Manufacturers Offering More Ergonomic, More Protective Wildland Turnout Gear
BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Wildland fire personnel use personal protective equipment (PPE) that is designed and constructed for their special needs, which are different in a number of respects from structural turnout gear and which include durability, comfort, and protection.
Wildland turnout gear must stand up to grueling conditions, handling thick brush and intense heat, sometimes for weeks on deployment. Additionally, this PPE is often compliant with both National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting, and NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents.
1 PGI Inc. makes the FireLine™ Multi Mission PPE that is designed to be lightweight and flexible and is compliant with both NFPA 1977 and NFPA 1951. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of PGI Inc.)
2 FireLine Multi Mission gear is shown in a technical rescue situation.
DUAL COMPLIANCE
PGI Inc. makes the FireLine™ Multi Mission PPE that is designed to be a lightweight, flexible, and breathable alternative to traditional structural turnout gear, according to Jim Sonntag, PGI’s president. “FireLine Multi Mission is compliant with both NFPA 1977 and NFPA 1951 standards,” Sonntag says, “and the gear pulls sweat from the skin by moving it to the surface, so it rapidly evaporates, allowing the wearer to remain cooler and drier, reducing the potential for heat stress while improving overall performance of routine tasks.”
Sonntag says FireLine Multi Mission’s outer shell is made from either DuPont’s Nomex® IIIA inherently flame-resistant fabric in a plain weave that’s finished with Super Shelltite™, a durable water-repellent and stain-resistant finish, or Safety Components Sigma™ 4 Star inherently flame-resistant fabric in a twill weave with a durable water-repellent finish. The pant has articulated elbows and knees, he notes, while the coat has generous gusseting that allows the wearer to reach above his head without the hem riding up. Elbows and cuffs are reinforced with TenCate’s Pioneer™ fabric, Sonntag adds.
3 Lion makes VersaPro™
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Posted: Jul 1, 2019
Type 3 and Type 6 Engines Are Heart of Wildland Fire Response
BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Type 3 and Type 6 pumpers are the most widely used engines in wildland urban interface fire response because of their versatility, maneuverability, off-road abilities, and fire suppression capabilities. Apparatus manufacturers are turning out both custom engines and tried-and-true designs for fire agencies around the country, responding to those departments’ particular needs.
Bret Cerini, wildland product sales manager for the REV Group, notes that Type 3 and Type 6 wildland pumpers are the most popular types being used to fight wildland fires, especially in the Western states. “In the plains states, we see a lot of Type 5 pumpers with bumper turrets, which can carry a little more water, making them beneficial in mobile attacks,” Cerini points out. “The most common pump we see on those kinds of vehicles is the Darley 1.5AGE portable pump, which is the same model used by CAL FIRE as their auxiliary pump on their Model 34 (Type 3) engine.”
Bill Doebler, vice president of sales at HME Ahrens-Fox, says, “The HME Ahrens-Fox wildland product line depth and breadth is one of the most robust in the industry. Our engineers have listened to the needs of our customers and created a plethora of products to fill the needs as well as voids of wildland firefighting. We currently produce Type 1, Type 3, Type 6, WildMax, and a crossover vehicle designed to be a replacement for the Type 1 and Type 3 called the AF-WUI. In addition, we will soon be announcing a very large order for a customer in this marketplace.
1 Rosenbauer built this Type 6 wildland engine for the U.S. Army. The rig is on a Ford F-550 four-door chassis and cab and carries a Hale HPX 150-gpm pump, a 300-gallon water tank, and a 20-gallon foam tank. (Photo courtesy of Rosenbauer.)
2 Pierce Manufacturing Inc. has developed the Wildland FX3 engine, a Type 3 pumper that can be built on either a Freightliner M2-106 chassis or an International HV chassis. (Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)
3 The pump house on Pierce’s new Wildland FX3 engine.
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Posted: Jul 1, 2019
Manufacturers Offering More Ergonomic, More Protective Wildland Turnout Gear
BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Wildland fire personnel use personal protective equipment (PPE) that is designed and constructed for their special needs, which are different in a number of respects from structural turnout gear and which include durability, comfort, and protection.
