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Posted: Oct 5, 2016

New Radios for Pullman City (WA) Fire Department

The Pullman City Council approved the purchase of new radios for the fire department, Pullman transit buying a new bus, and the appointment of new public records officers to the police and fire departments at its meeting on Tuesday.
The fire department received a grant from FEMA last year and is using the funds to replace radios for the department, said Pullman Fire Chief Mike Heston. The radios that the department currently uses are 20 years old.

The FEMA grant will cover 90 percent of the $304,766 it will take to buy the approximately 80 new radios, Heston said. The council unanimously approved to help with the purchase.

"The radios we have now are analog, you get some signals and it gets scratchy and then that's all you hear," Heston said. "Our new radios will all be digital so it's all state of the art and what's required."

The department took several models of radios and air masks to see which ones worked best for them and Heston said he let the firefighters choose the model.

The new radios have bluetooth and can connect to the new air masks the firefighters will have so the sound from air mask to air mask is crystal clear, which Heston said will improve safety. Right now, he said, talking over the radios with the air masks on is very difficult and hard to hear.

The department will trade in the old radios and any other old fire equipment, which will most likely go to another country, Heston said. Often the old equipment ends up in Mexico.

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Posted: Oct 5, 2016

Chula Vista (CA) Closes Down Fire Station After Sewage Pipes Burst

A South Bay fire station has been temporarily closed since last weekend after sewage pipes burst inside, leaving its firefighters and vehicles to work out of two other nearby stations. "It's about 60 years old; it was built in 1960," Chula Vista Fire Chief Jim Geering said of Fire Station 9.
The sewage pipe burst into the areas where the firefighters sleep.

"It's not the best," said Geering. "This is no way for employees to come to work."

The station was immediately closed and signs were posted outside.

Geering wasn't happy, adding, the situation was an "embarrassment because this is no way to run a fire department."

His biggest concern is response time. He said Station 9 averages four to five calls a day.

Geering said the city of Chula Vista and his department have been aware that Station 9 was in dire need of replacing. Geering said the Chula Vista Fire Department altogether needs between $40 million to $50 million in repairs and replacements.

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Posted: Oct 5, 2016

Lebanon (OH) Abandons Plan to Raise Fire Station Roof for New Fire Apparatus

City officials have abandoned plans to raise the roof of the downtown fire station to make room for its new $870,000 ladder truck. This is the latest in a chain of events begun as Lebanon and LCNB developed the new bank building next to the downtown station and the city bought the truck, although it doesn't fit in either fire station.
The lone bid to raise the roof and renovate the downtown station came in at $680,000, more than double the projected $250,000.

For now the new truck will be stationed in a bay at the electric department several blocks from the downtown station as the city seeks to design and construct a new bay for the truck at the station outside town.

The council Tuesday night agreed to reject the bid, abandon raising the roof and end plans to build drive-through bays on the downtown station.

The decisions are the latest in a chain of events begun as Lebanon and LCNB developed a new bank building and headquarters next to the downtown fire station.

The council and staff discussed moving the downtown station, possibly as part of a safety complex on the site of the former city garage, which had been moved as part of efforts to encourage business development along the city’s North Broadway Corridor.

City finances are stretched in operating the department primarily on funds from a 7-mill levy that generates $2.7 million a year. In addition to equipment costs, the city is absorbing the cost of hiring additional full-time firefighters

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Posted: Oct 5, 2016

Eliminate Heat-Exposure Risks with the Comfortable, Non-Restrictive Bunker Boot Mate

Bunker Boot Mate

TheFireStore, the nation’s leading multi-channel distributor of public-safety equipment, supplies, training, and service, knows perfectly well that a firefighter’s job is physically tough: It involves running, crawling, and even squatting. In the span of just a few minutes, a firefighter can be in any number of different positions. Therefore, they need a product that offers ample and equal amounts of protection and comfort, along with allowing the mobility to safely and accurately do their jobs without hindering them in any way. Committed to a mission of continually developing products to improve both workplace satisfaction and personal safety, SuperFlow SafeT Systems offers a revolutionary solution: the Bunker Boot Mate, a non-invasive strap made of fire-resistant Kevlar and Nomex materials.

