By Vicky Broadus

In Lexington, Kentucky, the city fire department’s maintenance facility is housed in a building that dates to the 1920s.

Though a venerable old structure, its age and design presented problems for the maintenance crew staffed there. A big part of its problem could be traced to the metal halide lights that had been in place for 30 years.

When the old building was constructed nearly 100 years ago, 21st-century technology and the requirements of modern fire apparatus were far from anyone’s mind. The ceilings weren’t built very high, so the large profile of metal halides left technicians with barely enough clearance to do their job, requiring creative parking to find the space needed to raise the cabs to get access to the engines.

The old lighting created other problems, too. Metal halide bulbs rapidly dimmed as they aged and constantly needed to be replaced. Even when new bulbs were still at full brightness, there was significant warm-up time. It could take as long as 20 minutes for the fixtures to reach full brightness. And, then there was the issue of energy costs-anyone who’s paid the electric bill on a facility with metal halides knows the significant amount of energy the lights use.

1 The direct light from an overhead LED fixture creates a brighter, more easily visible work area that is especially useful for sight-sensitive tasks such as engine repair and body work, reducing the need for flashlights and numerous portable task lights. (Photos courtesy of Big Ass Light.)

When the battalion chief got the opportunity to replace the metal halides, he knew he wanted to upgrade to energy-efficient LEDs. Additionally, the department needed not only brighter light but more effective placement. Nearly 30 high-bay 26,000-lumen LED fixtures from vendor Big Ass Light were positioned throughout the maintenance facility, and several 14,000-lumen fixtures were placed above the parts department.

The change was dramatic. “Everything is much brighter,” says Battalion Chief Phil Buettner. “Now the lights shine directly over the apparatus bay.” The chief compared it to having a task light for the entire garage. And, the LEDs’ lower profile means they don’t get in the way, so there’s better clearance for engine maintenance. “Before, my mechanics had to use stick lights to see the engines. Now, with the cab raised and purposely placed lights, they can see clearly, with the LED shining down where they need it,” Buettner says.

The maintenance crew also appreciates that the new LEDs don’t require any warmup; the instant-on means less time is wasted. And, the brighter space is a safer place, with no dim corners or shadows and no more fumbling with a flashlight when turning a wrench or hunting down a part in the crowded garage.

The LEDs’ built-in longevity guarantees years of maintenance-free use. And though it’s too soon to calculate and compare energy use, even with the greater number of fixtures, the savings are expected to be significant as the LEDs draw about half the power of the metal halides.

LEDs: A Long-Term Investment

Whether they’re serving large metropolitan cities or small communities, fire departments everywhere face the same chal

By Alan M. Petrillo

The communications center in a firehouse is its link with 911 dispatching and serves the function of a central nervous system for the fire department.

The hardware and software systems that make the link are a critical part of the efficiency of a department in how firefighters respond and in keeping response times to a minimum. Several manufacturers have developed specialized communications equipment for fire departments and have designed in multiple options that can make getting a rig off the floor easier, faster, and safer.

Tying Stations and Dispatch Together

Doug Barkman, product marketing consultant for Motorola Solutions Inc., says the company offers fire departments the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System to fulfill their communications and interface needs. “MACH Alert consists of two components: equipment at the dispatch center and equipment in the fire station,” Barkman says. “The MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System is designed to reduce alarm handling time-that is, the time from when dispatchers receive a 911 call to the time they dispatch that call out, and also the time from when the fire station receives the alert and when they actually get wheels rolling on the call. The system’s objective is to reduce those two times.”

David Alonzi, business development manager for Harris Corp., says his company’s main dispatching system is its Symphony console product. “Symphony interacts with the radio 911 and CAD systems to help perform the data and voice portions of a dispatch,” Alonzi says. “Symphony is a hardware-based system that runs our custom software and interfaces with P25 and conventional radios. The radio console becomes an extension of the network.”

Alonzi notes that Symphony is a completely digital product that supports system integration from the tip of the antenna to the microphone. “Any equipment that meets the P25 standard will work with the Symphony system,” he adds.

From a dispatch perspective, Symphony can signal a firehouse by sounding an alarm, providing 911 call center information and data, and turning on lights in a fire station, Alonzi points out. “It also can send dispatch information to specific vehicles and get status messages back from them as well,” he says. “It also can declare an emergency when a firefighter is in a Mayday status.”

