The significance of rigorous and consistent training with thermal imagers cannot be overstated. While immersive drills involving simulated fires and technical rescues are crucial, there are numerous quick and effective training exercises that can be incorporated into the daily duties of firefighting personnel. The message is clear: fire departments do not always need elaborate setups to enhance their skills with TICs.

A few drill suggestions include:

• Use the circuit panel in your station as a training focal point.
• Create a controlled environment by boiling water in a pot and then analyzing the temperature readings coming from both the water and the surrounding pot surface.
• To familiarize team members with shutter mechanisms, firefighters can manipulate the thermal imager immediately after powering it on and observe the frequency at which the shutter engages. Identifying what happens during this period—when the download of thermal data seems “frozen”—will build confidence in recognizing normal equipment functionality.
• While performing standard tasks—such as refilling SCBA tanks—firefighters can take a thermal imager to monitor changes in temperature. Observations can include the heat generated by compressors during operation or residual heat in equipment.

For more information on thermal imaging, visit www.bullard.com/thermal-imaging.

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Special Delivery Alan M. Petrillo

The West Tuckerton (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company wanted to replace an old Peterbilt elliptical tanker and, after considerable research about the value of an urban interface rig, chose to have a pumper-tanker built by Spartan Emergency Response (ER). Not long after the fire company ordered the pumper-tanker, it decided it also wanted a pumper and purchased a stock unit that had just started production.

Anthony D’Andrea, West Tuckerton’s fire chief, says the fire company’s district only has 260 hydrants, with much of the coverage area needing to be serviced by tanker operations. “The pumper-tanker from Spartan ER is a one-stop rig that can be the source for 10,500 gallons of water,” D’Andrea points out, with its 3,500-gallon tank and two 3,500-gallon portable tanks. “It’s self-sufficient and is able to handle being tied to an aerial with a master stream all by itself. On structure fire calls, the engine drops a supply line at the driveway and wraps a mailbox, while the tanker picks up the lay and supplies the pumper, serving as a water source.”

Tim Burkhart, regional sales manager for Spartan ER, says the pumper-tanker is built on a Kenworth T880 chassis and two-door cab, is powered by a Paccar MX15 500-horsepower (hp) engine and an Allison 4500 EVS automatic transmission, and has a Dana 20,000-pound front axle with a Hendrickson SteerTek suspension and a Meritor 52,000-pound tandem rear axle with a Primax EX air ride suspension. Wheelbase on the pumper-tanker is 257 inches, overall length is 34 feet 7 inches, and overall height is 11 feet 7 inches.

He says the rig has a side-mount 2,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) Waterous CSU pump; a UPF Poly® 3,500-gallon water tank; and two 3,500-gallon FOL- DA-TANK portable water tanks, one on each side of the body.

Bill Bartos, sales representative for Campbell Supply Company, who sold the rigs to West Tuckerton, says the Spartan ER pumper-tanker has two 200-foot 1 3/4-inch crosslays; an FRC InControl pressure governor; Akron discharge valves; two Waterous master intake valves; a Trident AirPrime system; three Newton 10-inch quick-dump valves (left, right, and rear); one 3-inch tank fill valve; and two 5-inch tank fill valves at the rear.

D’Andrea points out that the pumper-tanker has a Task Force Tips (TFT) Crossfire manual deck gun with an 18-inch TFT Extend-A-Gun. The rig’s hosebed carries 1,000 feet of 5-inch large-diameter hose (LDH) and 600 feet of 3-inch hose. D’Andrea says that West Tuckerton had Spartan ER install two 4-inch tank-to-pump valves, a primary and secondary, to ensure maximum water flow in case the pumper-tanker is parked on a hill.

1 Spartan ER built this pumper-tanker on a two-door Kenworth T880 cab and chassis for the West Tuckerton (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company. (Photos 1-3 courtesy of Campbell Supply Company.)

2 Spartan ER also built this pumper for West Tuckerton on a Spartan Metro Star MFD cab and chassis with a 10-inch raised roof and seating for six firefighters.

By DORANY PINEDA and BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press

CABAZON, Calif. (AP) — Mark Whaling and a crew raced up and down a hill in a tanker truck as they battled a wildfire in Los Angeles County, scrambling to get water from a street hydrant in time to stay ahead of flames moving up a ridge. A helicopter flew in to drop water, but it had to fly a long distance to refill — and a fire that might have been stopped went on to destroy homes.

As they fought that early 2000s blaze, Whaling says, he spotted a sealed, million-gallon water tank nearby that firefighters had no way of accessing. He thought that was ridiculous.

“We don’t tell fire engines, ‘Protect the city and go find your own water.’ We put fire hydrants every 600 feet all around cities,” said Whaling, who has since retired from the county fire department. “But when it comes to the helicopters, we weren’t supporting them as robustly as we should.”

His frustration sparked an idea: the Heli-Hydrant, a relatively small, open tank that can be rapidly filled with water, enabling helicopters to fill up faster for urban fires rather than flying to sometimes distant lakes or ponds.

