Chelan County is modifying an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service for the Stemilt Partnership fuels reduction project that reduced the area of the work to about 700 acres from nearly 900 acres. County Commissioner Kevin Overbay says it allows them to use the freed up money for other projects. “Put that towards a landscape assessment of more than 25,000 acres, so that we can fully understand what actually needs to be done, where it needs to be done and how it needs to be done up in that basin.
- PUB DATE: 4/9/2019 11:40:48 AM - SOURCE: KPQ-AM 560

Firefighters across several counties came together for a resuscitation summit, aimed to improve the work of firefighters and paramedics. Hosted by ZOLL Medical in conjunction with the Richland Fire Department, speakers came from as far as the east coast to discuss new data about the likelihood of surviving a heart attack before getting to the hospital.
- PUB DATE: 4/9/2019 11:35:42 AM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

LION First Responder PPE, Inc., the largest family-owned manufacturer of first responder personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States and Fire Department Coffee (FDC), a firefighter-run company known for their freshly roasted blends and philanthropic work within the firefighter and first responder community. Together, LION and FDC created a co-branded coffee blend with 100% of the proceeds going towards the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN).

The LION Action Blend Coffee will be $14.00 for a 14 oz. bag. Bags will be available for sale at www.firedeptcoffee.com starting 4/10/2019, and at LION’s Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) booth; #1323. When you purchase a bag of LION Action Blend Coffee, all proceeds will be donated to the FCSN, a nationwide non-profit organization that aids with firefighters and their families following a cancer diagnosis.

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), since 2002, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has attributed more than 60% of firefighter line of duty deaths (LODDs) have been attributed to cancer. LION launched the ‘Not in Our House’ campaign to help raise awareness about this devastating crisis. Through LION’s website, ‘Not in Our House’ provides firefighters with downloadable resources, fire service cancer statistics and a platform to share their personal firefighter cancer stories.

“Cancer is the leading threat to a firefighter’s health today,” explained Mark Smith, LION Senior Vice President. “At LION, we’ve made it a priority to help firefighters reduce their exposure to this threat by helping to fund great firefighter cancer support organizations like FCSN. But we don’t stop there. Additionally, we not only educate firefighters on how to protect themselves from the firefighting-related carcinogens, but we also diligently work to develop innovative protective gear, maintenance and fire training solutions to help protect them out on the front lines.”

“Every firefighter has been impacted by cancer at some point in time in their career whether it was themselves who had cancer, a friend, or a fellow firefighter. Cancer is a horrible disease that hits very close to home, especially for firefighters,” Luke Schneider, Founder of Fire Dept. Coffee.

To purchase your LION Action Blend Coffee, stop by the LION booth (#1323) at FDIC International in Indianapolis April 11-13th, 2019, or purchase online at www.firedeptcoffee.com.

Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. - Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fight Marines are getting a modernized rig—their first in over 30 years. The P-19R ARFF will be the principal firefighting and crash response vehicle for the Marine Air Ground Task Force, and will be able to support all operations where the MAGTF is employed.

The Medium and Heavy Tactical Vehicles program office at Program Executive Officer Land Systems started fielding the P-19R vehicle in June 2017 and, since then, have fielded the majority of the new trucks to Marine Corps installations across the continental United States.

“So far, the reception from the Marines on the capability of the truck has been outstanding,” said Eric Miller, product manager for the P-19R at PEO Land Systems. “Obviously after 30 years, Marines are excited about having a new capability. It’s been very well received.”

The technological advancements made by Industry over the past few decades are reflected in the modernized truck. The P-19R integrates combat-proven performance and advanced firefighting technology to deliver cutting-edge on-road and off-road rescue and firefighting capabilities to permanent and expeditionary airfields throughout the Marine Corps.

With the P-19R—as with its predecessor, the P-19A—Marines are able to counter aircraft fires caused by crashes or other causes. The P-19R is safer, faster, has a more powerful engine and has nearly double the fuel capacity compared to its predecessor. The P-19R’s 600 horsepower engine enables the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 50 miles per hour in under 25 seconds, and can reach speeds over 70 miles per hour, enabling ARFF Marines to swiftly reach the scene of the action. To put this in context, the Corps’ workhorse Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement—more commonly known as the “MTVR” or “7-ton”—takes over 30 seconds to reach 50 miles per hour and has a maximum speed under 70 miles per hour.

Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Marines spray water from the bumper turret on the P-19R during an exercise aboard Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Calif, in February 2019. Program Executive Officer Land Systems is currently fielding the P-19R to Marines worldwide. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Ashley Calingo)

Inside the cab, the P-19R is outfitted with a 10.4-inch display unit—dubbed the “command zone”—giving Marines the ability to monitor different aspects of the vehicle. The command zone enables Marines to keep tabs on everything from tire pressure to water and fluid levels, in addition to other internal diagnostics.

“The P-19R is a lot more technologically advanced and has more bells and whistles than the older [fire trucks] do,” said Cpl. Dominic Wirthlin, ARFF specialist with Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron in California. “The command zone tells us if anything’s wrong with the vehicle that can cause an issue so we can fix it before something breaks.”

The bumper and roof turret controls on the P19-R also received an upgrade. Using an electronic joystick, Marines are now able to maneuver the turrets and—with the push of a button—switch between spraying water and flame-suppressing foam.

“The turrets are manually-operated. It’s almost like playing a video game,” said Sgt. Christopher Cunningham, another ARFF specialist at MCAS Camp Pendleton H&HS. “Everything [on the P-19R] is technologically advanced. It’s just a really cool rig.”

Unlike its predecessor, however, the P-19R can be used off the airfield in tactical operations, such as combating structural fires and wildland fires. The ruggedized P-19R was designed so Marines have the ability to navigate through any terrain off-road they may encounter—from the mountains to the desert to the jungle.

“Prior to the P-19R, the fire station assets and the asse

Arlington (VA) – FLIR Systems, Inc. announced today the FLIR K1 handheld thermal imaging camera (TIC), FLIR’s most affordable TIC for first responder officers and fire investigators. At $599, the K1 detects heat and provides visibility through smoke and in total darkness to enhance situational awareness for use in wildland fire control, search and rescue missions, structure damage evaluation, and investigative work.

“FLIR is committed to providing first responders with lifesaving technology and solutions that help them keep their communities safe,” said Jim Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR Systems. “At under $600, the FLIR K1 will allow more emergency service professionals to adopt the power of thermal imaging and ensure a safer mission.”

The dual sensor K1 is powered by the FLIR Lepton^® thermal microcamera, FLIR’s smallest and lowest cost thermal camera core. The K1 uses FLIR’s patented MSX^® technology, which extracts high-contrast details from the images taken by an onboard visible light camera and superimposes them onto the thermal images. The K1 simultaneously captures thermal and visible images of a scene and stores up to 10,000 image sets to create post-scene reports, analysis, and evidence.

A pistol grip design allows users to view the scene from their line of sight for improved safety and situational awareness. The spot thermometer easily identifies unseen hot and cold spots for instant troubleshooting. The K1 carries an IP67 rating for water resistance and can withstand a 2-meter drop onto concrete. An integrated, rechargeable battery lasts up to five hours on a single charge, and it also includes a 300-lumen flashlight that lends additional visibility of a scene.

The FLIR K1 will be available for purchase this summer and demonstration units are now available for testing. The company will show the K1 at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International in Indianapolis, Indiana from April 11 to 13, 2019 at the FLIR booth #3657. To learn more about the FLIR K1, please visit www.FLIR.com/K1.