1 Motorola Solutions makes the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System, shown here installed in a firehouse, where it links with dispatch and controls the firehouse speaker, lights, and other building systems. (Photo courtesy of Motorola Solutions.)

Barkman points out that Motorola Solutions partners with DCR Engineering, a Florida-based company that does a lot of work with industrial controls and controls that can manage apparatus bay doors, alarms, and sirens. “The components manufactured by Motorola Solutions and DCR Engineering allow the MACH Alert system to integrate the lights, sirens, call boards, doors, and other elements controlled in the fire station,” he says. “DCR Engineering’s engineers also do a lot of the deployment for Motorola Solutions, where they go to fire stations to install the equipment and get it up and running.”

At the other end of the system, Barkman notes that Motorola’s servers are installe

By Alan M. Petrillo

The communications center in a firehouse is its link with 911 dispatching and serves the function of a central nervous system for the fire department.

The hardware and software systems that make the link are a critical part of the efficiency of a department in how firefighters respond and in keeping response times to a minimum. Several manufacturers have developed specialized communications equipment for fire departments and have designed in multiple options that can make getting a rig off the floor easier, faster, and safer.

Tying Stations and Dispatch Together

Doug Barkman, product marketing consultant for Motorola Solutions Inc., says the company offers fire departments the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System to fulfill their communications and interface needs. “MACH Alert consists of two components: equipment at the dispatch center and equipment in the fire station,” Barkman says. “The MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System is designed to reduce alarm handling time-that is, the time from when dispatchers receive a 911 call to the time they dispatch that call out, and also the time from when the fire station receives the alert and when they actually get wheels rolling on the call. The system’s objective is to reduce those two times.”

David Alonzi, business development manager for Harris Corp., says his company’s main dispatching system is its Symphony console product. “Symphony interacts with the radio 911 and CAD systems to help perform the data and voice portions of a dispatch,” Alonzi says. “Symphony is a hardware-based system that runs our custom software and interfaces with P25 and conventional radios. The radio console becomes an extension of the network.”

Alonzi notes that Symphony is a completely digital product that supports system integration from the tip of the antenna to the microphone. “Any equipment that meets the P25 standard will work with the Symphony system,” he adds.

From a dispatch perspective, Symphony can signal a firehouse by sounding an alarm, providing 911 call center information and data, and turning on lights in a fire station, Alonzi points out. “It also can send dispatch information to specific vehicles and get status messages back from them as well,” he says. “It also can declare an emergency when a firefighter is in a Mayday status.”

1 Motorola Solutions makes the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System, shown here installed in a firehouse, where it links with dispatch and controls the firehouse speaker, lights, and other building systems. (Photo courtesy of Motorola Solutions.)

Barkman points out that Motorola Solutions partners with DCR Engineering, a Florida-based company that does a lot of work with industrial controls and controls that can manage apparatus bay doors, alarms, and sirens. “The components manufactured by Motorola Solutions and DCR Engineering allow the MACH Alert system to integrate the lights, sirens, call boards, doors, and other elements controlled in the fire station,” he says. “DCR Engineering’s engineers also do a lot of the deployment for Motorola Solutions, where they go to fire stations to install the equipment and get it up and running.”

At the other end of the system, Barkman notes that Motorola’s servers are installe

By Alan M. Petrillo

The communications center in a firehouse is its link with 911 dispatching and serves the function of a central nervous system for the fire department.

The hardware and software systems that make the link are a critical part of the efficiency of a department in how firefighters respond and in keeping response times to a minimum. Several manufacturers have developed specialized communications equipment for fire departments and have designed in multiple options that can make getting a rig off the floor easier, faster, and safer.

Tying Stations and Dispatch Together

Doug Bartman, product marketing consultant for Motorola Solutions Inc., says the company offers fire departments the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System to fulfill their communications and interface needs. “MACH Alert consists of two components: equipment at the dispatch center and equipment in the fire station,” Bartman says. “The MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System is designed to reduce alarm handling time-that is, the time from when dispatchers receive a 911 call to the time they dispatch that call out, and also the time from when the fire station receives the alert and when they actually get wheels rolling on the call. The system’s objective is to reduce those two times.”

