Two women found dead inside a Tacoma house after an arson fire were decapitated by a friend who claimed he became “possessed” while the group did drugs, according to court records. Pierce County prosecutors Wednesday charged Matthew Leupold, 32, with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder and first-degree arson in the deaths of Mary Buras, 22, and Theresa Greenhalgh, 31.
- PUB DATE: 1/11/2017 3:40:04 PM - SOURCE: The News Tribune

Oshkosh Airport Products has received an order for 24 Oshkosh® Striker® Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The purchase includes 14 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 vehicles, seven of which are equipped with the Snozzle® High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET), and 10 Striker 4x4 apparatus. The Oshkosh Striker 6x6 shown here is similar to ones ordered by the PANYNJ.

OSHKOSH, WI—Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, has received an order for 24 Oshkosh® Striker® aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The purchase includes 14 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 vehicles, seven of which are equipped with a 65-foot Snozzle® high reach extendable turret (HRET), and 10 Striker 4x4 apparatus. The PANYNJ also purchased a Striker Simulator virtual reality training system.

The vehicles will be placed into service at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, and Teterboro Airport. 

“This purchase signifies a major milestone for Oshkosh Airport Products and continues a decades-long tradition of uninterrupted service with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,” says Jeff Resch, Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC vice president and general manager. “To be selected once again by the Port Authority is an honor and a tremendous vote of confidence in our people and the Striker ARFF vehicle.”

The order represents the third generation of Oshkosh ARFF vehicles to serve with PANYNJ. The new vehicles will replace a fleet of first-generation Oshkosh Striker apparatus that were placed into service between 2002 and 2005, and those vehicles supplanted a fleet of Oshkosh T-Series™ ARFF vehicles that date to the 1990s.

The seven Snozzle-equipped vehicles will be the first 6x6 units furnished with Oshkosh’s longer 65-foot device that keeps firefighters further away from danger. The Snozzle HRET features a hardened carbide steel tip, a perforated nozzle, and a forward-looking infrared camera. The piercing steel tip now offers an updated hydraulic rotary actuator, an increased range of motion (up to 280 degrees), longer piercing depth, and a decreased overall width for better visibility. Inside the cab, a new control module feature simplifies operator controls and provides smoother operation. 

The vehicles’ firefighting systems include tri-agent capabilities—featuring Halotron dry chemical, foam, and water. All of the Strikers are equipped with a Scania Tier IV Final low-emission engine, Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension, an Allison electronic transmission, and engine power pack components that are readily accessed through walk-in doors on either side of the engine compartment.

The Striker Simulator system, purchased in conjunction with the 24 Oshkosh Striker vehicles, depicts a nearly endless array of training scenarios for ARFF organizations. The virtual reality training system incorporates video footage and illustrated environments of Striker vehicles in action—

MONROE, N.C. (January 11, 2017) – Scott Safety, a global leader in innovative protective equipment and safety devices, proudly announces the commercial launch of the RIT-Pak Fast Attack, the latest in emergency response equipment for rapid intervention teams.

The RIT-Pak Fast Attack offers a small, lightweight, and compact solution for rapid entry and air replenishment to a firefighter in distress.  Developed with speed and efficiency in mind, the RIT-Pak Fast Attack provides an intuitive design enabling RIT teams to focus on locating and assessing the downed firefighter.

“When a mayday is called, the last thing that a RIT team should be worried about is the reliability and effectiveness of their equipment,” said Jason Cannon, senior manager of NFPA air-supplied products for Scott Safety.  “The primary focus of the RIT team is to locate and extract a downed firefighter in a safe, quick, and efficient manner.  The RIT-Pak Fast Attack provides an intuitive tool that doesn’t add complexity to an already stressful situation.”

The RIT-Pak Fast Attack is offered in two different bag sizes – small and medium – and can be configured in both 4500 psi and 5500 psi, allowing fire departments to customize a solution to fit their specific needs.  Incorporating a hi-viz orange material with reflective markings ensures the carrying bag can be seen in low visibility situations.  Two color-coded storage compartments and tactile feel pull handles offer easy identification of low-pressure and high-pressure components, while a fixed point carabiner on each end of the bag allows for easy attachment to the downed firefighter for emergency egress.

