Contaminated hazardous materials protective gear can be deconned in several ways, from general cleaning to sterilization, disinfection, and antisepsis, depending on the level of hazmat exposure. While the equipment and processes used by manufacturers may vary, the end goal is to clean the gear and equipment so that it is free of all contamination.

Daemon Hobbs, sales representative for LANCO, says his company makes individual decontamination showers and three-lane decontamination systems for deconning contaminated hazmat gear and equipment on a scene. He notes that the individual showers have proven popular with fire departments that want to decon a few firefighters at a scene, while the multilane systems have mostly been purchased by regional hazmat authorities for use either on scene or in evacuation centers.

Hobbs says the individual decon shower has an inflatable frame operated with 4.4-pounds-per-square- inch (psi) overpressure, made of 32-ounce/per yard airtight coated fabric that connects to the shower cabin with a cord and loop system. “The shower cabin is made of yellow PVC-treated polyester fabric that is waterproof and antifungicidal and has large transparent foil windows,” Hobbs points out. “The ground sheet is permanently attached to the shower and made of gray PVC-coated polyester fabric.”

The equipment in the shower includes an arched tubular system containing nozzles, a hand shower with a 4.92-foot hose, a D-coupling head for the water supply, and a C-coupling head for water discharge. The decon shower is available in five sizes, with the two smallest carrying five nozzles and one hand shower and the three largest carrying 10 nozzles and two hand showers.

Hobbs adds that fire departments can hook up a dosing unit with a water pump where chemicals can be attached to the unit that sprays bleach, biocide, or antiviral detergents as part of the decon process. Some units have an inflatable berm or pool to help control water runoff, he says, and sump pumps can be used to pump contaminated water out of the tent and into a portable inflatable tank or a holding pond.

The three-lane decon shower is made of a highly durable yet lightweight fabric, Hobbs says, which is similar to materials used in inflatable boats. “The seams of the frame are high frequency welded, and the corner joints are mitered,” he notes. “The shelter is equipped with curtains to delineate the various decontamination lanes and zones, making it easier to triage and manage users.”

1 LANCO makes an individual decontamination shower for deconning hazmat gear and equipment on a scene. (Photo 1 courtesy of LANCO.)

2 Husky Portable Containment makes a collapsible and lightweight portable decontamination shower that can be used to decon hazmat gear on scene. (Photo 2 courtesy of Husky Portable Containment.)

3 RAM AIR makes the T4-IHR special ops gear dryer and a gear decon sprayer to clean and disinfect hazmat suits. (Photo 3 courtesy of RAM AIR Gear Dryer.)

The three lanes are for male, female, and injured, he adds, while there are three treatment zones for undressing, decon and rinsing, and checking and redressing. The decon and rinsing zone includes two integrated surround showers, each equipped with five nozzles and a hand shower. The system’s water containment sys

Firefighters with the Davenport Fire Department are training on an emergency vehicle training simulator on loan from the state of Iowa, ourquadcities.com reported.

Fire apparatus drivers are put into real-world situations where they need to make a split-second decision, the report said. Through live repetition with the simulator, the hope is that better decisions will be made in the field.

The simulator can be set up for different weather conditions, like snow or rain to make the roads slick. It can produce daytime and nighttime scenarios. Vehicles and pedestrians can be put in intersections.

Davenport plans to put every firefighter in the department through the training for the month that they have the machine. 

The post Iowa FFs Training on Emergency Vehicle Simulator appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

The Fort Smith Fire Department has been awarded nearly $700,000 through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, marking the second time the department has received this competitive federal grant, the city said in a press release.

The grant funding will be used to replace the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which are reaching the end of their life cycle. These vital pieces of equipment protect firefighters by providing breathable air in hazardous environments.

“Our self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are reaching the end of their life cycle, so receiving this grant is a huge savings to the general fund and the citizens of Fort Smith,” said Chief Boyd Waters. “Currently, the cost of one air pack is around $12,000, and all our SCBA are due to be replaced within the next few years. Not only will this grant save the City of Fort Smith money, but it will also keep the fire department equipped with the most up-to-date gear, which will help keep everyone safer.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, administered by FEMA, provides direct financial support to fire departments and EMS organizations to help them obtain critical equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

Mayor George McGill congratulated the Fort Smith Fire Department on their continued success and said, “We are grateful to FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for awarding Fort Smith $700,000 to replace critical equipment. This investment ensures our firefighters have the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively, while protecting the people of Fort Smith. Our community is stronger and safer because of this support.”

The Fort Smith Fire Department continues to serve with professionalism, preparedness, and pride, ensuring that both its firefighters and the citizens of Fort Smith are protected by the highest standards of safety.

