August 2007
COLUMNS
Fire Service Today
by C. Peter Jørgensen
The news from E-ONE last month – the appointment of a new president — tended to overshadow the news from Pierce — the appointment of a new president. And the course each new president sets will significantly impact the fire apparatus manufacturing industry in the United States for many years to come. More...
Apparatus Ideas
by Bob Barraclough
Tradition Has Not Impeded Progress
I have been watching the evolution of fire apparatus since the late 1940s. Some of the old styles have changed. Some of the hardware has been upgraded. The pumps have moved around. And, thank goodness, we progressed from wood to metal aerial ladders, which are much stronger than the original designs. More..
Keeping It Safe
by Robert Tutterow
Keep It Clean By Removing Exhaust
The best way to keep your station and, more importantly your lungs, clean is by installing and using diesel exhaust removal systems. Many stations already have a system, but far too many are still without. There are three methods of removing exhaust from a station that will be reviewed later. More...
Pump Talk
by Gary Handwerk
High-Rise Buildings Require Big Pumps
Many major cities are planning new high-rise buildings. Each one seems to be higher than the next. Because of the horrors of the attacks of September 11, many city departments are searching for the best tools to combat unthinkable fires in these buildings. More...
EMS Equipment
by Will Chapleau
Tools For Treating Traumatic Injuries
Recent studies on intubation in the field have not painted a pretty picture of success rates and patient outcomes. Many are taking a closer look at advanced airway management and looking for basic or other advanced tools for airway management in the field. Verathon Medical offers its GlideScope video laryngoscope as an option. More...
Chief Concerns
by Richard Marinucci
Choosing The Right Equipment For The Job
Departments have essentially two choices when purchasing apparatus – custom or “off-the-shelf.” Many, if not most, departments prefer a custom piece and will choose that option as long as funding is sufficient. More...
Firefighting Field Notes
by Dominic Colletti
Flammable Liquids Fires Need Lots Of Class B Foam
Large-scale flammable liquid spill fires are low-frequency events, but they do happen and in virtually any jurisdiction. While spill fires can vary widely in size and scope, if one happened in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could be rigorously challenging to control and suppress, causing loss of life and extensive property damage. More...
The Road Warrior
by Allen Baldwin
Special Service Vehicles Should Meet Individual Needs
There are numerous specialty vehicles throughout the fire and rescue service. There’s everything from the Super Pumper to large rescues to deluge wagons and special one of kind pieces. More...
Special Delivery
By Tony Lolli
Macomb Township Sticks With Proven Sutphen Pumpers
When you find something that works well, buy more than one. That’s what the Macomb (Mich.) Township Fire Department did. More...
ARTICLES
Plastisol May Be Coming To An Emergency Apparatus Near You
By Ed Ballam
So just what is Plastisol anyway and how is Alan Saulsbury planning to market it in North America?
The material itself is glass fiber reinforced polyester injected with resin. The concept is panels of material, which look somewhat like an ice cream sandwich. More...
Tests May Postpone Deliveries Of SCBA
By Lyn Bixby
It is possible that no manufacturers of self-contained breathing apparatus will have units certified under tough, new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards before the requirements take effect at the end of this month. More...
Firefighter Safety Spurs Interest In Robots
By Lyn Bixby
Early this year the Virginia Department of Transportation, using state and federal money, bought four wireless remote-controlled firefighting robots for four towns in the state’s Hampton Roads area at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay, primarily for dealing with fires in tunnels that connect the communities. More...
Emergency Crews Demand As Much Light As Possible
By David A. Smith
It would be nice if fire and EMS calls only occurred during daylight hours. But as anyone in emergency services knows, that’s hardly the case. Calls come at anytime, and rescue crews have a job to do, whether the sun is shining, whether it’s the middle of the night or whether it’s somewhere in between. More...
Road Rescue Focuses On Safety With Innovative Ambulance Design
By Ed Ballam
Road Rescue has added an innovative ambulance to its product lineup designed to keep its occupants safer. More...
Saulsbury Is Back In Business
By Ed Ballam
It’s 7 a.m. and Alan Saulsbury is sitting in his kitchen eating his usual breakfast – cereal, fruit and coffee. He has already been up for a while, checking and returning e-mail messages and making, a couple of overseas phone calls. He’s had about five hours of sleep, plenty for him. More...
Wooden Fire Ladders Still Part Of San Francisco Tradition
By Meredith May - Chronicle Staff Writer
With the skilled hands of a craftsman, Qing Du feels the side rail of a San Francisco Fire Department ladder, searching for stress points. More...
IAFC Selects New Executive Director
Mark Light is the new executive director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. More...
Thorogood Bunker Boot Provides Lightweight Protection
Thorogood Shoes, a leader in fire, rescue, uniform and safety footwear, has developed a lighter weight option for both men and women with its 14-inch ULTI-MET structural bunker boot. More...
Wilson Jones Appointed President Of Pierce Manufacturing
Wilson Jones has been named president of Pierce Manufacturing, replacing John Randjelovic, one of a series of organizational appointments in Oshkosh Truck Corporation’s Fire Emergency Group. More...
Rosenbauer Articulating Platform Increases Safety Of Firefighters
Rosenbauer launched a new articulating platform that allows fire departments to decrease set-up time and increase firefighter safety when accessing parapet roofs or performing difficult below grade rescues from bridges and waterways. More...
Holmatro’s Bulkhead Fitting Makes Tool Connections Quick
To make it’s CORE technology more user friendly, Holmatro Rescue Equipment has developed a new line of bulkhead fittings to which its extrication tools can be connected, much like an electric appliance is plugged into a wall outlet. More...
Rescue Unit Roof Access Is Safer With Hackney’s Staircase
Hackney Emergency Vehicles has developed a way to safely gain access to the roofs of the rescue vehicles it makes with an innovative Auto Deploy Staircase (ADS) that mechanically lowers and raises an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliant egress to the vehicle’s roof. More..