
Firefighters and their families, friends, and community members from across the nation gathered at historic Lambeau Field on September 22, 2018, to participate in the sixth annual 9/11 MEMORIAL STAIR CLIMB. More than 2,700 people participated. This year’s event raised more than $135,000, with all proceeds benefiting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), and has again been recognized as one of the largest stair climbs in the nation. 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb participants had the opportunity to ascend the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center while wearing a badge with the name and photograph of one of the fallen firefighters. At the 78th floor, the highest floor reached on 9/11, each climber rang a fire bell in honor of the individual on their badge. “Since its inception, the Pierce Manufacturing team has been grateful for the opportunity to cosponsor the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb along with the Green Bay (WI) Metro Fire Department,” said Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing. “Not only is it an incredible day of remembrance and reflection, supporting the NFFF helps provide access to critical resources for survivors and co-workers of fallen firefighters.”
SVI GRAPHICS, a designer and producer of custom vehicle graphics for the emergency industry, recently overhauled its Web site, www.svigraphics.com, to better showcase the company’s graphics capabilities. The redesigned Web site showcases 14 years of industry work in vehicle chevrons, door decals, door kickers, product labels, and fleet vehicle rebranding. The company’s emergency vehicle graphics meet the gamut of NFPA stipulations on coverage and reflectivity to keep crews safe. SVI Graphics offers 3M-certified products, printed with solvent ink and laminated for UV protection for flawless results. The Web site showcases graphics by vehicle type. OEMs and departments can browse fire truck graphics, custom ambulance graphics, police car graphics, and commercial vehicle graphics.
EURAMCO GROUP has partnered with bloom.CAPITAL to launch XFDirect—an independent network of firefighting vehicle and equipment service shops throughout mainland China. XFDirect, over the past 12 months, has completed pilot testing and has now formally launched operations of its mobile application-based case management software for users to quickly create service cases from their mobile devices for their out-of-service equipment, in their own language, which instantly connects to well-equipped, OEM-trained service teams for fast response. XFDirect’s combination of mobile app interface with brick-and-mortar service capabilities, in a regional market where equipment dealers are typically not capable of supporting what they sell, has already gained rapid acceptance among fire departments across the region and leading manufacturers throughout the world.
PIGEON MOUNTAIN INDUSTRIES (PMI), a provider of safety, rescue, and climbing gear, has expanded its facilities. On September 1, 2018, PMI moved its Denver, Colorado, training facility and sales offices to a larger location. The new facility will accommodate the rapid growth of the company’s training business and allow for the expansion of the sales staff. The greatly enlarged training floor and dedicated classrooms will offer multiple towers and props, providing students with a hands-on learning experience. The move will also provide a testing area for National Wireless Safety Alliance Telecommunication Tower Technician practical examinations.
NEW YORK Department Takes Delivery of HME Mini Pumper
The Fleming Fire Department, Auburn, New York, has recently taken delivery of an all-new custom HME Ahrens-Fox mini pumper. Built on a RAM 5500 4×4 SD Crew Cab XL, it is powered by a 325-hp Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 OHV diesel direct-injection engine with a six-speed electronic SelectShift automatic transmission. The mini pumper also features a Hale DSD 1,500-gpm pump, a United Plastics T-Tank at 300 gallons, adjustable aluminum shelves, and heavy-duty pullout trays with roll-up doors. The mini pumper also has an FRC Class A foam system and 15-gallon foam cell.
Salesman: Mark Aswad
Dealer: Firehouse Apparatus, Inc.
Dealer Location: Locke, New York
SPARTAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE focused on first responder safety at the 39th annual Michigan Firemen’s Memorial Festival. The show featured Spartan’s S-180 fire truck, equipped with the Spartan Advanced Protection System®. Spartan also sponsored defensive driving simulators, which were available for use by first responders. Spartan was represented at the festival by its three Michigan-based dealers: CSI Emergency Fire Apparatus; R&R Fire Truck Repair, Inc.; and The Zahnen Companies.
