In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

By Jerry Wells,

battalion chief, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department

“Firefighting Is the Ultimate Team Sport: Build a Better Team”

Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-12 p.m.

“It should be our highest priority to protect those feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and passion we felt for our career when we entered the fire service. No one should be able to take them from us.” To this end, I have focused on building and maintaining a team mentality in the fire service. We need to continue to train, but we also need to spend some time reinforcing the value of personal responsibility as it relates to just getting along.

We spend up to 90 percent of our time in the firehouse or doing non-emergency activities. The remainder of the time we attend to emergency activities. This is the time when firefighters love what they are doing and are at their best.

As an officer in a fairly busy fire department, the “problems” I deal with usually come from the non-emergency times, the downtime in the firehouse. The issues typically relate to attitude. Firefighters have many opportunities for good quality training, mental and hands on; but all that training is wasted if the overall attitude of the firefighter is negative.

Negative firehouse conduct can become so destructive, and it affects lives and careers. Most of us entered this profession excited, enthusiastic, and passionate, ready to save the world. But, often, these emotions fade, if not vanish.

In every class I have presented to date, I have witnessed “sweating eyes” because of the emotion drawn out of the tenured firefighters in attendance. Firefighters don’t cry, but sometime, their eyes will sweat under certain circumstances.

Featured in the class is the “BE HERE NOW” concept, which simply means that when I am on duty, I should be present mind, body, and soul—I should give my all to the profession. Tomorrow you can get back to the part-time job. Several departments have put up “BE HERE NOW” signs in their firehouses and training facilities. This concept came from Coach Chris Peterson of the Boise State Broncos. It is making an impact in our fire service. In this era of smart phones and instant information, fire department leaders have been experiencing an epidemic of firefighters who can’t seem to stay engaged in the job for a complete tour of duty. The response to the “BE HERE NOW” program has led to the sequel “Character Counts, The 6 Pillars of Character, and How to Build a Rock Star Firehouse,” which made its debut at a conference in Missouri in February and was well received.

Over the seven years I have been teaching this class, I have received some of the most humbling evaluations. On three occasions, I received emails/letters from students who said the class saved their career because they had lost their passion and had never gotten motivated to get it back. Many 30-year veterans said they should have heard this program years ago.

CLICK ABOVE FOR A WUI EQUIPMENT GALLERY >>

WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRE APPARATUS

By Alan M. Petrillo

Equipment designed for wildland firefighting is arguably as important as the wildland and urban interface apparatus that carries it to the scene of a wildland fire. The recent Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) conference run by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada, had an exhibit hall filled with a wide array of equipment and gear that wildland firefighters use in suppressing wildland fires.

Eric Topacio, chief executive officer of Cedar Valve, says his company’s newly-redesigned 2½-inch valve shows a lower profile and is lighter in weight than its predecessor. The valve is used in situations when a pumper or tanker operator doesn’t want to be anchored to a hydrant or other water source, allowing the operator to quickly disconnect the engine panel while still hooked to a charged hydrant. Cedar Valve’s 2½-inch model can be easily used by a Type 3 engine on a water shuttle, Topacio says, and the company also makes a four-inch valve.

Phos-Chek, a maker of fire-retardant foams and gels used in wildland firefighting, introduced its newest product: FX, a Class B AFFF 3 percent military specification (milspec) retardant. Chris Thompson, Phos-Chek product manager, says FX is tinted pink for high visibility in air-assist applications, but that it is also being used in ground applications to protect structures and other vulnerable areas. “With ground-applied products, you get 100 percent coverage that can be applied hours, days, and weeks in advance, and even in night operations,” Thompson points out.

Scotty Fire, displayed its wildland foam nozzle as well as its 4010 Fast-Foam applicator for wildland use. To operate the Fast-Foam applicator, a firefighter opens the inlet side of the mixing chamber, inserts a Fast-Foam cartridge, reseals the inlet end cap, attaches the unit to a supply hose, and sprays Class A foam.

TenCate showed its new Tech T-4 base layer shirt for wildland use, a lightweight, tri-blended fabric product similar to athletic shirts that wick moisture away from the wearer’s skin, according to William Smith, sales manager for industrial products at TenCate. “Fire agencies like CAL FIRE and Fairfax County (VA) Fire Department are already using them,” Smith says. “And, we plan on bringing out a similar line of boxer briefs and sports bras as well.”

Amit Kapoor, president of First Line Technology, says the AmbuCarrier foldable litter his company makes, which was on display, serves as a manual transport rescue litter that can carry a Stokes, backboard, or NATO litter (used by the National Guard). “It weighs 34 pounds, has 18-inch wheels, which can be quickly changed out for sand wheels for beachside work, and fits in an apparatus compartment,” Kapoor says. “The litter also can be used for equipment transfer if needed.”

There used to be a lot more fire departments in south Snohomish County. Ed Widdis always believed that fewer departments would mean fewer chiefs, fewer political boundaries and better service for the public. He spent decades working toward that sometimes-controversial goal. Widdis, 59, retired recently from Snohomish County Fire District 1.
- PUB DATE: 4/5/2016 1:57:16 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald

There used to be a lot more fire departments in south Snohomish County. Ed Widdis always believed that fewer departments would mean fewer chiefs, fewer political boundaries and better service for the public. He spent decades working toward that sometimes-controversial goal. Widdis, 59, retired recently from Snohomish County Fire District 1.
- PUB DATE: 4/5/2016 1:57:16 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald