A wildfire burning on the Yakima-Pierce County border about 11 miles west of Cliffdell is now threatening a popular ski resort and several communities. The Norse Peak Fire is now at more than 19,000 acres and is 8 percent contained as of this morning. The Crystal Mountain Ski Resort was under a level 3 “go now” evacuation alert as the fire grew on both sides this week, pushing over the Pacific Crest Trail and threatening communities along Highway 410.
- PUB DATE: 9/5/2017 10:48:47 AM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

A lengthy stretch of highway east of Portland, Oregon, remained closed Tuesday morning as crews battled a growing wildfire that has also caused evacuations and sparked blazes across the Columbia River in Washington state Hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate because of a seven-square mile (18-square kilometers) fire that started Saturday.
- PUB DATE: 9/5/2017 9:13:46 AM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13

Pierce Manufacturing has delivered 18 Pierce fire and emergency apparatus to Lancaster County Fire Rescue Service located in Lancaster County, SC. This is the second time Lancaster County has taken delivery of 18 Pierce apparatus.

APPLETON, WI—Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has delivered 18 Pierce fire and emergency apparatus to the Lancaster County (SC) Fire Rescue Service. The purchase includes 10 Pierce® Saber® custom pumpers, two Pierce Saber pumper-tankers, five Pierce rescues, and one Pierce dry side tanker. This is the second time Lancaster County has taken delivery of 18 Pierce apparatus.

“Lancaster County’s network of volunteer fire departments are trained to the highest standards, and we’re proud to supply these motivated and top-notch first responders with the apparatus to allow them to perform at the highest level,” says Matt McLeish, senior vice president of sales and marketing of the Fire and Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “To be chosen for this second major round of purchases is an honor, and demonstrates our ability to meet the wide ranging needs of this very large and diverse county.”

“Pierce’s reputation for building quality fire apparatus was an important factor when our team evaluated these purchases,” says Darren Player, director for the Lancaster County Fire Rescue Service. “The Saber’s interior cab space and the bid’s overall cost efficiency were other important considerations.”

The 10 Pierce Saber custom pumpers each features a 400-hp engine, a 22-inch extended front bumper, a 1,500-gpm single-stage pump, and lowered crosslays. The pumpers are equipped with the Pierce Husky™ foam and Hercules™ compressed-air foam systems (CAFS). “Compressed-air foam has proven to be a very effective firefighting tool,” explains Player. “Our experience is that the fire goes out faster, overhaul is easier, and rekindles are almost nonexistent.”

The two Pierce Saber pumper-tankers feature 450-hp engines, 1,700-gallon water tanks, and carry 1,100 feet of 5-inch hose and 400 feet of 3-inch hose. The pumper-tankers are also equipped with Pierce Husky foam systems.

Other vehicles delivered include five Pierce 16-foot nonwalk-in rescue apparatus with full-depth compartments, slide-out toolboards, adjustable shelves, and air bottle storage in the fenders. The 18th vehicle delivered is a Pierce dry side tanker with seating for two firefighters, a 2,000-gallon water tank capacity, and a 500-gpm single-stage pump.

Lancaster County is located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina and encompasses urban areas south of Charlotte and rural and rugged terrain in its undeveloped regions. The Lancaster County Fire Rescue Service consists of 18 volunteer fire departments and one career municipal fire department that are overseen by a 19-member fire commission. A very large protection district, Lancaster County Fire Rescue Service works as a cohesive partner with all other emergency service agencies in the county, while also providing mutual aid response.

Chosen as Pierce’s 2016 Dealer of the Yea

By Bill Adams

White hairs with too much time on their hands take the most insignificant item and blow it all to hell. Myself and another seasoned citizen were at a recent trade show passing judgement on the latest and greatest in fire truck innovations (i.e. wondering why things ain’t like they used to be). We noticed that the jacking system on a new single-axled 100-foot rear-mount quint was just like a 30-year-old quint we’re familiar with. If you can open a cab door there’s enough room to set the jacks—just like the old rig. A manufacturer’s representative, also a volunteer, said his department runs a similar piece—naturally built by the same manufacturer. He relayed responding on it when his department’s safety officer went ballistic watching him pull into a scene with the door wide open and him looking at the ground. Oh well. He probably wasn’t wearing his seat belt.

It was a mistake showing the rig’s photos to the Raisin Squad at morning coffee. Their collective comments are in italics; mine are in quotes. Can’t they come up with anything new in 30 years? “If it works, why change it?” It doesn’t matter; times have changed and they should too. Then they argued over why-in-the-hell jacks are called jacks. Stupid me, I said the younger generation calls them stabilizers and outriggers. The raisins who brought their glasses scoured the firehouse looking for magazine advertisements. One computer literate geezer checked manufacturers’ Websites on his combination phone-Internet-camera thingy. Their nonscientific research found that two manufacturers call them outriggers. Four call them stabilizers. One covered all bases calling them outriggers and stabilizers as well as tormentors. One just calls them jacks. Bear in mind, the research was plucked off of Websites, brochures, and magazine advertisements. Lord knows what manufacturers call them in their published specifications. 

Photo 1, by the author, shows where one aerial manufacturer claims if you can open a cab door there’s enough room to set the jacks. Some manufacturers also use laser lights to pin-point jack locations.

The Squad had a field day. How come they don’t call’em the same thing? Is there a difference between jacks and outriggers? I thought tormentors were the guide poles on Bangor ladders. Isn’t a tormentor someone who busts your chops? They agreed that there are five styles of jacks: an H-style that extends out and down; one that drops straight down; some that angle out of the body like an A-frame ladder, some that are stored upright and fold down against the ground, and a scissors type that slides out from under the body. How come there are so many different kinds? Which one’s better? “How the hell do I know?” I didn’t think you would. 

One crotchety Raisin said, They don’t tell the truth. “What?” When they advertise jack spread, they don’t say if its measured from the center line of the jacks on each side. It ain’t in any of their brochures. They just say jack spread. “So what? What difference does it make?” A lot. Some of them jacks are wider than others. They ain’t telling you exactly how much room is needed to set the rig up. You k