By Jim Peterson

For most of my time as chief, our county had been on the same dated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

And while it wasn’t the most advanced technology, it worked. It was good enough. So, why did we recently decide to overhaul our operations and move to a next-generation CAD system? Because I knew we could do better. Because when it comes to the safety of our community and the firefighters risking their jobs every day, “good enough” isn’t good enough.

Saginaw County is one of the busier dispatch centers in Michigan. We have 22 fire departments in the county, which spans 825 square miles. Every year, the county receives more than 350,000 911 calls with seven dispatchers.

Previously, firefighters made many of their response decisions on their arrival at the incident scene. Beyond the address, additional information on the building layout, its owners, its business, or even the surrounding area was simply not available to them prior to arrival.

Now when a citizen calls 911 for emergency assistance, reporting a fire in a multiple-level building downtown, our personnel are alerted faster with more information provided as they head to the scene. In addition to details provided by the caller, they see the location of the nearest fire hydrants, building blueprints of each floor, and even video from on scene.

Saginaw’s new PremierOne CAD system, from Motorola Solutions, brings together mapping, records information, media content, and land mobile radio functionality into our command centers. Since implementation, we’ve seen an improvement in our response efforts-reduced time to respond to incidents, better situational awareness heading to incidents, and increased safety of citizens and firefighters.

The following are five benefits our department has seen over the past year.

More Informed Decision Making

From the moment firefighters are dispatched to when they arrive on scene, dispatch can update them with critical information directly to their mobile data terminals (MDTs). Beyond the address of the incident, firefighters have access to a wealth of information, including the following:

• Ownership and history of the building: Does the owner have a hostile history or have certain needs? Has ownership recently changed? Is the building a residence or a business? If it’s a business, what type of business? This critical information provides firefighters with line of sight and the ability to evaluate how to approach the scene before they arrive. For instance, with residences, being aware of whether the resident has a past record of violence toward public safety officials alerts our team to approach with increased caution. Or, knowing the home is occupied by an elderly couple will inform firefighters that the couple may not be as mobile and could require additional assistance once on scene. The businesses located in Saginaw County span a wide range of industries, each requiring specific responses. For example, firefighters responding to a fire at a business that contains highly flammable contents, such as an art store with pallets of paper, paints, and oils, would need to exercise increased caution in their response.
• Building layouts: What is the structure’s layout, and what are the best entry and exit points? Do recent building permits indicate the building is undergoing renovations? We took the time in advance of our new system implementation to input blueprints and layouts of several buildings and businesses. Having this background is incredibly important for firefighters who need to enter a burning building for a rescue effort. The ability to view a building’s layout w

By Alan M. Petrillo

Firefighters in departments around the country are making greater use of personal safety equipment-from harnesses built into bunker pants, to separate harness systems, to systems built into their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

As the scope of personal escape gear available to firefighters continues to grow, greater numbers of fire agencies are outfitting each of their firefighters with a personal escape system.

PPE-Integrated Systems

Karen Lehtonen, vice president of innovation and product management for Lion, says Lion has been seeing more fire departments integrating harnesses, belts, and escape systems into their firefighters’ personal protective equipment (PPE). She says Lion offers the Personal Rescue System that consists of a CMC ProSeries escape line, a CMC Escape Artist descent control device, a CMC Flash hook escape anchor, and CMC Pro Tech carabiners, all stored in a removable pants pocket whose split-bellows design keeps the rope from entangling with the other hardware.

She adds that Lion now uses a hook as an anchor point for the Personal Rescue System, because “most departments are choosing to use a hook, although the carabiner is still an option with the system.”

1 Lion’s Class II harness is integrated into its turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards. The redesigned harness has a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner and adjustable buckles on the leg loops. (Photo courtesy of Lion.)

Alysha Gray, Lion’s product manager for fire PPE, says Lion recently developed a new Class II harness to address firefighter needs. “Lion’s 2015 integrated Class II harness is still integrated into the turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards,” Gray says. “It now has an adjuster buckle in the back and on the leg loops, and we’ve added a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner in the Personal Rescue System in the bailout pocket. We heard from firefighters that a sliding D ring would make the use of the harness easier.”

