By Alan M. Petrillo

The equipment used by trench rescue, structural collapse, and urban search and rescue (USAR) teams sometimes crosses into what firefighters usually find on rescues and pumpers but more often is specialized equipment designed for a single purpose.

Equipment used by these teams is typically unique to the types of jobs team members must perform to achieve their objectives in what is often characterized as technical rescue.

1 Res-Q-Jack makes the Super X-Strut, designed for stabilization and lifting, out of solid aluminum with threaded collars. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Struts

Tom Gavin, national sales manager for Paratech, says the products his company makes that are most often used in USAR, building collapse, and trench rescue situations are its air bags and its multipurpose struts. “With the struts, which use a thread system instead of a pin, you can change the heads to use the struts for a different type of use,” Gavin says. “You change the head for the discipline-from walls and concrete slabs and trenches to buses, trucks, and cars.”

Gavin points out that Paratech’s gray struts will hold up to 80,000 pounds for a four-foot-long strut, while its gold struts, which are 3½ inches in diameter, can hold 80,000 pounds at eight feet long. “Most fire departments start out with the gray struts, which are sold in our highway vehicle stabilization kits,” he says. “When they want to go really big, they add the gold struts. When you get into USAR and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams, they use quite a lot of gold struts, along with our Raker system.”

Gavin notes that Paratech’s gray struts can telescope out to 11 feet, while gold struts telescope to 18 feet. “The gray base plates we make fit both gray and gold struts, but we also make gold base plates for heavy rigging jobs and high angle rescue.”

2 The struts made by Res-Q-Jack are used not only in structural collapse and trench rescue but also in vehicle stabilization and lifting situations. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Hurst Jaws of Life makes the Airshore series of rescue struts and equipment used in USAR, structural collapse, and trench rescue situations. Airshore Pneumatic Rescue Struts are made in extendable lengths from one foot to eight feet that extend from 1½ feet to 12 feet. Capacities range from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds, depending on the strut.

Hurst also makes the Airshore Rescue Tool Gantry/A-Frame in sizes from 4½ to 12 feet, the Airshore Rescue Tool Column in sizes extendable from two feet to 12 feet and carrying a maximum capacity of 85,000 pounds for the two-foot model, and various Raker Rail assemblies.

Chris Pasto, founder and owner of Res-Q-Jack, says that “no matter which strut you’re using for an application, you have to know the load you’re working with and the capacity of the strut that you’re using. Also, you shouldn’t limit your thinking in applying struts be

Local firefighters managed to save about a dozen homes that were threatened by a brush fire in Prosser last night before reinforcements arrived, a fire spokesman said. Only a barn was lost as the South Ward Gap fire burned somewhere between 6,000 to 8,000 acres on Sunday, said Marcus Deyerin with the Northwest Washington Incident Management Team on Monday morning.
- PUB DATE: 8/1/2016 10:17:42 AM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic

Chris Mc Loone

It is very easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities and the requirements to be a firefighter today.

Whether we are career or volunteer, the time commitments to stay abreast of everything we need to know to stay at the top of our game are greater than ever before. The incidents to which we respond are not the same as they were as little as 20 years ago, and the challenges we face are always becoming more complex. Considering all this, it’s not surprising that at times, traditions fall by the wayside, becoming victims of not having enough time for them.

That’s why I was so glad to be invited to the housing ceremony for Engine 25 in the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department. The rig is one of two Spartan ER pumpers recently delivered to the city. Engine 68 had been “housed” the week before. This tradition has its origins in the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus. When a company would return from a run, members would have to disconnect the horses from the rig and back the apparatus into the firehouse because the horses could not go backward. At the housing for Engine 25, different groups pushed the truck into quarters three different times.

The master of ceremonies for the event was Captain Anthony Bompadre, and he had a few remarks about tradition. First, Engine 25’s motto is simply “Tradition,” and Bompadre cited a variety of traditions there. “Tradition is me having to beat these guys to the apparatus on every run,” he commented. “Tradition is getting a phone call on Monday saying our station inspection is the following morning and there was a miscommunication on the calendar and do we have to reschedule before we invite the deputy. My answer is a quick and confident, ‘Absolutely not, because this place is always in top condition.’ Tradition is when I sent the group message out that I received a phone call that we were receiving this beautiful new apparatus, and the answer I got was ‘Let’s do a housing and invite everybody.’ Tradition is following in your father’s footsteps in this company after he lost his life fighting a fire on June 13, 1984. And finally, tradition is the look I’m getting from my guys right now for giving them some well-deserved accolades that they never ask for.”

It had been many years since the Philadelphia Fire Department had held any housing ceremonies, but the department’s leadership recognized how important a return to the tradition was. Bompadre commented in the beginning of his remarks that change is good and is often necessary. But, he also recognized the Philadelphia Fire Department as an organization that is able to change with the times while holding on to much-needed traditions.

Last month, I discussed the concept of the “super scrub” that one department employed to ensure its apparatus and tools were in top condition at all times. We talk about the kitchen table being the center of the world in fire departments, but in many ways, so are the rigs. The apparatus carry our mottos, our personnel, and bear our pride in the traditions of our companies and our departments. That pride and tradition go beyond the color of the trucks, the location of equipment therein, or what size or type of pump goes on the engines. They are about the group who come out to clean the rigs “just because.” They are about the veteran who every year spends hours working on the pump panels before Independence Day parades and festivities. They can also be about that one member in the back of the room who asks, “Is the new truck going to have a bell on it?” because he can pictur

Chris Mc Loone

It is very easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities and the requirements to be a firefighter today.

