antique fire apparatus enthusiasts, many of whom own, drive, maintain, and improve their own fire trucks and related vehicles and equipment, according to the organization’s Web site.

The Pump Primers were founded in Harrisburg in 1975 and the following year became the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the national organization the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAAMFAA). Every July the Pennsylvania Pump Primers holds its annual muster in Harrisburg along the banks of the Susquehanna River in Riverfront Park. Over the years the muster has drawn an average of 100 pieces of antique apparatus that participate in activities including static display and active drafting and pumping from the river. The muster also features an extensive flea market and fire related contests and games.

Photos from 49th Antique Fire Apparatus Show: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Photos by David Traiforos.

Posted: Jul 20, 2025

Baraboo (WI) Gets $24 Million USDA Loan to Build New Fire, EMS Stations

JOHN GITTINGS
WiscNews
(TNS)

Baraboo has been awarded long-awaited federal funding for its future fire and paramedic stations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that the city of Baraboo is receiving a $24 million Rural Development Program loan, which will fund the upcoming Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District stations. A main station will be on the city’s west side, with a satellite facility on the northeast side.

Sleeping quarters, a training area for new responders and five firetruck and ambulance bays will be part of the main facility, which will be about 39,000 square feet and located on a vacant lot owned by the city.

Upcoming Baraboo Fire-EMS main facility

The main Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District station is slated to be about 39,000 square feet and feature five garages. It would be located along Highway 136 at Sauk Avenue.

Upcoming Baraboo Fire-EMS satellite facility

The satellite Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District station is slated to be roughly 12,000 square feet and have three garages. It will be at the intersection of Taft Avenue and 12th Street on the city’s east side.

A smaller, 12,500-square foot satellite facility will feature three bays. The locations were chosen based on call volume for fire and paramedic services, according to Laura Eysnogle, an architect with Five Bugles Design of Eau Claire.

Funding approval was announced after a roughly three-year wait, as the city’s Community Development Authority applied for it in 2023. The funding carries a 40-year repayment plan.

Earlier this year, the city’s Common Council discussed the possibility of needing to apply for general obligation bonds to cover the costs due to uncertainty surrounding federal dollars.

“This marks a major milestone in our efforts to enhance emergency services for the city, village and surrounding towns,” Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District EMS Chief Caleb Johnson said. “We firmly believe these new facilities will have a positive impact for the communities.”

Currently, the district operates from a downtown Baraboo building at 135 4th Street, which was built in 1868 and added to in 1957. Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District serves the city, village of West Baraboo and surrounding rural townships.

“Securing the loan approval from the USDA is certainly a big milestone, but there are still several steps that need to be completed in order to bring the new stations to fruition,” Baraboo Mayor Rob Nelson said.

WEB_ONLY_#22851_042625_BAR_Baraboo fire stations

Estimates in 2023 put the cost of the project at between $22.4 million to $24.8 million. Once bids are received, the city will have a “much firmer grasp” on costs and any additional needed financing, according to Nelson.

The city’s Common Council will put the project out for bid on Tuesday, with a groundbreaking this fall, “if all goes smoothly,” according to Nelson. The city and surrounding communities have until next May to break ground on the stations or they would need to resubmit designs to the USDA and Wisconsin Department of Safety and Public Services.

“We look forward to continuing this p

Read more
Posted: Jul 20, 2025

Stolen Fire Apparatus Hits Parked Cars, Damages Property

A stolen Everett (WA) Fire Department pumper wreaked havoc Friday night, July 18, 2025, as it barreled through north Everett colliding with multiple parked cars and damaging property across five locations, komonews.com reported. The suspect remains at-large.

Damage could be seen to trees, road signs, and a dozen vehicles, officials said, The Seattle Times reported.

The Everett Fire Department posted the following on its Facebook page:

[Update July 19, 2025, at 3:45 p.m.]

EVERETT, Washington – Everett Police Detectives are continuing their investigation into the theft of Everett Fire’s engine and the series of collisions that followed. Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to call the Everett Police Department TIP LINE at (425) 257-8450.

Police Chief John DeRousse stated, “Losing a fire engine to such a reckless person not only jeopardizes the safety of our first responders but also puts our community at risk. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents, and any information that helps us resolve this incident is crucial. It is imperative that we hold the suspect accountable for their actions, and we will work diligently to bring them to justice.”

Fire Chief Dave DeMarco added, “We are actively reviewing this incident and examining our policies and procedures to see what, if anything, can be done to help prevent such occurrences in the future. We are thankful that no one was injured in this event, and we remain focused on safeguarding our community and our emergency response capabilities. We also want to take this opportunity to thank the community for their ongoing support. We are here to serve them, and their trust inspires us to continue our dedication to their safety.”

The media have inquired about the engine’s weight. The 2018 Pierce Enforcer pumper weighs approximately 35,000 pounds, making it a substantial vehicle when in motion. This engine is one of our newer engines in the fleet.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the Everett Police Department appreciates the community’s support and cooperation. Anyone with leads, video footage, or information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the TIP LINE to help bring the responsible party to justice.

The post Stolen Fire Apparatus Hits Parked Cars, Damages Property appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Read more
RSS
First45679111213Last

Theme picker

Upcoming Events

Theme picker

Sponsors

Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
Read more

Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
Read more

Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
Read more

Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
Read more

Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

Read more

Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
Read more

Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
Read more

Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
Read more

Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

Read more
RSS

Theme picker

2020 CAR SHOW