The post Fort Smith (AR) FD Awarded Nearly $700K Grant for New SCBA appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

By Adele Peters
Fast Company
Fast Company Magazine

On a recent weekday in Aspen, Colorado, Stu Landesberg stood with a group of firefighters on a mountainside and watched a drone take off and fly toward a simulated fire. The drone detected the “hotspot”—a pile of ice, since wildfire risk was too high that day for real flames—and then aimed and blasted it with fire suppressant.

The test flight was one of thousands that Landesberg’s startup, Seneca, has run while operating in stealth mode over the last several months. The company officially launched today, announcing that it has raised $60 million. It aims to reshape wildfire response—and help protect wildfire-prone communities in a way that hasn’t been possible until now.

“Once I started learning about this problem, I became obsessed with it”

For Landesberg, the startup represents an unexpected pivot. Since 2012, he’d led Grove, the consumer products company known for cutting plastic waste in packaging. But in late 2023, the company brought in a new CEO, former Amazon executive Jeff Yurcisin, to help it grow. Landesberg became chairman of the board, and started to think about what he wanted to take on next.

“I looked around at the problems that were enormous—planetary scale,” he says. That list included wildfires, a challenge that he was intimately familiar with as a Californian. As fires have dramatically increased in recent years, he lost fire insurance on his own house. His father-in-law’s house also went through a fire.

The wildfire crisis keeps growing. Fires are now burning eight times more land in the West each year than they did in the mid-1980s. In 2020 alone, 4.3 million acres burned in California, an area larger than the entire state of Connecticut and most of Rhode Island. Insurers are hiking rates in the state or pulling out of some areas completely; a state-run last-resort insurance plan is struggling.

“If you lose your fire insurance, you can’t get a mortgage,” Landesberg says. “And if you can’t get a mortgage, what is going to happen to the American West? If we want to continue living in the American West, we absolutely have to figure out a way to live there without our communities being at risk of burning down.”

It’s not just California. Texas experienced its largest fire in state history last year, covering a million acres. In the Great Plains, fires are happening more often than in the past, and covering more area. Places that previously weren’t as likely to burn, like Quebec and other parts of Canada, are increasingly catching fire. Last fall, as parts of the East Coast saw record drought, fires spread across New Jersey and Massachusetts. Globally, nearly a billion acres burned last year. Climate change will keep making the problem worse.

“Once I started learning about this problem, I became obsessed with it,” Landesberg says. More than 100 million Americans are living at risk of fire, he explains: “It’s one of those things that until you really study it, you don’t quite realize just how big the problem is. . . . It costs the U.S. economy something like a trillion dollars

For fire service professionals involved in purchasing and specifying fire apparatus, a new conference launched this fall to fill a gap in the industry’s continuing education. The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) is hosting the inaugural FAMA Apparatus Specification Symposium in Orlando, Florida. This event aims to deliver focused, practical training on the art and science of crafting apparatus specifications, a topic often overlooked amid the sales-driven trade shows full of shiny new trucks.

“When you think about how fire departments buy apparatus, especially larger departments purchasing every few years, writing a clean and precise spec is a high-stakes task,” says Jason Whitmire, FAMA vice president. “But for many smaller departments or those without large purchasing teams, the process can be daunting. Specs often contain outdated terminology or miss recent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) changes, resulting in confusion and cost overruns.”

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FAMA recognized the increasing complexity of fire apparatus specifications—made all the more challenging by rising truck prices, extended lead times, and new technologies—and sought to create a platform to help agencies get it right upfront. “Our goal is to marry the technology experts, fire apparatus manufacturers, and fire service spec writers into one learning environment,” Whitmire explains.

No apparatus can displayed at the event, and no hard sales pitches are allowed. The emphasis is on understanding current technology advancements and the precise language needed to write specifications.

This might seem counterintuitive for an event about apparatus specification, but it’s deliberate. “Fire shows like FDIC are fantastic for seeing trucks, gear, and products all in one place. But, this event is completely different,” Whitmire says. “We’re focusing solely on the educational side of specs—the nuts and bolts of what to include, how to phrase it, and how to ensure your spec is technically sound and vendor-neutral.”

Removing the distraction of truck displays keeps attendees focused on what really matters for procurement officers tasked with bidding and acceptance—the exact written requirements. The goal is to give them the tools to write specs that prevent surprises during fabrication and keep costs more manageable.

The conference spans two full days of sessions featuring presentations from industry engineers, vendors, and experienced spec writers. Topics include warning light technology, cab design insights, 2027 emissions changes, and multiplexing and electronics, among others.

Each presentation is structured to focus on technology and best practices rather than product promotion. Two competitors often present together, providing balanced viewpoints and holding each other accountable for accuracy.

While the main focus is on writing specifications, the conference also covers the purchasing process including preconstruction meetings, final inspections, and how many factory visits to schedule. Whitmire notes that with current lead times extending to three-plus years, getting specs right at the start is more critical than ever. So, the symposium arms attendees with the knowledge to draft specs that reduce ambiguity and better reflect the realities of modern apparatus production.

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