Whether we are career or volunteer, the time commitments to stay abreast of everything we need to know to stay at the top of our game are greater than ever before. The incidents to which we respond are not the same as they were as little as 20 years ago, and the challenges we face are always becoming more complex. Considering all this, it’s not surprising that at times, traditions fall by the wayside, becoming victims of not having enough time for them.

That’s why I was so glad to be invited to the housing ceremony for Engine 25 in the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department. The rig is one of two Spartan ER pumpers recently delivered to the city. Engine 68 had been “housed” the week before. This tradition has its origins in the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus. When a company would return from a run, members would have to disconnect the horses from the rig and back the apparatus into the firehouse because the horses could not go backward. At the housing for Engine 25, different groups pushed the truck into quarters three different times.

The master of ceremonies for the event was Captain Anthony Bompadre, and he had a few remarks about tradition. First, Engine 25’s motto is simply “Tradition,” and Bompadre cited a variety of traditions there. “Tradition is me having to beat these guys to the apparatus on every run,” he commented. “Tradition is getting a phone call on Monday saying our station inspection is the following morning and there was a miscommunication on the calendar and do we have to reschedule before we invite the deputy. My answer is a quick and confident, ‘Absolutely not, because this place is always in top condition.’ Tradition is when I sent the group message out that I received a phone call that we were receiving this beautiful new apparatus, and the answer I got was ‘Let’s do a housing and invite everybody.’ Tradition is following in your father’s footsteps in this company after he lost his life fighting a fire on June 13, 1984. And finally, tradition is the look I’m getting from my guys right now for giving them some well-deserved accolades that they never ask for.”

It had been many years since the Philadelphia Fire Department had held any housing ceremonies, but the department’s leadership recognized how important a return to the tradition was. Bompadre commented in the beginning of his remarks that change is good and is often necessary. But, he also recognized the Philadelphia Fire Department as an organization that is able to change with the times while holding on to much-needed traditions.

Last month, I discussed the concept of the “super scrub” that one department employed to ensure its apparatus and tools were in top condition at all times. We talk about the kitchen table being the center of the world in fire departments, but in many ways, so are the rigs. The apparatus carry our mottos, our personnel, and bear our pride in the traditions of our companies and our departments. That pride and tradition go beyond the color of the trucks, the location of equipment therein, or what size or type of pump goes on the engines. They are about the group who come out to clean the rigs “just because.” They are about the veteran who every year spends hours working on the pump panels before Independence Day parades and festivities. They can also be about that one member in the back of the room who asks, “Is the new truck going to have a bell on it?” because he can pictur

Chris Mc Loone

It is very easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities and the requirements to be a firefighter today.

Whether we are career or volunteer, the time commitments to stay abreast of everything we need to know to stay at the top of our game are greater than ever before. The incidents to which we respond are not the same as they were as little as 20 years ago, and the challenges we face are always becoming more complex. Considering all this, it’s not surprising that at times, traditions fall by the wayside, becoming victims of not having enough time for them.

That’s why I was so glad to be invited to the housing ceremony for Engine 25 in the Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department. The rig is one of two Spartan ER pumpers recently delivered to the city. Engine 68 had been “housed” the week before. This tradition has its origins in the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus. When a company would return from a run, members would have to disconnect the horses from the rig and back the apparatus into the firehouse because the horses could not go backward. At the housing for Engine 25, different groups pushed the truck into quarters three different times.

The master of ceremonies for the event was Captain Anthony Bompadre, and he had a few remarks about tradition. First, Engine 25’s motto is simply “Tradition,” and Bompadre cited a variety of traditions there. “Tradition is me having to beat these guys to the apparatus on every run,” he commented. “Tradition is getting a phone call on Monday saying our station inspection is the following morning and there was a miscommunication on the calendar and do we have to reschedule before we invite the deputy. My answer is a quick and confident, ‘Absolutely not, because this place is always in top condition.’ Tradition is when I sent the group message out that I received a phone call that we were receiving this beautiful new apparatus, and the answer I got was ‘Let’s do a housing and invite everybody.’ Tradition is following in your father’s footsteps in this company after he lost his life fighting a fire on June 13, 1984. And finally, tradition is the look I’m getting from my guys right now for giving them some well-deserved accolades that they never ask for.”

It had been many years since the Philadelphia Fire Department had held any housing ceremonies, but the department’s leadership recognized how important a return to the tradition was. Bompadre commented in the beginning of his remarks that change is good and is often necessary. But, he also recognized the Philadelphia Fire Department as an organization that is able to change with the times while holding on to much-needed traditions.

Last month, I discussed the concept of the “super scrub” that one department employed to ensure its apparatus and tools were in top condition at all times. We talk about the kitchen table being the center of the world in fire departments, but in many ways, so are the rigs. The apparatus carry our mottos, our personnel, and bear our pride in the traditions of our companies and our departments. That pride and tradition go beyond the color of the trucks, the location of equipment therein, or what size or type of pump goes on the engines. They are about the group who come out to clean the rigs “just because.” They are about the veteran who every year spends hours working on the pump panels before Independence Day parades and festivities. They can also be about that one member in the back of the room who asks, “Is the new truck going to have a bell on it?” because he can pictur