October 2007
COLUMNS
Fire Service Today
by C. Peter Jørgensen
A major milestone in fire apparatus manufacturing occurs this month when American LaFrance (ALF) holds the grand opening of its new 450,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and office complex in Summerville, S.C.
The dedication and ceremonies coincide with a celebration of the 175th anniversary of production by a company that traces its origins back to the manufacture of small hand-operated fire engines on the banks of King’s Canal in Waterford, N.Y. More...
Apparatus Ideas
by Bob Barraclough
Questions From You; Answers From The Guru
From time to time, I get interesting questions from our readers and from attendees at lectures and presentations I make on apparatus specifications and safety. Most of the queries involve National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, although others are more general in nature. If you have something you’d like to ask me about, I encourage you to send me an email at news@firemagazine.com and I’ll do my best to get an answer. More...
The Road Warrior
by Allen Baldwin
Winter Is Coming And It Is Time To Prepare
Winter is just around the corner and for some, especially those in the Northeast, the potential for snowfall is less than a month away. We have talked before about preparing for and executing responses in winter weather. It never hurts to review the stuff we think we know just to make sure we haven’t forgotten and to discuss some things that are new before the snow flies. More...
Keeping It Safe
by Robert Tutterow
Industry Observations From A Safety Officer
I was impressed by what I saw in apparatus cabs on display this past August at Fire-Rescue International in Atlanta. Many of the manufacturers were showcasing trucks with cabinetry inside the cab. More...
Chief Concerns
by Richard Marinucci
Deciding To Comply With New Standards
I was recently at a training burn. One of my adult daughters was there to watch (her husband is a firefighter). During one of the breaks we were talking and my daughter asked me when I was going to get a new helmet. I told her not too soon. More...
Pump Talk
by Gary Handwerk
Too Many Discharges Are An Expensive Mistake
Designing fire apparatus with more discharge outlets than necessary not only adds cost but, more importantly adds complexity. Nobody needs more controls and gauges making the pump operator’s panel more complicated and harder to operate at 2 a.m. in a snow storm when no one is functioning optimally. More...
We’ve Got You Covered
by Will Grilliott
Isn’t All Bunker Gear Pretty Much The Same?
Isn’t all bunker gear the same? After all, material is material, thread is thread, sewing is sewing and reflective material is reflective material. And if it meets National Fire Protection Association standards, why not just purchase the cheapest? More...
Tool Time
By Raul A. Angulo
What Hand Tools Are In Your Pockets?
In the Seattle Fire Department, our tradition is that the on-coming member puts away the turnout gear (helmet, coat and boots) of the member he or she is relieving. I am always amused at shift change how some coats weigh as much as a boat anchor and others are light as a feather. More...
Firefighting Field Notes
by Dominic Colletti
Conshohocken Gets Air And Light Truck
Conshohocken (Pa.) Fire Company No. 2 has taken delivery of a new rescue truck built by Ferrara. Mounted on a Ferrara Igniter chassis with a Cummins ISL 400 engine, the cab crew area is equipped to seat six firefighters. More...
ARTICLES
Two SCBA Makers Finally Gain Full NFPA Approval
By Lyn Bixby
At last in September the two leading manufacturers of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) managed to pass a series of demanding new tests established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). More..
TFT Promotes Remote Control Deluge Use For Added Safety
By Ed Ballam
The staff at Task Force Tips (TFT) has a guiding philosophy that has been with the company since the day it started nearly 40 years ago – keep firefighters safe while they do their jobs. More...
Developing UTV Specs Requires Knowledge
By Kimball Johnson
In recent years, the big brother of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), known as UTVs, which is short for utility vehicles, have seen a rapid rise in use by emergency services organizations across the country. More..
Diesel Smoke Is Biggest Issue In Firehouse Safety
By Ted Siska
Even a hundred years before Rudolf Diesel invented his engine in the 1890s, hydrocarbon soot was already known to be a danger in the workplace. Soot is the very first chemical substance ever identified as an occupational health hazard, being linked to diseases among chimney sweeps in London in 1775. More..
Huge KME Apparatus Purchase Draws Praise From LACFD
By Ed Ballam
The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) has taken delivery of the last of 106 apparatus from KME Fire Apparatus, including pumpers, compressed air foam system (CAFS) engines and tractor-drawn quints. More..
Crimson Fire Adds Industry Veterans To Team
Kevin Crump has joined Crimson Fire as executive vice president and general manager, leading the day-to-day operations of the Brandon, S.D.-based manufacturer of custom fire trucks and rescue vehicles. More..
E-ONE Sells $5.5 Million Of Apparatus To Orange County
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in Irvine, Calif., has taken delivery of 16 E-ONE custom pumpers at a cost of $360,000 each for a total sale in excess of $5.5 million. More..
Pierce Awarded $4.5 Million Water Tender Army Contract
Pierce Manufacturing Inc. has been awarded a five-year, firm fixed-price contract worth $4.5 million by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) for the production of 10 water tender vehicles. More..
Havis-Shields Makes More Efficient Light
Havis-Shields has introduced a new Magnafire 5000 high-intensity emergency scene light. This latest addition to the Magnafire Series features a smaller space saving design at 9.18 inches wide. More..
Dräger Offers Advanced Thermal Imaging Camera
Dräger’s UCF 1600 and 3200 thermal imaging cameras (TIC) are suitable for use in the harshest operating environments as the camera core is fully protected against heat, water and dust as well as major shocks and inhospitable temperatures, according the maker. More..
Kochek Is A Leader In LDH And Suction Hose
For more than 20 years, Kochek Company, based in Putnam, Conn., has manufactured American-made specialty fire equipment, including large diameter hose (LDH) supply line and PVC suction hose for the firefighting market. More..
Akron Brass Expands Weldon Technologies
The Akron Brass Company of Wooster, Ohio, plans the addition of a 28,000-square-foot facility in Columbus, Ohio, for its Weldon Division to accommodate business growth. More..