Preventing exposure to deadly heat and flames is a critical consideration that firefighters must take into account. Firefighters walking on roofs of burning homes are at risk of walking on soft spots and falling through. During the fall, the turnout pants’ fabric can catch on the roof’s shingles, thereby exposing legs to fire. Similarly, turnout pants can ride up legs while crawling backward, again exposing the legs. These scenarios occur countless times each year; this is where the Bunker Boot Mate’s usefulness is fully realized.

Proudly made in the U.S. and designed to help protect legs while keeping turnout pants feeling comfortable and properly placed, the Bunker Boot Mate conveniently snaps in between the existing two snaps that are located between the liner and outer shell of most turnout pants. Then, it wraps around a boot’s instep so that it can attach to the remaining pair of snaps on the opposite side, thereby eliminating the heat-exposure risks that are present when walking on roofs or when crawling backward. It is abrasion-resistant and essentially self-cleaning due to its Nanosphere coating – even the toughest dirt and grime can be removed when cleaned with just water. Additionally, each Bunker Boot Mate is equipped with two reflective stripes.

For more information and to get yours, be sure to visit TheFireStore.com.

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Posted: Oct 5, 2016

Streamlight® Launches Dual-Switch Strion® Models

EAGLEVILLE, PA—Streamlight® Inc., a provider of high-performance lighting and weapon light/laser sighting devices, introduced new models of its Strion® lights, with innovative Dual Switch (DS) technology: the Strion® DS, the Strion®  DS HL (High Lumen) and the Strion® DS HPL (High Performance, High Lumen).  Each of the rechargeable lights now offers two independent, easy-to-locate switches for added user flexibility.

The ultra-compact flashlights provide both a head-mounted, push-button switch and a second, multifunction push-button tactical tail switch for full-feature control, independent of the other switch.

“The ability to choose between two switch locations is a major benefit for everyone from first responders to industrial professionals and outdoor enthusiasts,” says Streamlight Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Michael F. Dineen. “It gives them the flexibility to use one light for virtually any need, whether for tactical operations, troubleshooting repairs under low light conditions, or for lighting up an outdoor site under darkened conditions.”

Each light features the latest in C4® LED technology. The Strion DS delivers an optimal balance of a bright, far-reaching beam with ample peripheral light and long run times. The HL model offers a wide, side-to-side beam that illuminates an entire area, while the Strion DS HPL delivers a blinding hotspot over long distances to provide maximum illumination on targets downrange.

All three models provide three microprocessor-controlled variable-intensity modes and a strobe feature. The Strion DS HL and DS HPL each deliver 700 lumens on high, while the Strion DS offers 375 lumens on the same setting. On high, the Strion DS HPL reaches over 420 meters, while both the Strion DS HL and Strion DS reach over 219 meters. Run times for the three lights range from one hour and 15 minutes on high to 20 hours on low. The strobe feature on all three lights has a run time of 2.5 hours.

The lights also feature a TEN-TAP® programmable switch that allows users to select from high/medium/low with strobe (the factory default); high only; or high/medium/low without strobe.

The Strion DS, Strion DS HL and Strion DS HPL are each powered by a lithium ion battery that is rechargeable up to 1,000 times. The battery fully recharges in three hours in the product; a charge base LED indicator remains steady when charging and blinks when fully charged.

The lights’ casings are fabricated from 6000 series machined aircraft aluminum with an anodized finish. The Strion DS, DS HL and DS HPL measure 6.40, 6.33 and 7.56 inches long, respectively. Both the DS and DS HL models weigh 5.4 ounces, while the DS HPL model weighs 6.9 ounces. All three lights are IPX4-rated for water-resistant operation, and are impact resistance tested to two meters.

For more information, visit www.streamlight.com.

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