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Posted: Nov 10, 2017

Man Arrested After Stealing Ambulance From Parkland: Police

Dallas police said a 19-year-old man hopped into a running Allegiance Ambulance parked outside the hospital at about 11:55 a.m. and drove away. 

Not long after the theft Dallas police were called and located the ambulance. 

Officers followed the driver to NorthPark Center, a little more than five miles from the hospital, where a "high-risk traffic stop" was conducted near a parking garage on the northeast side of the shopping center. 

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Posted: Nov 10, 2017

Quincy eyes bigger, more maneuverable fire trucks

The department is looking at trucks that would have ladders of 100 to 110 feet, about 25 to 35 feet longer than any of the three it has right now, he said.

The desire for a bigger truck is at least in part driven by the building boom in Quincy. In the next few months, work is planned to begin in Quincy Center on the 15-story Chestnut Place, which will be the tallest building in Quincy. The building will only be a couple of stories taller than several the other buildings, so it won’t be a drastic change, but the city hopes to use this truck for the next couple of decades, so it should be able to handle whatever pops up during that time, Barron said.

“We use these trucks for many years,” he said.

The chief said the department is considering the big new ladder truck being what’s called a tiller truck, which is a bit more maneuverable. That’s a long dual-chassis apparatus that needs a second driver steering at the back of the rig, controlling the back half that can swing independently of the front as the truck drives.

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Posted: Nov 10, 2017

Unified Fire Authority Unveils New High-Tech Trucks

Each new tractor drawn aerial (TDA) fire truck is over 60 feet long, yet considerably more maneuverable than the department’s other trucks and engines. This maneuverability is possible because the trucks have steerable rear axles.

“It’s versatile in any of the tight turn-arounds. Business parks,  a lot of apartments have really narrow entry and egress. Normally, a fire apparatus struggles to get in position for an emergency scene and might have limited capability because of that. With these new trucks, we can get anywhere. Anywhere that a small ambulance can get, we can get in this,” said Matthew McFarland, Unified Fire Authority spokesman.

The increased maneuverability also allows the trucks to:

  • enter and exit cul-de-sacs without reversing or making multi-point turns
  • drive in two lanes of traffic at once, with the cab in one lane and the rear in another
  • parallel park by “crabbing” (moving sideways)

Each truck has a 100-foot ladder on a turntable which can be controlled remotely, allowing the engineer to position the ladder from a clear vantage point.

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Posted: Nov 10, 2017

Duncan Fire Department purchases new fire truck

Duncan's assistant fire chief said the new truck will replace the that one and has more safety features to better equip not just the drivers of the truck but other firefighters.  

"We're hoping that this will be a more reliable truck,” said Rob Loafman, Assistant Fire Chief. Loafman said the department hasn't purchased a truck since 2011. Besides allowing them to carry the usual things like water, pump and ladders, it will also have added safety features the old truck didn't have, like back view camera systems that help the driver and inside systems like seatbelt detection. "It's a full complement for firefighting,” said Loafman. He said the department had been planning to purchase a new truck and had room for it in their budget.

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Posted: Nov 10, 2017

Former FDSOA Chairman Sandy Davis Passes On

Sandy Davis, former chairman of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA), passed away Friday, November 3, after battling colorectal cancer. Sandy was 62 years old. Davis served on the FDSOA Board of Directors for 12 years and was a popular speaker at conferences across the U.S. and Canada.

Davis began his fire service career with Shreveport (LA) Fire Department and served as safety officer until he retired after 26 years. He then joined the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management and served as Homeland Security Director for Caddo-Bossier for 12 years.

After being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, Davis made it his mission to increase firefighter awareness to wear PPE at every incident. In 2015, Davis and John Phelan, a Shreveport firefighter, produced a five-minute video in 2015 for firefighters about the importance of wearing their PPE “Every incident, every time.” In the video, Davis states, “The colostomy bag is my PPE now.” He added that many nights he would lie awake wondering if wearing turnout gear would have prevented his colon cancer.

“Sandy Davis was a great contributor to the FDSOA and we are all grateful to him,” said Rich Marinucci, executive director of the FDSOA. “Safety officers have become a more vital part of the fire service and Sandy’s messages on firefighter cancer were powerful. Rest in peace.”

Michael Petroff, former FDSOA Chair, served on the board many years with Davis. “Sandy was a mentor and a friend. Even during his illness, after his term as chairman of the FDSOA, he assisted in the search and hiring of Director Rich Marinucci,” said Petroff. “Sandy always had a smile and a story to tell. Some of his stories could even be repeated in polite company. I know he was a devoted family man and a dedicated public servant. His Facebook post about wearing PPE speaks of his character and concern for others.”

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, November 7th, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

More: https://www.fdsoa.org/

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