This San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Department/Lake Arrowhead engine, a 2017 KME all-wheel-drive 1,500/500, the newest engine in the fleet, works on the Canyon II Fire in Anaheim, California, which destroyed 24 structures and burned more than 7,500 acres, pushed by Santa Ana winds. (Photo by Keith D. Cullom/www.fire-image.com.)
By Chris Mc Loone
As we wrap up 2017 and take a look back, it was a lot like 2016.
There was no lack of innovation, and merger and acquisition activity continued, causing further consolidation in the market. One market area that has started to gain more attention is the industrial firefighting side of the fire service, and manufacturers continue to design appliances and fire apparatus with this market in mind.
There is one area that has continued to gain more and more attention, and that is firefighter cancer. Cancer prevention and awareness have touched practically every area in which firefighters find themselves. From the personal protective equipment (PPE) they wear during a fire, to the apparatus they ride to and from, to the station in which they spend a great deal of time, there are a variety of organizations focusing on how to reduce firefighter exposure to harmful carcinogens. Keep an eye out during 2018 for more research developments on cancer prevention for firefighters. Also look for continued developments in fire station design that work to clear firefighters from exposure to a variety of contaminants as well as products to help with gross decon of PPE to remove as many contaminants as possible when firefighters exit a structure fire.
2017 was not without its challenges, but fire service suppliers overcame many of them and expect continued growth. Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment caught up with Michael Moore, chief operating officer for Pierce Manufacturing; Phil Gerace, vice president of marketing for Task Force Tips (TFT); and Kyle Smith, president of AMKUS and asked them a few questions regarding 2017, the market, and their outlook for 2018.
Looking back, what was your biggest challenge in 2017?
Moore: Our Fire and Emergency segment’s biggest challenge was keeping up with demand for our products and services.
Gerace: Communicating the depth of the TFT product line. With thousands of products, it’s hard to really explain the features and benefits of them all.
Smith: Meeting the demand for demos of our battery-powered rescue tools. Our first-generation tools were used primarily for research and development internally and with select fire-rescue partners. With the release of our second-generation tools to the fire market, the interest has been very strong.
How did you overcome this challenge?
Gerace: We’ve added a full-time social media person, and now we’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to explain the products and how they’re used.
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