Wildland turnout gear must stand up to grueling conditions, handling thick brush and intense heat, sometimes for weeks on deployment. Additionally, this PPE is often compliant with both National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting, and NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents.
1 PGI Inc. makes the FireLine™ Multi Mission PPE that is designed to be lightweight and flexible and is compliant with both NFPA 1977 and NFPA 1951. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of PGI Inc.)
2 FireLine Multi Mission gear is shown in a technical rescue situation.
DUAL COMPLIANCE
PGI Inc. makes the FireLine™ Multi Mission PPE that is designed to be a lightweight, flexible, and breathable alternative to traditional structural turnout gear, according to Jim Sonntag, PGI’s president. “FireLine Multi Mission is compliant with both NFPA 1977 and NFPA 1951 standards,” Sonntag says, “and the gear pulls sweat from the skin by moving it to the surface, so it rapidly evaporates, allowing the wearer to remain cooler and drier, reducing the potential for heat stress while improving overall performance of routine tasks.”
Sonntag says FireLine Multi Mission’s outer shell is made from either DuPont’s Nomex® IIIA inherently flame-resistant fabric in a plain weave that’s finished with Super Shelltite™, a durable water-repellent and stain-resistant finish, or Safety Components Sigma™ 4 Star inherently flame-resistant fabric in a twill weave with a durable water-repellent finish. The pant has articulated elbows and knees, he notes, while the coat has generous gusseting that allows the wearer to reach above his head without the hem riding up. Elbows and cuffs are reinforced with TenCate’s Pioneer™ fabric, Sonntag adds.
3 Lion makes VersaPro™
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Posted: Jul 1, 2019
Variety of Foam Systems Being Used on Wildland Engines
BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Many fire departments are opting to have foam systems built into their wildland engines, especially those that operate in wildland urban interface areas.
Depending on the area of the country and the needs of the fire department, the types of foam systems being installed on wildland pumpers run the gamut from direct-injection systems of various capabilities to simple around-the-pump foam systems.
SYSTEMS IN USE
Todd Nix, apparatus consultant for Unruh Fire, points out that most fire departments want foam systems installed on their Type 6 wildland engines. “Between 90 and 95 percent of the departments want foam because firefighters realize the capabilities of foam and want the ability to use it when needed,” Nix says. “On the Type 6 wildland pumpers that we have been building, many departments choose to have a FoamPro 1601 foam system onboard to go along with a midship pump. If they are using a smaller portable skid pump, then we’ll usually use the all brass Darley around-the-pump Foam Flurry.”
Jason Kline, Colorado and Wyoming sales manager for SVI Trucks, agrees that most Type 6 wildland engines being built carry foam systems on them. “Almost every wildland truck we build has a foam system on it,” Kline says. “Type 3 and Type 6 wildland engines that have midship pumps often have a FoamPro 1601 foam system onboard, with a Type 3 typically having a 15-gallon foam tank and a Type 6 a 10-gallon foam cell. We also have installed Waterous Aquis™ foam systems on Type 6 engines as well as Mercedes Textiles’ Blizzard Wizard around-the-pump foam proportioners.”
1 Unruh Fire installed a Darley Foam Flurry foam proportioning system on this Type 6 wildland pumper for the Pueblo (CO) Fire Department. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Unruh Fire.)
2 This Darley Fast Foam 50 foam system was installed by Unruh Fire on a Type 6 wildland engine built for the Pond Creek (OK) Fire Department.
3 This Hale Products FoamLogix direct-injection foam proportioning system was installed on a Type 6 engine by REV Group. (Photos 3 and 4 courtesy of REV Group.)
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