As wildfires become more frequent, Whaling’s invention is getting the attention of officials eager to boost preparedness. First used for the 2020 Blue Ridge Fire in Yorba Linda, 10 Heli-Hydrants have been built across Southern California and 16 more are in progress, according to Whaling.

Helicopters are essential for firefighting. They can drop 1,000 gallons (about 3,785 liters) of water at once — some much more. That’s far more than hoses can get on a fire all at once, and can be the best way to attack fires that are difficult for ground crews to reach.

But pilots sometimes have to fly a long way to scoop up water, and in drought-prone areas, natural sources can sometimes dry up or diminish so they’re hard to draw from. In Southern California’s Riverside County, helicopters have had to fly up to 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) to find water, eating critical time from battling fires.

An innovative solution

On a remote plot in the Southern California town of Cabazon, contractor Glenn Chavez stood on a ladder and peered into an empty Heli-Hydrant. A radio in hand, he clicked a button to activate the system and watched as water roared into the tank. In about six minutes, it filled with 8,500 gallons (32,176 liters).

Chavez, a general contractor, was testing the Cabazon Water District’s latest investment — a second Heli-Hydrant that local officials are counting on to help protect the town. At $300,000, it cost slightly less than the average price of a single home in Cabazon.

“Living in a beautiful desert community, you’re going to have risks of fire,” said Michael Pollack, the district’s general manager. “And to have these Heli-Hydrants is a major advantage. People will have a little bit of comfort knowing that they have another tool for fighting fires in their community.”

Pilots can remotely activate the tanks from half a mile away, with the tank typically filling quickly from a city’s water system. Helicopters can fill up in less than a minute. Once it’s activated, solar panels and backup batteries ensure the system can still be used during power outages. And at night, lights from the tank and a tower nearby guide pilots toward it.

In November, fire responders in San Diego put the product to the test when the 48-acre Garden Fire in Fallbrook, a community known for its avocado groves, prom

As fire departments across North America seek to balance budgets, meet urgent equipment needs, and respond to community demands, the concept of “stock rigs” emerges as an essential topic in the fire service community. In a recent episode of the Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment podcast, Chris Mc Loone interviewed Jay Johnson, from Rosenbauer America, who shared insights into Rosenbauer’s stock truck program.

The production of stock fire apparatus is driven by collaboration between Rosenbauer America and its network of dealers across North America. These dealers play a crucial role in understanding local market needs and consumer preferences. By gauging what fire departments are likely to seek, dealers can preemptively order units that are most likely to align with future purchases, allowing for quicker delivery times.

One of the most significant benefits of opting for a stock truck is the potential for reduced lead times. In contrast to the custom rig experience—which can range from 18 to 24 months for delivery due to the comprehensive design, engineering, and purchasing processes—stock trucks could be available for delivery much earlier, sometimes even immediately if they are already in stock.

Another factor driving interest in stock rigs is cost. The inherent economies of scale associated with stock production can lead to reduced purchase prices compared with fully customized units.

Visit www.rosenbaueramerica.com for more information.

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Cameron Macdonald
The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
(TNS)

May 26—Southern Marin and Tiburon firefighters are employing a tool to alert drivers in case lights and sirens fail to do the job.

Using technology called Safety Cloud, a fire crew en route to an emergency can send alerts to nearby drivers announcing their approach through messages on the drivers’ smartphones or vehicle navigation systems.

The Southern Marin Fire Protection District recently installed the devices into their vehicles, Chief Chris Tubbs said.

“It’s safety for our firefighters and it’s safety for the community,” he said. “It’s really about reducing the risks out in the interstate and any roadway, but the freeways are where the higher risks are.”

The Southern Marin district covers about 25 square miles. Tubbs said the agency recently activated the technology and has not collected data on its early results.

Tubbs said it’s unlikely that Southern Marin crews will know which vehicles are getting the alerts and which ones are not.

The cost to activate the Safety Cloud technology for 24 vehicles was $1,200, said Kim Huff, a spokesperson for the Southern Marin district. The activation cost was split by the Tiburon and Southern Marin agencies, she said.

Both agencies’ annual service cost for the Safety Cloud system is $7,896, $4,277 of which is covered by the Southern Marin district, Huff said.

Tiburon Fire Protection District Chief Tommy Hellyer said his agency is working on getting the hardware to use the technology and plans to activate it next month.

“Sometimes they don’t hear the sirens, sometimes they don’t see the lights,” Hellyer said of drivers during emergencies. “I think that people are so conditioned to see their phones and their navigation systems in their vehicles, if this can provide that information to folks who are driving, then it’s safer for everyone.”

The product is made by HAAS Alert of Chicago. The alerts are delivered on seven platforms, including the Waze and Apple Maps apps, said Brock Aun, a company vice president.

Alerts also can be sent to certain vehicle models that have built-in mapping systems. Such vehicles include 2018 or newer Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Volkswagen models, Aun said.

Safety Cloud technology is being used by nearly 5,000 agencies worldwide, Aun said.

“Digital alerting significantly reduces the risk of collision, and responders really appreciate every layer of protection they can get on the road,” he said.