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Posted: Oct 1, 2018

Firefighter Situational Awareness Enhanced with Compass and Guidance System

According to Don Abbott’s Project Mayday, the number one reason firefighters call a Mayday is from falling into a basement. Number two is falling through a roof, and number three is becoming disoriented.

The disoriented category includes becoming confused, unsure, bewildered, perplexed, disoriented, or lost. In this category, the number one reason for calling a Mayday is when firefighters become lost or separated from their hoseline, and 55 percent of Maydays are transmitted by the first-in unit.

Engine companies call 52 percent of the Maydays, ladder companies account for 46 percent of the Maydays, and rescue companies or other specialized units make up the remaining two percent. Most Maydays occur around the 20-minute mark of the incident. The disoriented firefighter in zero or low visibility is often within 15 feet of the front door before he turns the wrong way from the initial point of entry. Reports from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also list disorientation as one of the most serious hazards a firefighter will face while conducting interior firefighting operations. These statistics have prompted numerous inventors, many of whom are active firefighters, to look for solutions to this problem.

Abbott’s work on studying and documenting the occurrences of Maydays around the country is quite extensive. Every firefighter should visit the Project Mayday Web site. He knew I worked on the National Fire Academy Mayday curriculum with Dr. Burton Clark (NFA ret.) and Chief Brent Batla, of the Burleson (TX) Fire Department, so when he ran into Captain Jeff Dykes, a 23-year fire service veteran and the inventor and owner of Northern Star Fire and the Northern Star 8-Directional Electronic Compass and Guidance System, he was quick to introduce me to Dykes. Abbot said, “You have to see this product! Of all the gizmos out there trying to address poor situational awareness on the fireground, this is the best thing I’ve ever seen at FDIC International. It doesn’t totally fix the problem of firefighter disorientation, but it comes pretty darn close!” And, he’s right; this is a major step forward in addressing this problem.

THE SYSTEM

The Northern Star 8-Directional Electronic Compass and Guidance System is a small personal safety device about the size of a quarter that adheres to the inside of your self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) face piece. Dykes uses peel-and-stick, 3M fire-rated, two-sided tape and recommends placing the compass at the lower part of the lens to keep it from obstructing line-of-sight vision. The compass is a patented directional-awareness guidance system that uses various technologies similar to the type used in compass apps you can download for a smartphone, only using a much more sophisticated microchip. A combination of magnetometers, accelerometers, and gyroscopes work together to filter interference and ensure a reliable and accurate true north heading at all times. The unit refreshes multiple times per second for fast, smooth transitions with no lag time when the firefighter turns his head quickly.

The Northern Star 8-Directional Electronic Compass and Guidance System has four colored LED lights.
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Posted: Oct 1, 2018

Calling All Fire Apparatus Mechanics and Spec Writers!

BY SAM MASSA
 
Fire Apparatus Manufactures Association logo

Fire apparatus are some of the most complicated, mission-critical vehicles manufactured today. The work mechanics and apparatus spec writers do in their shops or at their desks has the capacity to make a profound impact on the ability of the nation’s first responders to effectively do their jobs.

For 31 years, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) has been working tirelessly to give apparatus committees and other firefighters a nonbrand-specific forum to ask questions. The goal is to allow the attendees to learn from multiple subject matter experts in one location. Attendees have an opportunity to delve deep into the topics that often are difficult to answer without an expert on hand. In partnership with the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA), the FDSOA will be hosting fire departments from all over North America for the 2019 FDSOA Annual Apparatus Specification & Maintenance Symposium, which takes place January 21-23, 2019. The event will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive, Orlando, Florida.

This event is the only conference dedicated to providing a better understanding of fire apparatus and ambulances to the emergency services industry. Presentations from leading industry figures, as well as apparatus and equipment manufacturers, provide the attendee with a wide range of factual data. Breakout sessions and networking events provide forums for sharing personal experiences with peers. Combined, the resources at this event can be used to form a better educated conclusion when writing specs, which ultimately can help keep your crews safe while answering calls for service.

In addition to a variety of industry experts and apparatus presentations, this year’s symposium will feature a closing presentation: “You Say More Than You Think” by The NBC Today Show’s Leading Body Language Contributor Janine Driver.

FAMA member companies will provide insight on the following topics:

Multiplex Electronics: Fire apparatus have almost universally made the switch from old-school wire bundles and relays to multiplex electronics. Learn the basic theory of multiplexing and how it is applied to fire apparatus.

