By Chris Mc Loone
As we near the end of 2015, it is natural to take a look at the future and wonder what 2016 will bring.
2015 brought with it proof that as futurists we are sometimes dead on but are also way off the mark. We arrived at October 21, 2015-the date Michael J. Fox traveled to from 1985 in “Back to the Future, Part II.” Video teleconferencing and phone calls? Yup, the movie got that right. Hover boards? Well, there are some who like to think we have them, but they are definitely not of the same ilk as the film. Self-tying sneakers? Not quite yet. And, flying cars? Nope. Although, it would be really cool to pull through the bay door and take off to respond to a fire call. It’s a little scary to me that many of our current firefighters weren’t alive in 1985, but it was fun to watch everyone, young and old, embrace October 21, 2015, as “Back to the Future Day.”
So, what did 2015 bring to the fire service, and where are we headed in 2016? Looking back, it’s not easy to organize everything that has gone on this year into one category. If there is one word to sum it all up, “global” might fit the bill. Fire service industry manufacturers from all over the world took to the international trade show stage at Interschutz 2015. But as much of a focus as this show was, it didn’t stop our domestic apparatus and equipment suppliers from introducing big things. We now have pumps capable of flowing 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi), a 107-foot aerial built on a single axle, and an almost worldwide embrace of electronics that can control apparatus. Later in this issue, author Al Petrillo covers the fire truck of the future, and in many ways that fire truck exists now. Although electronic controls have been around for many years, what’s going on right now in terms of wireless control, touch screen control, and Internet connectivity for monitoring apparatus in the field is exploding. And, the right group of personnel (the Millennials) is embracing it all. I’ll let Al handle the fire truck of the future (page 12). But, from a fire industry perspective, where have we been and where are we going? We discussed these points with various industry representatives from different segments to help give you an idea of where our suppliers stand.
Looking At 2015
Across the board, respondents were very positive about this year. “2015 was another strong year for the Scott Safety business in the fire services as we continue to see growing demand for our Air-Pak X3 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) platform and have seen great market acceptance of our broadened thermal imaging portfolio since our acquisition of ISG Infrasys in late 2014,” says Jeff Emery, fire services marketing manager, Scott Safety. “These results have helped to offset some soft demand in other markets, especially in our oil and gas segment.”
Positive results from 2014 investments also impacted other industry segments. “For Smeal, our business has been on a significant growth trajectory,” says Jeff Wegner, senior vice president of global sales at Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. “In 2014, we made a strong push to expand our product offering to serve customers better with the acquisitions of Ladder Tower Company and US Tanker Company and expanded our distribution and service nationally. In 2015, that has culminated in strong, double-digit growth. I think that’s a reflection of the value proposition that Smeal offers. More departments are taking a look at us and liking what they see.”
At Pierce Manufacturing, 2015 was also a strong year “in both the number of trucks built and the number of trucks sold through our dealer network,” says Matthew McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing at Pierce Manufacturing. “We had several large opportunities, such as