David Alonzi, business development manager for Harris Corp., says his company’s main dispatching system is its Symphony console product. “Symphony interacts with the radio 911 and CAD systems to help perform the data and voice portions of a dispatch,” Alonzi says. “Symphony is a hardware-based system that runs our custom software and interfaces with P25 and conventional radios. The radio console becomes an extension of the network.”

Alonzi notes that Symphony is a completely digital product that supports system integration from the tip of the antenna to the microphone. “Any equipment that meets the P25 standard will work with the Symphony system,” he adds.

From a dispatch perspective, Symphony can signal a firehouse by sounding an alarm, providing 911 call center information and data, and turning on lights in a fire station, Alonzi points out. “It also can send dispatch information to specific vehicles and get status messages back from them as well,” he says. “It also can declare an emergency when a firefighter is in a Mayday status.”

1 Motorola Solutions makes the MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting System, shown here installed in a firehouse, where it links with dispatch and controls the firehouse speaker, lights, and other building systems. (Photo courtesy of Motorola Solutions.)

Bartman points out that Motorola Solutions partners with DCR Engineering, a Florida-based company that does a lot of work with industrial controls and controls that can manage apparatus bay doors, alarms, and sirens. “The components manufactured by Motorola Solutions and DCR Engineering allow the MACH Alert system to integrate the lights, sirens, call boards, doors, and other elements controlled in the fire station,” he says. “DCR Engineering’s engineers also do a lot of the deployment for Motorola Solutions, where they go to fire stations to install the equipment and get it up and running.”

At the other end of the system, Bartman notes that Motorola’s servers are installe

By Carl Nix

Thermal imaging cameras (TICs) are powerful tools during structure fires, but what about using TICs to help fight fires onboard aircraft and ships?

The advantages and uses of a TIC at a structure fire are similar to those when using a TIC to evaluate an aircraft or shipboard fire. Just the very nature of the fires and the construction of an aircraft or a ship results in the TIC encountering different challenges not commonly found when fighting a structure fire. If you have the proper training, however, a TIC can be an effective tool when fighting a fire in these challenging environments. Let’s look at the challenges facing firefighters when using a TIC in these unique situations.

Aircraft Fires

Fortunately, aircraft fires are not common, but airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) departments must be prepared for the possibility of an aircraft fire every day. With the proper response techniques and TIC training, these firefighting crews are prepared for any incident. They can use the TIC to assist in the size-up of an aircraft incident, fire attack, search and rescue, and investigations just like in a structural fire. There are, however, challenges firefighters need to be aware of when using a TIC in an aircraft incident.

The construction of an aircraft is primarily aluminum, which has a relatively low emissivity. This low emissivity doesn’t send its true temperature to the TIC, so on the TIC’s display the metal can appear black or gray, even though it may be extremely hot. Reading a TIC display of unpainted aluminum could be deceiving to the firefighter. Since aluminum is highly reflective of radiation, firefighters need to be aware of how a scene may be altered by reflections of fire, doors, victims, and so on.

I recently took part in a controlled burn with a crew of young firefighters aboard an aircraft fire simulator. The firefighters were training with a TIC and quickly realized that this type of fire was like no other they had ever experienced. We took the crew through several training scenarios beginning with the approach. Using a TIC to approach the burning aircraft, the firefighters needed to identify a safe passage through the dense smoke while avoiding large volumes of fire or dangerous debris from the crash. We also instructed the firefighters to identify the exact location of doors and windows to help them determine the appropriate entry points. If there are openings in the fuselage from a crash, firefighters can evaluate these as potential entry points as well.

1 An aircraft has a number of obstacles, including seats, doors, carts, and storage bins, not normally seen in a structure fire. If you have the proper training, however, a TIC can be an effective tool when fighting a fire in these challenging environments. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

Once inside the aircraft, the firefighters encountered challenges. Think of the tight narrow aisles of an aircraft, row after row of seats, and low ceilings made for storing carry-on luggage. Simply put, an aircraft has a number of obstacles, including seats, doors, carts, and storage bins, not normally seen in a structure fire. Maneuvering past these obstacles can make a quick search difficult because the TIC cannot see through t