Harvey (LA) Volunteer Fire Company #2 77-foot rear-mount aerial quint. Igniter cab and chassis; Cummins ISL9 450-hp engine; Waterous CMU 2,000-gpm two-stage pump.

Clallam County Fire District No. 2 has hired former Port Angeles Fire Department Lt. Jake Patterson as deputy fire chief for the rural fire district that surrounds Port Angeles. Patterson, 45, will begin in the new position Tuesday and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the district including oversight of emergency operations, staffing, fleet and facilities.
- PUB DATE: 1/15/2017 9:37:09 PM - SOURCE: Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News

Retrofit Head for older Circul Air dryers. The Retrofit Head upgrade features a 50 percent decrease in drying time, and a 50 percent reduction in energy cost. Our control panel offers various settings for heat drying or an ambient air dry selection. It turns an existing Circul-Air hose dryer into a new dual-purpose dryer. The upgrade kit replaces all the main components including the heating elements. It offers a five-year warranty and six metal gear hangers.

Shown are before and after pictures of a retrofit of a 58-year old unit.

For more information, visit www.circul-air-corp.com.

In May 2016, the city of Henderson, Nevada, went live with a new, state-of-the-art automated fire station alerting system—and not a moment too soon. Just six weeks prior—right after the city signed a contract to purchase a new Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System—its old 1970s-era alerting system suffered a catastrophic failure. “We literally woke up with all alerting down,” explains Deputy Chief Scott Vivier. “None of our stations had automated dispatching.”

Under those dire circumstances, the city had no choice but to expedite the installation of its new Phoenix G2 system.

The good news was that US Digital Designs, the system’s Arizona-based manufacturer, was on site in less than 72 hours. USDD immediately set up the Phoenix G2’s base configuration and hardware in one fire station. Then, in one week’s time, USDD’s third-party installation team installed four of the nine stations. By the fifth week, the entire implementation was complete. “It was a remarkable achievement under some very tight time challenges,” Deputy Chief Vivier says.

As Vivier notes, post-installation, each station was immediately “back to business as usual,” which meant that firefighters didn’t have to alter their workflow one bit. He continues, “As you can imagine, IT was concerned about interface and adding hardware onto a secure network. But, USDD’s preprogrammed interface between the Phoenix G2 system and our computer-aided dispatch system worked the first time. The city’s IT team doesn’t even really have to support our station alerting system. We are able to support it mostly by ourselves.”

Vivier explains that the Phoenix G2 “was one of the most seamless implementations of a technology product I’ve ever witnessed.” He also adds, “The training was quick and easy because the technology is so robust and intuitive. Thankfully, we had zero issues with the Phoenix G2.”

But with the implementation having gone so smoothly, how is the system functioning? “The biggest improvement,” Vivier reports, “is in our call processing time. We’ve decreased our response by more than 30 seconds—in all areas. With the former analog- and radio-based system, it could take 17 seconds from dispatch to the station and back to dispatch. Now with the Phoenix G2 system, it takes milliseconds to do all of the above. And, our average response time—from the first dispatch call to turnout—when the apparatus is en route—has decreased 17 percent to about one minute.”

And, as you can imagine, a one-minute reduction makes a huge difference. In many instances, it can be the difference between life and death. Vivier also points out that one of the biggest benefits of the new system is that its scrolling board and turnout timer features quickly deliver what the response crews need to safely prepare for the emergency at hand and get en route quickly.

He adds that that the peace of mind the Henderson fire squads and other team members have gained is immeasurable. “Previously, when we had the radio system, we didn’t have a fail-safe backup. Now with the Phoenix G2, we have a backup, and we can ensure that there’s no downtime.”

So just what set USDD’s station alerting system apart from the competition? Vivier says, “We assembled a diverse committee to review the RFPs, and found that the Phoenix G2 won based on features, performance, service, and price. We relied heavily on customer testimonia

The North Tonawanda (NY) Fire Department is a combination department that has existed for 101 years. With 38 career and 60 volunteer firefighters, the North Tonawanda Fire Deptartment covers 10 square miles bordered by the Niagra River and Erie Canal.

The Challenge
Before installing a Plymovent vehicle exhaust removal system, the North Tonawanda Fire Department had an exhaust extraction system from a different manufacturer. According to Chief John Lapham, the previous system had design flaws and would not release, causing the product to be damaged and unusable. With this ineffective system in place, it was causing more damage than good to both the firefighters and the station. “You could see soot on the electronic equipment during station cleanup,” says Lapham. “It was a red flag, and we needed to do something about it.” This was an imperative action, particularly since the World Health Organization had recently published a press release stating that diesel engine exhaust is classified as carcinogenic to humans, with an increased risk for lung cancer. 

The Solution
Advanced technology from Plymovent has proven its worth to the North Tonawanda Fire Department. All stations have since installed the code-compliant, Plymovent Magnetic Grabber® system to improve fire station air quality and reduce cancer-causing airborne toxins, creating a healthier work environment for all. Stations now have a minimum of two hose drops to allow for reserve apparatus storage, and the fire headquarters has been set up with four drops. Additionally, the mechanic’s shop was fitted with the Magnetic Grabber® system for service on all fire equipment. The combination of track and rails in the stations reduces exposure to hazardous exhaust fumes.

Plymovent a-tsource exhaust removal systems are installed with an ergonomic “Safety Disconnect Handle,” ensuring a safe disconnect from the system should it be necessary. Also equipped in the stations are fully automatic, Plymovent-manufactured, UL- and AMCA-certified fans and control boxes that operate the exhaust system in the most efficient way. Full warranty and service is provided by Air Cleaning Systems, Inc., the local Plymovent dealer for the North Tonawanda Fire Department. 

Intalled Plymovent products between five stations include:

• 9 Sliding Balancer Tracks with Magnetic Grabber®
• 2 Straight Rails with Magnetic Grabber®
• 4 TEV Fans
• 1 FUA Fan
• 4 OS3 Control Boxes 
• 1 SER Fire Maintenance Hose Reel 

Testimonial
Lapham says, “Our experience, the product, and the installer Air Cleaning Systems, Inc., have been nothing less than exemplary. Installation was quick and efficient. Service has always met our expectations, and there is always someone available to resolve the very few issues that may have arisen. Durability of the product, especially with the harsh weather of Western New York, has stood over both time and conditions. We can tell in the daily cleaning duties as there is no soot build up. It has made for a healthier work environment for all our personnel.”

Plymovent cares about the air you breathe. We offer products, systems and services which ensure clean air at work, anywhere in the world. We respect the environment and we deliver high-quality products. Our expertise gained over many years and our genuine commitment to cust