By Chris McLoone

Chief Operating Officer, Pierce Manufacturing

1. How have the new configurations for the Ascendant aerial introduced at FDIC International 2016 been received by the market?

Actually, very well. The reason we came out with those variations was because of feedback from the field asking for those configurations. We look at the single-axle aerial market and the quint and the Texas Chute Out bodies were actually the majority of the market. So, there is a big place and a good reception for the Texas Chute Out style of body and hosebed configuration. The PUC has been an extremely popular product line and part of our single-rear-axle product portfolio in the past, so it’s natural for it to be part of that. And, the benefit of the Ascendant is also the additional ladder storage-getting more than 200 feet of ladder storage in a quint type of configuration as well as the no pump/no tank configuration. We had a really aggressive demo schedule when we first came out with the Ascendant. Across the country, we had four trucks out doing continual demonstrations. Really, that product you saw at FDIC International came from comments at those demos, and we did what we were asked to do.

2. At the time you introduced the Ascendant, you also introduced Command Zone. Where do you see these types of systems heading on fire apparatus in the future?

It will go in a path that adds value for fire departments. What they see and get tangible value out of-whether information responding to and from a scene or features that allow them to manage and reduce lifecycle costs with the product. So, that’s our number one focus-it has to add value.

3. Would you comment on moving some custom fire apparatus production to Florida?

Our Florida operation has been largely focused on commercial products-products that are built on Freightliner, Navistar, and Kenworth chassis, etc. We have always finished out our Saber custom product there-the pump house and body-and delivered it from that location. We’re moving more of that work to the Florida operation. And, what’s driving that is that our backlog has been growing significantly. Part of moving part of that content work to the Florida line is an effort to free up more production capacity in Appleton, Wisconsin, so we can deliver trucks in a reasonable amount of time for the fire departments.

4. What is Pierce’s place in the global fire apparatus market?

We sell products globally. It’s more prevalent now than it was before the downturn. We put more emphasis and effort there. We do really well in specific countries that we target and export to. And, it continues to grow and be part of our portfolio. As of recent times, we do face some headwinds from exchange rates. The dollar is very strong right now, which is really great for the consumer. For the manufacturer, it makes it a little rougher to compete in the global market. But, we’re holding our own and we’re where we think we should be in that arena.

5. What keeps you up at night?

It’s really people. The success of our company is our people. It’s our salespeople and the relationships they develop. It’s our new product development people who come up with the ideas and execute them. It’s our operations and our manufacturing people. And as we continue to grow, we are bringing new people into our organization. The average tenure here is 23 years, and what that drives are retirements also. We’re blessed that we’re growing and that we’re in that positi

By Alan M. Petrillo

Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6 has won a number of awards for station design, energy, and innovation, but its most outstanding value, according to the district fire chief, is its functionality coupled with its energy efficiency and how it harmonizes with its red rock desert environment.

Chief Kris Kazian says that while the station is designated number six, it actually is the fifth staffed station in the district. “We needed a station in the Chapel area of Sedona between its next closest station and the equally important village of Oak Creek, where we have a busy station because of a couple of nursing homes and a lot of population,” he explains. “We needed a station in between that could help reduce response times, especially when we were out on other calls.”

1 Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6, designed by LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, won a National Design Honor Award from the Fire Industry Education Research Organization (F.I.E.R.O.) and an Arizona Governor’s Award for Energy and Innovation. (Photos courtesy of LEA Architects unless otherwise noted.)

The district covers 168 square miles for fire protection and 274 square miles for emergency medical services (EMS). It has 75 paid firefighters, including 38 paramedics and the rest emergency medical technicians (EMTs). It responds to 4,500 fire and EMS calls a year. The district runs five Type 1 engines (one Pierce, two HME, and two KME with another Pierce on order), a Sutphen SPH 100-foot aerial platform, three water tenders, two Type 3 engines, two Type 6 engines, three utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), and seven ambulances.

2 LEA Architects designed the station with solar panels cantilevered on the top of a wall that faces south because the station’s roof slanted in the wrong direction to catch optimal sun rays.

Sedona Station 6 has two double-deep, drive-through apparatus bays; a training community room; a kitchen and dining area; a dayroom; five dorm rooms (each with three lockers for the three working shifts); a workout room; offices; a communications room; an electrical room; a clean laundry; and a decon laundry.

LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, designed the station with an innovative use of technology by mounting solar photovoltaic (PV) panels cantilevered from the top of a wall so they can double as shade for exterior work and training spaces, carports with solar PV panels, roof solar tube skylights that deliver natural light to interior spaces, and light-colored pavements to mitigate the heat island effect. The station also is set up for rain harvesting from the roof, but collection tanks and pumps were not installed because of budgetary constraints.

Read more 265 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Oct 7, 2016 Sedona Fire Station Combines Innovation and Functionality By Alan M. Petrillo Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6 has won a number of awards for station design, energy, and innovation, but its most outstanding value, according to the district fire chief, is its functionality coupled with its energy efficiency and how it harmonizes with its red rock desert environment. Chief Kris Kazian says that while the station is designated number six, it actually is the fifth staffed station in the district. “We needed a station in the Chapel area of Sedona between its next closest station and the equally important village of Oak Creek, where we have a busy station because of a couple of nursing homes and a lot of population,” he explains. “We needed a station in between that could help reduce response times, especially when we were out on other calls.” 1 Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6, designed by LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, won a National Design Honor Award from the Fire Industry Education Research Organization (F.I.E.R.O.) and an Arizona Governor’s Award for Energy and Innovation. (Photos courtesy of LEA Architects unless otherwise noted.) The district covers 168 square miles for fire protection and 274 square miles for emergency medical services (EMS). It has 75 paid firefighters, including 38 paramedics and the rest emergency medical technicians (EMTs). It responds to 4,500 fire and EMS calls a year. The district runs five Type 1 engines (one Pierce, two HME, and two KME with another Pierce on order), a Sutphen SPH 100-foot aerial platform, three water tenders, two Type 3 engines, two Type 6 engines, three utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), and seven ambulances. 2 LEA Architects designed the station with solar panels cantilevered on the top of a wall that faces south because the station’s roof slanted in the wrong direction to catch optimal sun rays. Sedona Station 6 has two double-deep, drive-through apparatus bays; a training community room; a kitchen and dining area; a dayroom; five dorm rooms (each with three lockers for the three working shifts); a workout room; offices; a communications room; an electrical room; a clean laundry; and a decon laundry. LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, designed the station with an innovative use of technology by mounting solar photovoltaic (PV) panels cantilevered from the top of a wall so they can double as shade for exterior work and training spaces, carports with solar PV panels, roof solar tube skylights that deliver natural light to interior spaces, and light-colored pavements to mitigate the heat island effect. The station also is set up for rain harvesting from the roof, but collection tanks and pumps were not installed because of budgetary constraints. Read more 241 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Oct 7, 2016 Sedona Fire Station Combines Innovation and Functionality By Alan M. Petrillo Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6 has won a number of awards for station design, energy, and innovation, but its most outstanding value, according to the district fire chief, is its functionality coupled with its energy efficiency and how it harmonizes with its red rock desert environment. Chief Kris Kazian says that while the station is designated number six, it actually is the fifth staffed station in the district. “We needed a station in the Chapel area of Sedona between its next closest station and the equally important village of Oak Creek, where we have a busy station because of a couple of nursing homes and a lot of population,” he explains. “We needed a station in between that could help reduce response times, especially when we were out on other calls.” 1 Sedona (AZ) Fire District Station 6, designed by LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, won a National Design Honor Award from the Fire Industry Education Research Organization (F.I.E.R.O.) and an Arizona Governor’s Award for Energy and Innovation. (Photos courtesy of LEA Architects unless otherwise noted.) The district covers 168 square miles for fire protection and 274 square miles for emergency medical services (EMS). It has 75 paid firefighters, including 38 paramedics and the rest emergency medical technicians (EMTs). It responds to 4,500 fire and EMS calls a year. The district runs five Type 1 engines (one Pierce, two HME, and two KME with another Pierce on order), a Sutphen SPH 100-foot aerial platform, three water tenders, two Type 3 engines, two Type 6 engines, three utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), and seven ambulances. 