Complying with the new WAC standard is easy and affordable.  The Fire Mechanics Section of the WFC is presenting the 35^th annual Fire Mechanics Conference September 8^th – 12^th at the Yakima Convention Center.

The new WAC standard states “All repairs to the suppression components of emergency vehicles of the fire department shall be done by an Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT), ASE certified technician or factory qualified individual[1]”.  At this year’s conference there is a class for EVT pump certification and also EVT testing.  There will also be factory training by pump manufacturers to meet the State standards.  In one place the training required to comply with the WAC standard is available...

The Pacific Northwest is experiencing rapid changes in how crude oil is moved through rail corridors and over Washington waters for in-state refining and / or exportation to other West Coast refineries.  The Association of American Railroads reports that in 2008, 9,500 carloads of crude oil were moved by rail nationwide.  In 2012, nearly 234,000 carloads were moved, and estimated 400,000 carloads were moved by rail in 2013.  This traffic will continue to increase as long as crude oil production increases.

Moving crude oil by rail from North Dakota into Washington is creating a new risk environment.  In response, Governor Inslee directed the Department of Ecology conduct a Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study.  The purpose of the study is to deliver risk mitigation recommendations that address potential safety gaps, which will feed into a larger report.  This report will inform the Spill Program, Governor Inslee, and Washington Legislature of the technical, legal, and administrative actions necessary to make Washington more resilient to oil by rail incidents. 

Who is a leader in our industry?  Is it the brave chief working tirelessly alongside their firefighters in the wake of unimaginable tragedy?  Is it a chief who steps down to ensure the fiscal stability of their department?  Is it the chief who took the extra time and effort to develop better communication skills?  Or is it all of the above? 

This year the Washington Fire Chiefs will be exploring Leadership within the conference theme of “Strength in Relationships”.  As part of the conference, you will receive the latest challenge coin from the Washington Fire Chiefs, challenging your skills as a leader.  The inscription reads:

Leadership: Proficiency, Action, Relationships

Internal corrosion of a fire pump can result in costly repair to the pipes, major components, and other pump related accessories on your fire apparatus. This is sometimes described as electrolysis; however, this process is actually galvanic corrosion. Combating galvanic corrosion and its harmful damage to your components can be done by following a few simple steps and recommended procedures.

When dissimilar metals are placed in water and electrically connected, ion migration will occur. One metal will act as an anode and the other as a cathode and these ions will then transfer from the anode to the cathode. In a fire pump, the cast iron body most often becomes the anode and the other parts of the pump become the cathode. The casting will begin to wear away in an attempt to migrate to the other components causing the parts to literally disappear and form pits or holes over time. When a device with a third composition is added intentionally to combat this process it becomes a sacrificial anode. Materials commonly used as sacrificial anodes include, Magnesium, Zinc, and various Aluminum alloys. When these metals are connected physically or electrically, the ion migration will shift from the pump to the weaker sacrificial anode and provide cathodic protection of that fire pump...

We don’t rescue the young and beautiful from the ravages of fire often enough to maintain great satisfaction and inspiration for our work. In fact a lot of our work is routine in nature and sometimes difficult to continue to make important day after day drill after drill. Often it is difficult to see what we have done at the end of the day that we can say job well done. We do however need to be prepared for every emergency if and when it does come. That is why we train.

Remember when we first started down the fire service path? Every thing was a new experience, people told stories about everything. What they used all those tools for, what happened at one fire compared to another, how to protect yourself and do well. We practiced often and redundantly, until we had skills mastered. We didn’t pull a hose line once we pulled it five or eight times trying to improve each time. We raised ladders and secured them until we were hot and tired. Often while practicing one skill we would take on another objective because someone had a “what if”. This kind of day is fun and satisfying. That is why we train...