With the Lion harness, the adjusters are in the back of the unit to set the leg loops. “They are meant to be adjusted for the individual,” Gray notes, “and then don’t have to be adjusted again. Once the firefighter dons the gear, he only has to cinch the adjuster in the front of the pants.”

George Krause, regional sales manager in the Northeast for Globe Manufacturing Inc., says all the personal safety manufacturers in the industry have had to evolve since fire departments started using external harnesses. “Our pant belt loops can capture an external harness if that’s what a department is using,” Krause says, “but with an external harness, you have the potential for catching on things and possibly damaging the external shell of the pant.”

2 Globe Manufactu Read more 517 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Mar 14, 2016 Personal Escape System Use Continues to Expand Across Fire Service By Alan M. Petrillo Firefighters in departments around the country are making greater use of personal safety equipment-from harnesses built into bunker pants, to separate harness systems, to systems built into their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). As the scope of personal escape gear available to firefighters continues to grow, greater numbers of fire agencies are outfitting each of their firefighters with a personal escape system. PPE-Integrated Systems Karen Lehtonen, vice president of innovation and product management for Lion, says Lion has been seeing more fire departments integrating harnesses, belts, and escape systems into their firefighters’ personal protective equipment (PPE). She says Lion offers the Personal Rescue System that consists of a CMC ProSeries escape line, a CMC Escape Artist descent control device, a CMC Flash hook escape anchor, and CMC Pro Tech carabiners, all stored in a removable pants pocket whose split-bellows design keeps the rope from entangling with the other hardware. She adds that Lion now uses a hook as an anchor point for the Personal Rescue System, because “most departments are choosing to use a hook, although the carabiner is still an option with the system.” 1 Lion’s Class II harness is integrated into its turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards. The redesigned harness has a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner and adjustable buckles on the leg loops. (Photo courtesy of Lion.) Alysha Gray, Lion’s product manager for fire PPE, says Lion recently developed a new Class II harness to address firefighter needs. “Lion’s 2015 integrated Class II harness is still integrated into the turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards,” Gray says. “It now has an adjuster buckle in the back and on the leg loops, and we’ve added a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner in the Personal Rescue System in the bailout pocket. We heard from firefighters that a sliding D ring would make the use of the harness easier.” With the Lion harness, the adjusters are in the back of the unit to set the leg loops. “They are meant to be adjusted for the individual,” Gray notes, “and then don’t have to be adjusted again. Once the firefighter dons the gear, he only has to cinch the adjuster in the front of the pants.” George Krause, regional sales manager in the Northeast for Globe Manufacturing Inc., says all the personal safety manufacturers in the industry have had to evolve since fire departments started using external harnesses. “Our pant belt loops can capture an external harness if that’s what a department is using,” Krause says, “but with an external harness, you have the potential for catching on things and possibly damaging the external shell of the pant.” 2 Globe Manufactu Read more 802 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Mar 14, 2016 Personal Escape System Use Continues to Expand Across Fire Service By Alan M. Petrillo Firefighters in departments around the country are making greater use of personal safety equipment-from harnesses built into bunker pants, to separate harness systems, to systems built into their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). As the scope of personal escape gear available to firefighters continues to grow, greater numbers of fire agencies are outfitting each of their firefighters with a personal escape system. PPE-Integrated Systems Karen Lehtonen, vice president of innovation and product management for Lion, says Lion has been seeing more fire departments integrating harnesses, belts, and escape systems into their firefighters’ personal protective equipment (PPE). She says Lion offers the Personal Rescue System that consists of a CMC ProSeries escape line, a CMC Escape Artist descent control device, a CMC Flash hook escape anchor, and CMC Pro Tech carabiners, all stored in a removable pants pocket whose split-bellows design keeps the rope from entangling with the other hardware. She adds that Lion now uses a hook as an anchor point for the Personal Rescue System, because “most departments are choosing to use a hook, although the carabiner is still an option with the system.” 