The city of Seattle has fined an ambulance company hundreds of thousands of dollars for responding to calls late, missing the standards laid out in its contract with the city. KIRO 7 discovered American Medical Response paid the city nearly $900,000 in fines in 2016. The city’s firefighters call AMR to transport patients when a situation is not a life-threatening emergency but still requires medical care.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2017 11:40:07 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7

SHELBY, N.C. (April 27, 2017) – Nearly 2,000 first responders across the country earned Green Cross honors from HURST Jaws of Life, Inc. last year in recognition of their dedicated efforts to save or free entrapped patients. The 1,674 recipients include fire fighters, emergency medical technicians and law enforcement officers from 37 U.S. states, Canada, and Central and South America.

“HURST Jaws of Life rescue tools are only as good as the first responders who use them, and we’re proud to be in the hands of these 1,674 men and women who set high standards for excellence,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product management for HURST Jaws of Life.

HURST Jaws of Life earned its name nearly four decades ago because of its ability to reduce the time needed to extricate a patient from a car crash, literally snatching them from the “jaws of death.” Today, HURST Jaws of Life tools including cutters, spreaders and rescue rams assist first responders in easily pulling, prying, lifting, pushing and cutting the high strength steel on today’s cars so they can access the victim and provide medical attention. HURST Jaws of Life and its worldwide network of dealers provide year-round tool training and product development so first responders are prepared with the best techniques and tools during a rescue.

“The Green Cross from HURST Jaws of Life is a small testament to the huge commitment shown by first responders,” Johnston said. “We thank them for their tireless efforts night and day to save lives.”

HURST Jaws of Life, which updated its Green Cross symbol this year for a more contemporary look that reflects the unstoppable power and high technology of the brand, first awarded the Green Cross in 1973. First responders and their co-workers and supervisors can register for the Green Cross online or by calling 704-487-6961 to request a registration form.

Recognition includes a patch bearing the Green Cross symbol that should be applied to the first responder’s HURST Qualification Patch.

For more information about HURST Jaws of Life, visit www.jawsoflife.com.

About Hurst Jaws of Life

Hurst is the only manufacturer of the Jaws of Life® brand. There is no equal to saving lives. The company’s commitment to research and development and dedication to quality engineering and manufacturing, has resulted in a line of innovative products known for outstanding safety, durability and performance. Hurst Jaws of Life, Inc., is a unit of IDEX Corporation, an applied solutions company. For more information about Hurst Jaws of Life, please visit www.jawsoflife.com.

New Cutters, Combination Tools and Spreaders Debut at FDIC in Indianapolis

SHELBY, N.C. (April 27, 2017) – HURST Jaws of Life, Inc., an industry leading global manufacturer of rescue tools, continues to raise the bar in rescue tool performance with the launch of six new tools, including cutters, combination tools and spreaders that give first responders more power, more speed and wider blade openings to get the job done.

The HURST Jaws of Life® tools, which include the S 312 and S 312E2 Cutters, the SP 777 and SP 777E2 Spreaders and SC 358 and SC 358E2 Combination Tools, are available starting this month and will be showcased at the 2017 FDIC International April 27-29 in Indianapolis.

“We work year round with our customers to learn what they need to be successful at the scene, and we continually push ourselves to bring them rescue tool solutions that are stronger, faster, more portable and lighter,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product management for HURST Jaws of Life. “Our newest rescue tools raise the bar in performance, and our eDRAULIC® tools ensure tomorrow’s high strength steels are no match for first responders intent on saving their patients.”

HURST Jaws of Life introduced its eDRAULIC technology in 2010 as the industry’s first battery-powered rescue tools, redefining performance, portability and ease of use for the rescue tool category. In 2014, the eDRAULIC 2.0 line included tools that were stronger, lighter and faster than their predecessors. Today, HURST Jaws of Life offers a full line of battery-powered tools, including the three new eDRAULIC tools debuting at FDIC with their PSI counterparts.

New tools include:

SP 777 Spreader and SP 777E2 Spreader – The SP 777 Spreader is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, the SP 510, and perfectly suited for high-strength steel. Like the SP 777, the SP 777E2 Spreader from the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC line has a single integrated cylinder body design and large blade opening, making it the most powerful 32-inch battery-powered spreader on the market. Both tools are NFPA 1936 2015 Compliant.

S 312 Cutter and S 312E2 Cutter – The intuitive blade design of these new cutters provide a powerful cut, while increased cutting force, fast opening and closing action ensure a quick rescue. The S 312 and S 312E2 Cutter each has a wider blade opening (6.3 inches) than its predecessor, and an NFPA Cutter rating of A7/B8/C7/D7/E7.

SC 358 Combi and SC 358E2 Combi – With a compact cylinder body design, our new SC 358 and SC 358E2 bring increased pulling force to the rescue scene. With an NFPA Cutter Rating of A7/B8/C7/D8/E7, the SC 358 Combi replaces the SC 357 and its eDRAULIC counterpart SC 358E2 Combi replaces the SC 357E2.

With safety as a priority, all six tools feature the ergonomically designed star grip for tool actuation from almost any gripping position, and a dead man control valve that reverts to neutral position if a worker’s hand slips from the control. A dual pilot check value sustains load requirements if hydraulic flow is interrupted.