An innovative design feature of the RIT-Pak Fast Attack is the use of an easy-to-remove and adjustable length shoulder strap that also provides supplementary use as a pick-off strap during RIT removal.  “Packaging a downed firefighter for removal can be a daunting task and one that sometimes requires ingenuity,” said Josh Burnheimer, Air-Pak SCBA product line manager for Scott Safety.  “RIT team members often carry webbing and may even utilize the waist belt of the SCBA to aid in packaging the firefighter.  The unique design of the carrying strap for the RIT-Pak Fast Attack enables a quick attachment and adjustment to secure the firefighter for extrication without the need to compromise the SCBA.”

Scott Safety continues to deliver ground-breaking product solutions to the fire service industry and the RIT-Pak Fast Attack is yet another example of how Scott Safety strives to improve firefighter safety.

About Scott Safety
Scott Safety, a Johnson Controls company, is a premier manufacturer of innovative respiratory and personal protective equipment and safety devices for emergency services and first-responders including firefighters, industrial workers, law enforcement, military, civil defense, national security and rescue teams around the world. With five global manufacturing locations, Scott products protect thousands of individuals each day from environmental hazards that are inherent in the industries which they serve. The Scott product line includes self-contained breathing apparatus, supplied air and air-purifying respirators, gas detection instruments, thermal imaging cameras, and firefighter locators.

By Bill Adams

I showed the Raisin Squad the last Cantankerous Wisdom posting about steel plate and steel sheet to get some old-school opinions about the way the described stainless steel specifications were written. It didn’t work. Instead, the seasoned citizens railed about specifications in general, how people don’t speak plain English anymore, and how devious some people may be who write them. They couldn’t understand why people use meaningless words and phrases. "I can’t figure them out." "What the heck are they trying to say?" "Reading them is like listening to a politician talk." "It’s easier just to buy whatever you want."

I agree specifications should be written in simple, easy-to-understand language. They should be literal. But, being literal does have drawbacks. The dictionary says that “literal,” when used as an adjective, means verbatim or word-for-word. On the fireground, a literal statement needs no further explanation. When the chief tells the first-due engine company to “drop a line” on the way in, nothing else needs to be said. The comment requires no further clarification or explanation. Asking for one may result in getting ripped a new one back in the chief’s office. As long as regional vocabulary is understood by all parties, there shouldn’t be a problem. 

When writing purchasing specifications, spec writers should realize local jargon can create misunderstanding during the bidding process. Terminology from one part of the country may not have the same meaning in another. An East Coast ladder company may think West Coast truck companies are only equipped as moving vans. Ask a Westerner how much water tankers carry in his region and you might be asked if you’re talking about the fixed wing version. Our Canadian neighbors to the north call them air bombers. I’d like to see that in a set of specs. 

When writing specs for nationwide use, apparatus manufacturers (OEMs) generally ensure the verbiage meets the entire marketplace. However, when modifying one-size-fits-all language to fit a particular region, local dealers can be as culpable as department spec writers in inadvertently creating confusion. Does crosslay, speedlay, and mattydale mean the same to bid estimators across the country? Does everyone know what a jump line, live line, or red line is? Does National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, recognize or define Class A pumpers? (It does not; it only recognizes Class A fuel and foam!)

These are actual sentences found in a specification under the “Materials” heading: “The Truck and all parts thereof shall be made of materials which are suitable for the intended service and shall be produced by current standard manufacturing processes. The materials shall be free from characteristics or defects which affect the appearance or which shall affect the proper functioning of the finished product.” I couldn’t find anything quantitative in those two sentences that can be measured or defined to the point where products and proposals can be fairly evaluated. 

I asked the Squad if they understood them. They went full tilt. “Beats me—I don’t think the guy who wrote them knows either. What the hell does that mean?” Harry put on his bifocals and read and reread the spec, shaking his head. “I don't have a clue what this guy is saying. It looks like he had a bowl of alphabet soup fo