Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. today announced that Fire Apparatus Solutions (FAS), the authorized sales and service dealer for Smeal™, US Tanker™ and LTC™ brand apparatus in southern California, has expanded its territory to the entire state. This follows a merger with Smeal’s company-owned sales operation in northern California to expand its sales team and coverage. Joining FAS from the northern California sales operation, Scott Beck has been appointed sales manager and will lead sales and business development efforts for FAS.

“We are excited to be expanding our sales and business development efforts, to maintain and expand sales of Smeal, UST, and LTC in our newly enlarged territory. Many California departments already recognize the exceptional customized designs, reliability and value of the Smeal family of fire trucks, and we’re looking forward to demonstrating that to more customers,” said William Kalmikov, FAS’ general manager.

“Our path to success has always been through listening to our customers, and then delivering on the customized apparatus and service that they expect. The combination of Will, Scott and their team working to serve current and prospective customers in California will certainly continue us on this path,” said Jeff Wegner, Smeal’s Senior Vice President – Global Sales.

Fire Apparatus Solutions was established in 2005. The company is owned by and operated by William Kalmikov. FAS has traditionally been a serviceoriented organization, offering preventative maintenance programs, major aerial repairs, pump testing and repairs, chassis service, electrical and hydraulic system repairs, and refurbishment services.

FAS is headquartered and has a large service facility in Bloomington, Cal. The dealership also offers mobile service throughout a large portion of California, and and they have established service partnerships in areas where their mobile service doesn’t yet reach, so that customers receive prompt, convenient service, regardless of their location. To learn more, visit www.FASService.org.

Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., including US Tanker Co. and Ladder Tower Co., is recognized as a premier manufacturer, inventor, and innovator of customized fire apparatus. The company offers a full line of custom and commercial pumpers, rescue pumpers, mini and rescue pumpers, stainless steel tanker / tenders, aerial ladders, platforms, TDAs, wildland, and urban interface vehicles. Smeal is committed to leading the industry in high quality fire apparatus, delivery times and customer experience. Smeal sells its products worldwide and is based in Snyder, Neb. To learn more, visit smeal.com.

A group of Stanwood High School students spent the morning of Jan. 12 ripping out windshields and prying off car doors. Sparks flew as metal buckled and glass shattered. The teens were learning how to cut into cars and rescue people who become trapped after crashes. They are fire cadets, taking a year-long class at the high school that's taught by crews from Camano Island Fire and Rescue.
- PUB DATE: 1/19/2016 6:42:26 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald

A group of Stanwood High School students spent the morning of Jan. 12 ripping out windshields and prying off car doors. Sparks flew as metal buckled and glass shattered. The teens were learning how to cut into cars and rescue people who become trapped after crashes. They are fire cadets, taking a year-long class at the high school that's taught by crews from Camano Island Fire and Rescue.
- PUB DATE: 1/19/2016 6:42:26 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald

The session on pumps and plumbing controls at this year’s Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium was one that seemed to reveal the pulse of the fire service and its position, largely, on the use of electronics to control discharge and intake valves on a fire apparatus.

The format for the session was to go through the current methods for controlling the flow of water in and out of a pumper, which include completely mechanical methods, mechanical/electronic hybrid methods, and completely electronic methods.

Generally, the advantages and disadvantages from the operational side are well known. If a department goes completely mechanical, then more space is required for the pump panel on the truck because of how the valves must be laid out. You gain space with a mechanical/electronic set up—which seemed to be where many in the room were at with their pumpers. And, you gain the most space if you convert completely electronic valves.

One major disadvantage that came up several times was the cost involved with the electronics, which the presenters, Doug Kelley, Wildland Product Manager, KME, and Doug Miller, OEM Account Manager with Task Force Tips, admitted remains higher than spec’ing out mechanical valves.

Of note was that most of the people in the room were proponents of manual valves. Although this is the case, there is no doubt that technology is moving forward. There is still a valid concern about what to do if an electronic valve malfunctions on the fireground. There was also a lively discussion about the age of fire apparatus and the concern that as a truck ages the systems on it will not be supported when the truck reaches 20 years old. Some of the manufacturers of these electronic systems were present for this breakout session and joined the discussion, explaining how they work to ensure that a product they produce 10 years from now is backward compatible with products they produce now.

It is also interesting to note how what might work well operationally for a department, e.g. electronic valves to reduce the size of the pump panel thus providing more compartment space, does not always work well for the fleet managers responsible for making repairs to these fire apparatus. With a purely mechanical system, most of the linkages, etc., are relatively easy to get to. But, when you move to a mechanical/electronic system or completely electronic system, components are often not as easy to get to. What this does is make it imperative that at least one fleet maintenance representative is on your truck committee. What makes sense operationally does not always translate into easy repairs for the EVT staff.

This session and its discussion were good examples of what this conference is all about—bringing together parties from the manufacturing and fire department sides to engage in discussions about apparatus technologies currently on the market, how they work and how they don’t work, and how both sides can work together to creates solutions that benefit all parties involved.