All eDRAULIC tools come with two Li-Ion rechargeable batteries and one charger, and each tool has an IP rating of IP54.

For more information, visit www.jawsoflife.com.

About Hurst Jaws of Life

Hurst is the only manufacturer of the Jaws of Life® brand. There is no equal to saving lives. The company’s commitment to research and development and dedication to quality engineering and manufacturing, has resulted in a line of innovative products known for outstanding safety, durabilit

APPLETON, Wis. (April 27, 2017) – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, today introduced all-new Pierce® Ascendant® aerial apparatus configurations at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. All-new configurations showcased include a 107-foot tandem rear axle aerial ladder, a 107-foot tractor drawn aerial, and a stunning 110-foot single rear axle quint aerial platform. Also on display is the 107-foot single rear axle aerial ladder first introduced in 2015.

“Following on the heels of the wildly successful Ascendant 107-foot single rear axle aerial ladder, we’ve created an entirely new class of aerials, redefining what is possible,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “The Ascendant Class includes five distinct configurations and each sets a new benchmark for performance for the industry. At Pierce, we refuse to compromise when it comes helping firefighters successfully complete their mission.”

SINGLE OR TANDEM REAR AXLE AERIAL PLATFORMS
The new Pierce Ascendant 110-foot single rear axle aerial platform features a remarkable 110-foot vertical reach and a 90-foot horizontal reach. The platform achieves the same tip load capacities as the Ascendant aerial ladders, while the ergonomically designed, three-person basket is rated to carry 100 lbs. of additional equipment. A single monitor located at the fly section can flow up to 1250 gpm. The Pierce Ascendant 110-foot aerial platform is also available in a tandem rear axle configuration.

SINGLE OR TANDEM REAR AXLE 107-FOOT LADDERS
The Pierce Ascendant 107-foot aerial ladder is available in singe rear axle as well as an all-new tandem rear axle configuration. Manufactured using heavy-duty 100K-psi steel, both feature tip load capacities of 750 lb. (dry) and 500 lb. (wet), a 100 lb. additional equipment allowance at the tip and 1500 gpm flow. Other features include a replaceable egress, e-coated torque box and stabilizers, and an operational range from -10º to 77º.

107-FOOT TRACTOR-DRAWN AERIAL
The all-new Pierce Ascendant heavy-duty 107-foot tractor-drawn aerial (shown courtesy of the Tuscaloosa, Ala. Fire & Rescue Dept.) achieves the same operational range and capacities of the Ascendant 107-foot heavy-duty ladder. The apparatus is highly maneuverable, with a jack-knife angle of up to 60º, and utilizes a single set of H-style stabilizers with a 17-foot jack-spread.

All Pierce Ascendant Class aerial apparatus feature a weight optimized design structure that places weight and mass only where required. “Our product development group – including engineering teams from both Pierce and Oshkosh Corp. – made no sacrifices in terms of strength, performance or safety,” said Lisa Barwick, Pierce Manufacturing director of business development and aerial products. “Each configuration takes full advantage of the optimized ladder design and the weight savings we’ve been able to achieve. For example, a tandem rear axle configuration is over 7,000 pounds lighter, and now satisfies the requirements of weight-restrictive states on the West Coast. Plus, everyone will benefit due to its shorter stopping distances, lower cost of ownership, and enhanced overall vehicle performance.”

The Pierce Ascendant Class of aerial apparatus is available on a wide range of custom chassis, including the Arrow XT™, Velocity®, Impel®, Enforcer™ and Quantum®. For a comprehensive review of the Pierce Ascendant Class of aerials, visit www.piercemfg.com for complete specs, video, and images.

As the world continues to advance and grow, the risk of major fires and emergency events has also continued to increase. With the elevated risk of potential catastrophic disasters, it is no longer sufficient for fire departments to respond in old traditional ways using dated tactics and standard firefighting equipment. US Fire Pump President/Owner, Chris Ferrara, has experienced this first hand and is now leading a new movement to change the way fire departments are able to respond. 

While working as a pipe fitter in the petrochemical industry, Chris Ferrara was also a volunteer fireman for a rural town in Louisiana. The Central VFD was in desperate need of water tender, but there was no room in the budget for one. Using his pipe fitting background, Chris built his first fire truck that proudly served Central and hasn’t looked back since. He soon established Ferrara Fire Apparatus and continued building fire trucks that have been in service all across the world for the last 30 years.

Firefighting is Chris Ferrara’s biggest passion, where he has performed in many emergencies throughout his career. Chris helped man the line that shut down the last open valve in the Exxon refinery explosion that rocked Baton Rouge in December of 1989. More recently, he managed to extinguish a 50 acre, 118 foot tall landfill that had been burning for over ten years. Where many others had tried and failed to put out this fire, Chris had it extinguished in just three months. 

Chris Ferrara founded US Fire Pump in 2014 to explore new possibilities in firefighting and emergency response equipment that will protect the lives of the public and firefighters while minimizing property loss. By leveraging his experience and vision with dependable materials and technology, Chris has developed a new line of firefighting equipment that have exceeded standard performance ratings by far. Using the High Velocity Pump to attain the Guinness World Record for highest pumping capacity fire truck is just the beginning. Chris Ferrara and US Fire Pump will continue to change the firefighting industry forever.