2 LEA Architects designed the station with solar panels cantilevered on the top of a wall that faces south because the station’s roof slanted in the wrong direction to catch optimal sun rays. Sedona Station 6 has two double-deep, drive-through apparatus bays; a training community room; a kitchen and dining area; a dayroom; five dorm rooms (each with three lockers for the three working shifts); a workout room; offices; a communications room; an electrical room; a clean laundry; and a decon laundry. LEA Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, designed the station with an innovative use of technology by mounting solar photovoltaic (PV) panels cantilevered from the top of a wall so they can double as shade for exterior work and training spaces, carports with solar PV panels, roof solar tube skylights that deliver natural light to interior spaces, and light-colored pavements to mitigate the heat island effect. The station also is set up for rain harvesting from the roof, but collection tanks and pumps were not installed because of budgetary constraints. Read more 227 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Oct 7, 2016 FDSOA Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium 2017: Experiences Offered By Richard Marinucci As everyone knows, experience is a great teacher. As we go through life, we have an opportunity to learn from virtually everything that passes by us-the good and the bad. In the fire and emergency services, not everyone can experience everything they need to know before they retire or move on to other assignments. Yet, there is an expectation from bosses, supervisors, and the citizens being served by those organizations (i.e., taxpayers) that individuals within the organization will make good decisions and choices. Therefore, it is wise and prudent for individuals to learn as much as they can from other people’s experiences and try not to learn the hard way. That is where the 29th Annual Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium comes into play. This is a one-of-a-kind event that will be held in Orlando, Florida, from January 15-18, 2017. It brings together experts in the field of fire service vehicles. There are opportunities to get the latest information on emerging issues and topics. There will be people there to discuss all aspects of apparatus-from purchasing to maintenance. As fire apparatus are significant investments, knowledge is essential so departments make the right decisions and minimize errors. One area to be covered is the Boston (MA) Fire Department’s (BFD) experiences following a fatal crash in 2009. Ralph Craven, of Mercury Associates (who was retained by Boston to perform the assessment) and a representative from the BFD will relay the lessons learned, conclusions, and recommendations. This is a great chance to hear about the positives that resulted from a tragedy with hopes of never having a repeat-not only in the BFD but in every other organization that can learn from the challenges the BFD faced. Neil Rossman, a Massachusetts attorney, will make another presentation. Some people may remember Rossman as an attorney who represented a Brookline, Massachusetts, firefighter who was thrown from an apparatus while responding to a call. He was successful in his lawsuit and with it brought many changes to apparatus to make them safer. Rossman subsequently served on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, committee, where he continued to work on safety issues and apparatus affecting firefighters and fire departments. He will discuss the progress that has been made and the areas that still need improvement. These are two of the programs that will help you to gain from the experiences of others. This year’s program promises to be outstanding, with a variety of subjects to be covered. Those who attend will have many opportunities to network to add to what they learn during general sessions and workshops. Invest in yourself and your organization so that you can continue to improve on your capabilities. If you are in any way involved with the apparatus in your organization, you should make plans now to attend the 29th Annual Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium. Visit www.fdsoa.org for more information. RICHARD MARINUCCI is the executive director of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA). He retired as chief of the Farmington Hills (MI) Fire Department in 2008, a position he had held since 1984. He is a Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment and Fire Engineering editorial advisory board member, a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and past chairman of the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation. In 1999, he served as acting chief operating officer of Read more 273 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious6801680268036804680568066807680868096810NextLast Theme picker Filter News Catagories Categories News (193) RSS Expand/Collapse Washington News (11847) RSS Expand/Collapse National News (11518) RSS Expand/Collapse WFC News (109) RSS Expand/Collapse Legislative Announcements (7) RSS Expand/Collapse Flag Lowerings (15) RSS Expand/Collapse Memorial Information (24) RSS Expand/Collapse Sections (6) RSS Expand/Collapse Emergency Medical Services (1) RSS Expand/Collapse Fire Administrative Support (17) RSS Expand/Collapse Fire Mechanics (18828) RSS Expand/Collapse Fire Training Safety & Officers (25) RSS Expand/Collapse Public Fire Educators (4) RSS Expand/Collapse HazMat Committee (0) RSS Expand/Collapse Filter to see National, Washington or WFC News, or filter to the Section News you are looking for! 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