Electrical Power Management: Fire apparatus alternators are the source of power for everything from engine controls to scene lighting. Learn how apparatus manufacturers calculate power loads, how this power is managed on apparatus, and what decisions you should be making when specing your rig.

Specing Apparatus to Prevent Corrosion: The 2017 Symposium covered the causes of corrosion. The topic is back this year but with an emphasis on what methods are available to reduce corrosion on in-service rigs and what options are available to prevent corrosion in new apparatus.

Engine Emissions Troubleshooting: Engine emissions systems have become more complicated over the past few decades. Learn from engine experts about the fundamentals of diesel engine emissions and what to do when the dash lights come on.



Learn from engine experts about the fundamentals of diesel engine emissions and what to do when the dash lights come on.


Read more
Posted: Oct 1, 2018

Calling All Fire Apparatus Mechanics and Spec Writers!

BY SAM MASSA
 
Fire Apparatus Manufactures Association logo

Fire apparatus are some of the most complicated, mission-critical vehicles manufactured today. The work mechanics and apparatus spec writers do in their shops or at their desks has the capacity to make a profound impact on the ability of the nation’s first responders to effectively do their jobs.

For 31 years, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) has been working tirelessly to give apparatus committees and other firefighters a nonbrand-specific forum to ask questions. The goal is to allow the attendees to learn from multiple subject matter experts in one location. Attendees have an opportunity to delve deep into the topics that often are difficult to answer without an expert on hand. In partnership with the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA), the FDSOA will be hosting fire departments from all over North America for the 2019 FDSOA Annual Apparatus Specification & Maintenance Symposium, which takes place January 21-23, 2019. The event will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive, Orlando, Florida.

This event is the only conference dedicated to providing a better understanding of fire apparatus and ambulances to the emergency services industry. Presentations from leading industry figures, as well as apparatus and equipment manufacturers, provide the attendee with a wide range of factual data. Breakout sessions and networking events provide forums for sharing personal experiences with peers. Combined, the resources at this event can be used to form a better educated conclusion when writing specs, which ultimately can help keep your crews safe while answering calls for service.

In addition to a variety of industry experts and apparatus presentations, this year’s symposium will feature a closing presentation: “You Say More Than You Think” by The NBC Today Show’s Leading Body Language Contributor Janine Driver.

FAMA member companies will provide insight on the following topics:

Multiplex Electronics: Fire apparatus have almost universally made the switch from old-school wire bundles and relays to multiplex electronics. Learn the basic theory of multiplexing and how it is applied to fire apparatus.

Electrical Power Management: Fire apparatus alternators are the source of power for everything from engine controls to scene lighting. Learn how apparatus manufacturers calculate power loads, how this power is managed on apparatus, and what decisions you should be making when specing your rig.

Specing Apparatus to Prevent Corrosion: The 2017 Symposium covered the causes of corrosion. The topic is back this year but with an emphasis on what methods are available to reduce corrosion on in-service rigs and what options are available to prevent corrosion in new apparatus.

Engine Emissions Troubleshooting: Engine emissions systems have become more complicated over the past few decades. Learn from engine experts about the fundamentals of diesel engine emissions and what to do when the dash lights come on.



Learn from engine experts about the fundamentals of diesel engine emissions and what to do when the dash lights come on.


Read more
Posted: Oct 1, 2018

New Fire Trucks Delivered To Red Lake, Ponemah (MN)

The tribe ordered the two pumpers to serve the community areas of Ponemah and Red Lake with adequate fire safety and protection. Both grant funds and finance were acquired to make these purchases.

Four state-of-the-art ambulances were also purchased earlier this year, two for Red Lake and two for Ponemah, with a combination of a USDA Loan and Grant.

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Posted: Oct 1, 2018

Rebuilt Neel (AL) Fire Station Larger, More Modern

The new station has 6,500 square feet, about 100 more square feet than the former site. It has higher ceilings and three drive-through bays.

“We no longer have to back up our trucks into the bays, which makes it a lot safer for everybody here,” he said. The bay doors are now 14 feet wide and 14 feet in height, replacing the 12-foot doors in the old building.

He said the department owns five vehicles and will park a 1993 GMC E-1 and 2012 International E-1 fire engines in the rebuilt station.

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