The Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 SAFER Grant application period is now open and will close on Friday, April 27 at 5:00 p.m. ET. We recommend that you start your application today by reviewing the FY 2017 SAFER Application Technical Assistance Tools. These tools were produced specifically to help potential applicants plan their FY 2017 SAFER applications.

Please make sure that you have thoroughly reviewed the FY 2017 SAFER Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), prior to beginning your application. The SAFER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) should also be reviewed as they provide more detailed information and explanations. As you being to develop the narrative portion of your application, the Self-Evaluation tools will be beneficial as the peer reviews will use them when scoring your application. If you are applying for a Recruitment and Retention Activity Grant, the Request Details Description Instructions will be extremely important when completing the application.

NESQUEHONING, PA—KME Fire Apparatus, a manufacturer of fire apparatus, has announced the use of a fully digital gauge and instrument cluster. The 12.3-inch color display is entirely driver-focused—presenting information directly in front of the driver. The gauge cluster is available on any Panther, Predator™ and Severe Service™ chassis model.  The gauge cluster is set to make its public debut at FDIC International 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 26. The digital gauge display replaces traditional gauges and indicators with digital screens designed to provide a driver with the most pertinent information at a glance. The high-resolution display features easy-to-read graphics and a wide range of display options. The option is available on any custom chassis cab, and its impact on the interior atmosphere of the cab is substantial. The display can take the appearance of a traditional analog gauge or show animated text, scales, bar charts or symbols, or it can switch over to video images either automatically or on demand. The digital dash display features:

• High-resolution 12.3-inch color touchscreen display
• Automatic adjustment to light condition
• Flexible options for dashboard designs• Multipurpose information display
• Optional appearance of animated text, charts and symbols or the traditional analog gauge
• Video feed accessed automatically or on demand

“KME offers this innovative feature in our custom chassis to provide a completely new and enhanced driver experience,” said Bruce Nalesnik, KME Chassis Product Manager. “The design of this display provides a crisp and clean driver dash area. Equally exciting are the possibilities for future options that can be integrated into this display, such as live video, maintenance alerts and schematics.”  The first unit with the digital instrument cluster option installed is the Wooster (OH) Fire Department’s PRO™ Pumper, which will be on display at FDIC 2018.  For more information, visit www.kmefire.com.

From April 1 – April 30, 2018, Olympic Hot Tub hosts its annual “Heroes” event to honor and support the Washington State Fallen Firefighters Foundation (WSFFF). Olympic Hot Tub will donate a portion of each Hot Spring Spa, Finnleo Sauna, Freeflow Spa and Covana Automated Gazebo sold in the month of April.

Don Riling, president of Olympic Hot Tub, launched the annual “Heroes” event in 2017 as a way to give back to the community his company has been a part of for over forty years. Each year Olympic Hot Tub selects a beneficiary that honors or celebrates local heroes, first responders or teachers. This year’s recipient, WSFFF directly assists the firefighter’s family after the loss of a Washington state firefighter.

MARBLE FALLS, TX—A new, small brush truck will help increase the capacity of the Marble Falls Area (TX) Volunteer Fire Department thanks to a cost-share grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The new Ford F550 is equipped with a 300-gallon water tank and a foam system.

“This truck is replacing a 1997 F350 that was equipped with a 200-gallon water tank,” said Marble Falls Area VFD chief Michael Phillips. “The new brush truck is shorter in length and higher off the ground enabling quicker, easier access in the rough terrain. It will give the firefighters a safer vehicle with greater water volume which will be a benefit in suppressing fires in the rural areas that do not have a water source.”

The department’s 120-square-mile service area can offer challenges when responding to wildland fires. The size and build of the truck will allow the department to navigate wooded terrain and climb the rocky hills, decreasing response time, resulting in less property damage.

The brush truck is in service and has been useful in extinguishing a structure fire, a grass fire, and in response to a medical call.

Marble Falls Area VFD has been serving the community since 1936. “The department has open enrollment and is always looking for dedicated individuals who would like to give back to the community,” said Phillips. “Marble Falls Area VFD could not function without committed volunteers. Anyone interested in joining may check the department’s Web site at mfavfd.org for more information and an application.”

The VFD appreciates the Texas Legislature and Texas A&M Forest Service for making the grant programs possible. The department’s cost-share portion was obtained through fund raising over the past few years and support from the Burnet County Emergency Service District #6. “The grant has allowed our department to purchase up-to-date equipment and gives the firefighter a tool to help protect lives and property in a safer more efficient manner,” said Phillips.

For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.

If your agency operates in a flood prone area and doesn’t have purpose-built flood rescue vehicles, Acela Truck Company now offers a new solution.

The frequency of river and coastal flooding events, the leading cause of disaster or weather-related deaths in the United States, is increasing dramatically.  2017’s Hurricane Harvey was Houston’s third “500 year” flooding event in only the last few years, yet flood waters continue to stop most first responders in their tracks due to lack of proper equipment to adequately provide assistance and safely protect responders.

To address these growing challenges, Acela Truck Company, manufacturer of extreme-duty, commercial truck chassis, recently introduced specialized high-water rescue and response trucks to its line of Monterra 4x4 and 6x6 high-mobility truck chassis.  With 47-inch tires, 23 inches of ground clearance, an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, waterproof alternator and starter and proprietary fording kit, Acela’s specialized flood rescue variants are capable of fording a whopping 50 inches of water while safely carrying up to 20 seated passengers (including driver) with ample room and payload for pets, personal property or rescue gear.  Monterras are additionally capable of safely responding at top highway speeds of 74 MPH making them perfectly suitable for long-distance response.

Acela’s flood rescue truck products were inspired by company president, David Ronsen, a retired firefighter who spent many years as a field-deployed FEMA operations attaché, responding to dozens of catastrophic flooding events.  “I know first-hand how frustrating it is for local fire, law enforcement, EMS, EMA and Search and Rescue agencies to be faced with the challenges of having to rescue thousands of their customers without proper flood rescue equipment”, says Ronsen, “Acela’s product design team committed to designing an incredibly capable new tool for first responders to reliably and safely impact hundreds of people a day…the result is a true game changer.”

The Acela Monterra line of trucks were originally designed for U.S. Army use and are considered to be the most capable wheeled vehicles available in North America. In addition to flood rescue operations, Monterra flood rescue trucks can be used for virtually any disaster response such as tornados and earthquakes, easily traveling over or through large debris, or double as superb brush/wildland fire engines, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) support vehicles, cargo haulers and SAR/SWAT team troop carriers, in rural and urban environments.  Monterras come standard with a bumper to bumper parts and labor warranty.  Popular options include warning and scene lighting packages, rescue boat transport capabilities, rain tarps, crew intercom systems and even drone technology to name a few.

Acela’s flood rescue vehicle retail pricing starts at $99,000 for 4x4 flood rescue trucks and are available with agency discounts from Acela directly and through select fire apparatus dealers.