The Harwich (MA) Fire Department is taking delivery of an unusual apparatus—or at least one not typically found on the East Coast. The two-station fire department, which protects 11,765 within 20.93 square miles in the mid-Cape Cod region, turned to SVI TRUCKS to build a Type III Wildland Engine to help respond to the area’s severe flood scenes. Built on a Freightliner 108SD Type III chassis, the apparatus will provide the department with higher ground clearance to navigate flooded areas where deep water has been known to create obstacles for some of its other engines, Harwich Chief Norman Clark Jr. says. Featuring up to 15 inches of ground clearance, this chassis delivers an additional seven inches of clearance compared with other trucks that meet the NFPA 1901 eight-inch requirement. Harwich’s newest addition features a Hale MBP 1,000-gpm pump with 500-gallon water tank, FoamPro 1601 foam system, and Chelsea “Hot-Shift” transmission PTO. The rear-access hosebed storage is located over the water tank and body of the apparatus, featuring two adjustable aluminum hosebed partitions.
P.L. CUSTOM BODY AND EQUIPMENT CO., INC. (PLCB) has announce the addition of Kaza Fire Apparatus Sales & Service (Kaza Fire), a division of Kaza Fire Equipment, LLC, to its growing family of distributors. Kaza Fire will be providing sales and service to emergency services providers in the western half of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition to providing sales and service for PL Custom Emergency Vehicles and Rescue 1, Kaza Fire will be able to provide remounting and specialty conversions through PLCB as well.
SVI Trucks has announced that officials at the Campbell County Fire Department, Gillette, Wyoming, have finalized plans for the purchase of two new commercial engine/Type 3 fire trucks from SVI Trucks. Campbell County’s new apparatus will be built on Freightliner four-door commercial chassis and have overall lengths of 28 feet 2.5 inches with overall heights of 11 feet. The wildland trucks feature dual side compartments and will include 750-gallon water tanks as well as 30-gallon Class A foam tanks. Additionally, the engines will be equipped with Waterous CXSPA pumps, FoamPro foam systems, and three-inch discharge deck guns. The cabs will feature OnScene Solutions’ Talon helmet mounts and Access LED ground lighting, while the bodies will include storage for three ladders, including an SVI folding roof access ladder.
MSA has awarded 30 firefighters with scholarships to an O2X Human Performance Workshop, the first of which took place in Champaign, Illinois. The O2X Human Performance Workshop is designed to help firefighters start, stay, and finish their careers strong. Wherever firefighters are in their health, wellness, and safety journey, MSA wants to help maximize performance by offering firefighters the chance to participate in this life-changing, physical, and mental health optimization program. Two additional sessions are planned for Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas, November 13-16.
AVON PROTECTION announces NFPA 1801, Standard for Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service (2018 ed.), compliance for its argus range of thermal imaging cameras (TICs), which include the Mi-TIC E, Mi-TIC E L, Mi-TIC 320, and Mi-TIC S models. First published in 2013, the standard defines the minimum performance requirements for TICs worldwide. Key changes in the 2018 edition include limitations on cameras with visible light sensors, an increased battery run time of at least two hours while capturing video, a requirement for a refresh rate of at least 25 Hz, and new battery locking mechanism requirements. The NFPA 1801 compliance includes the introduction of the IGNIS Engine to all Mi-TIC models. The IGNIS Engine, along with its sensor and lens improvements, provides scene detail, enabling firefighters to see more of the important background details such as exit points, obstacles, and casualties, even in the presence of a fully developed fire.
GLOBE BY MSA, in partnership with the NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL (NVFC) and DUPONT PROTECTION SOLUTIONS, is giving away 52 sets of new turnout gear to 13 volunteer fire departments in need through the 2018 Globe Gear Giveaway program. The latest recipients are the Ben Lomond (CA) Fire Protection District (BLFD), the New Victoria (NS, Canada) Fire Department, and the Huntington Volunteer Fire Company (Phillipsburg, NJ). “[This donation of] Globe gear would provide a fresh set of turnouts for our top responding volunteers,” says BLFD Engineer Dan Arndt. “Receiving this gear will be a great morale boost for our members. Thank you to Globe, DuPont, and the NVFC for this opportunity to help make our responders safe,” says Deputy Chief Andrew Petrie, New Victoria Fire Department. “Any new gear would go a long way in ensuring both new recruits and our veterans feel protected,” says Chief Leo Pursell, Huntington Volunteer Fire Company.
F.I.E.R.O. Fire Station Design TIP
Never underestimate the need for storage. Most fire stations do not have enough of it. Items needing storage include maintenance tools; shop equipment; and supplies for office, cleaning, EMS, and spare equipment. Emergency supplies are also stored where charging or restock access is easy. Access to materials and supplies should be easy.