1 Lion’s Class II harness is integrated into its turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards. The redesigned harness has a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner and adjustable buckles on the leg loops. (Photo courtesy of Lion.) Alysha Gray, Lion’s product manager for fire PPE, says Lion recently developed a new Class II harness to address firefighter needs. “Lion’s 2015 integrated Class II harness is still integrated into the turnout pant, which keeps it protected from the environment and snag hazards,” Gray says. “It now has an adjuster buckle in the back and on the leg loops, and we’ve added a sliding D ring to connect to the carabiner in the Personal Rescue System in the bailout pocket. We heard from firefighters that a sliding D ring would make the use of the harness easier.” With the Lion harness, the adjusters are in the back of the unit to set the leg loops. “They are meant to be adjusted for the individual,” Gray notes, “and then don’t have to be adjusted again. Once the firefighter dons the gear, he only has to cinch the adjuster in the front of the pants.” George Krause, regional sales manager in the Northeast for Globe Manufacturing Inc., says all the personal safety manufacturers in the industry have had to evolve since fire departments started using external harnesses. “Our pant belt loops can capture an external harness if that’s what a department is using,” Krause says, “but with an external harness, you have the potential for catching on things and possibly damaging the external shell of the pant.” 2 Globe Manufactu Read more 430 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Mar 14, 2016 Using a Thermal Imaging Camera During Fire Attack By Carl Nix Fire suppression is the job most often associated with firefighters. Suppression, control, and safety restoration at the scene are our goals. When lives and property are at risk, we are the first to mount an attack. A thermal imaging camera (TIC) is an extremely useful tool during this attack. It can show thermal layers, a safe path for advancement, alternative exits, and the location of the heaviest fire. Using a TIC can help you suppress a fire quickly, efficiently, and safely. Fire departments must have a plan in place to deploy the TIC during fire attack. If at all possible, a TIC should be on the first unit to arrive on the scene. If your TIC is arriving on the third or fourth unit, it may be too late to help in the fire attack. It’s also critical that the TIC be assigned to a firefighter to ensure it comes off the apparatus. Think about a typical fire scene. The first unit arrives on the scene with firefighters who are seeing thick, black smoke pouring from the structure and flames shooting out from the windows and doors. Where’s the TIC in this scenario? I highly recommend having a plan in place for grabbing the TIC off the truck that is compatible with your staffing. For instance, assigning the TIC to a specific person or seat will ensure that it comes off the truck immediately. If you are on the first-arriving piece of apparatus, use the TIC to view the structure as you approach. Be sure to roll down the window, as your TIC cannot see through glass. You can quickly and accurately assess areas of excessive heat buildup and the effects of natural ventilation. Once on the scene, you can aid fire suppression using three quick scans with the TIC: One scan just inside the structure determines direction of heat travel; a second scan on arrival in the area of origin helps to determine fuel source and room configuration; and a third scan after initial suppression can help determine spread and ventilation efforts. 1 Have the hose team practice advancing the line and simulating area scans with the thermal imaging camera. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.) Now that we have a plan for taking the TIC off the apparatus during fire attack, we face another challenge: coordinating TIC usage with hoseline advancement. Setting some time aside to practice a few quick drills can help perfect operations and also help firefighters become more comfortable with using the TIC. Park your apparatus outside the firehouse so your company can practice stretching dry attack lines into the apparatus bay. Assign firefighters to specific seats to ensure that each firefighter gets practice leading out the attack line or backing up the line while carrying the TIC. Have the hose team practice advancing the line and simulating area scans with the TIC. As the team advances, the firefighter using the TIC cannot stare at the TIC display the entire time. He should use the TIC to orient the team, then secure the TIC while he helps advance the line. For three- and four-person companies, this assistance on the line is especially important. From a tactical standpoint, it is preferable for any member of the team, except the nozzleman, to carry the TIC. Whether it is another member or the company officer who uses the TIC, it is better for a backup person to be responsible for the tool. After practicing hoseline advancement with the TIC, think about some of the Read more 519 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious7674767576767677767876797680768176827683NextLast 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 (19226) 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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