Zco PublicEye mobile app does two things. First, it redefines and expands the number of people involved with public safety. Second, it changes how they collaborate, communicate, interact, and perform their tasks or how they keep abreast of information that is crucial to doing their jobs. Most people think of police, fire, and EMS when they say public safety. PublicEye expands this notion to governors and mayors and their staffs, hospitals, schools, banks, and other institutions as well as the public. Governors and mayors can use PublicEye's notification system to alert them of important incidents such as a school lockdown or natural disaster. They may then tune into its secure, nonpublic communication capabilities (video surveillance and streaming, digital radio, group MMS, real-time geographical incident maps, and so on) to monitor the situation on their smartphones. Banks, schools, airports, and other institutions can integrate their surveillance systems with PublicEye. First responders at the scene, staff at headquarters, or even their counterparts in adjoining jurisdictions for mutual-aid purposes can view these cameras. PublicEye also leverages the general public to aid in public safety. The public can tweet images surrounding a fire, natural disaster, accident, child abduction, and so on. Police and firefighters can view these images surrounding the incident on their mobile devices to plan their action. PublicEye seamlessly connects and visually displays the tweets and other social media feeds, 911 calls, and the location associated with an incident. www.publiceyes.com, 603-881-9191

Tri Lite Mars LED version of the Mars TB8 warning light is designed for emergency vehicles. The TB8-L1 LED model is three times brighter and lasts thousands of hours longer than comparable halogen models. It draws less than half the amps or watts of traditional warning lights and is also more durable because there are no fragile filaments to break. Both the new TB8-L1 LED lamp and the traditional TB8 are available in pedestal mounted or flush mounted styles; either can be ordered with red or clear lenses. The voltage range for the LED models is 12 to 24 VDC while the halogen models have separate 12- or 24-V options. These warning lights provide a bright and oscillating beam that aids in clearing the road, day or night, even in adverse conditions. www.triliteinc.com, 800-322-5250

Ziamatic Corp. (Zico) QUIC-MOUNT Horizontal Ram Bracket, Model QM-RB-1, is an inexpensive alternative to custom box fabrication. The heavy-duty, aluminum QM-RB-is designed to safely and securely store one hydraulic or battery-powered ram tool inside the compartment. Mounting to nearly any flat surface, the QM-RB-1 consists of one aluminum bracket that won't rust or stain, one thick nylon strap, and a large plastic buckle that's easy to operate with or without gloves. When needed, the tool is simply unbuckled and lifted off the shelf. Emergency personnel just grab and go. www.ziamatic.com, 800-711-FIRE

HazMatIQ Stay Alive Five equipment (S.A.F.e) Kit provides responders with five pieces of basic detection equipment required to operate in the hot zone of hazmat

PIERCE MANUFACTURING has delivered a Pierce® Arrow XT™ 100-foot heavy-duty aerial tiller to the Charleston (SC) Fire Department (CFD). The aerial tiller is the first to be purchased by the department in more than 60 years and was placed into service in early December.

Built on an Arrow XT single-rear-axle tractor, the aerial tiller features a 100-foot heavy-duty ladder, a Pierce-exclusive Detroit DD13 500-hp big block engine, seating for five firefighters, TAK-4® independent suspension, and a light tower located on top of the crew cab roof. The body features 500 cubic feet of body storage capacity. When fully equipped, the trailer will store 250 feet of ground ladders and will be outfitted with hydraulic cord reels, a full complement of hydraulic tools, three rams, a full complement of rescue jacks, a cribbing kit, and a complete set of air bags.

Pierce dealer, Spartan Fire & Emergency Apparatus of Roebuck, SC, provides local service and support.

The CFD consists of 19 fire companies located throughout the city. The department operates 16 fire engine companies and three ladder companies and provides service to more than 120,000 citizens across a service area totaling approximately 109 square miles.

ALLIED SPECIALTY VEHICLES (ASV) has appointed Dan Peters president and CEO of E-ONE, Inc., a manufacturer of first responder apparatus. Peters has more than 15 years of experience in the first responder industry-four years in an executive role with a fire apparatus manufacturer and 12 years with a fire industry supplier where he served as president from 1998 to 2008 and vice president of sales and marketing from 1996 to 1998. "I'm very excited to be back in the fire industry, especially with E-ONE, which is recognized as an industry leader and innovator," says Peters. "I look forward to working with the E-ONE team, dealers, and customers to continue building upon that legacy."

KME is pleased to let fire departments throughout Pennsylvania know that House Bill 1706 was recently signed into law. This bill doubles the current loan limits for the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program (VLAP) for the purchase, repair, or rehabilitation of vehicles, equipment, and facilities. Under the new loan limits, volunteer fire, EMS, and ambulance companies are eligible for low-interest loans of up to $200,000 to cover up to 50 percent of the cost to purchase new vehicles and apparatus. In addition, the new law also includes a provision that allows volunteer companies to exceed loan limits by up to $20,000 for the purchase of equipment that is manufactured in Pennsylvania, providing an incentive for volunteer companies to support Pennsylvania manufacturers.

FLIR SYSTEMS, INC. is extending its special trade-in program that allows fire departments to receive a discount on the purchase of a new FLIR K-Series thermal imaging camera (TIC) when they trade in and send in any other qualifying make or model of firefighting TIC. The K-Series trade-in program will remain in effect through the end of day June 30, 2014. FLIR's K-Series line is sold for $3,999 for the K40 and $4,999 for the 320 x 240 resolution K50. The extended trade-in program takes an additional $250 off the MSRP of the K40 and $500 off the price of a new K50. To qualify for the deeper discount, fire departments need to trade in and send in their existing firefighting TIC regardless of age, make, model, or working condition along with submitting applicable forms.

GLOBE, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fir

By Alan M. Petrillo

The Southwest Emergency Response Team (SERT), based out of the greater Cleveland, Ohio, area, has placed a VT Hackney technical rescue vehicle in service outfitted with a cache of equipment that encompasses every rescue discipline firefighters might face.

SERT's mission is to combine shared regional resources in the event that specialized teams are needed during an emergency incident, according to Pat Finneran, assistant chief of the Parma Heights (OH) Fire Department, who is in charge of the technical rescue part of the team. "The vehicle is housed in a Brooklyn, Ohio, station and provides service to 19 communities in four counties in northeastern Ohio, south and southwest of Cleveland," Finneran says. "We handle all kinds of technical rescues, including high- and low-angle rope, confined space, trench, collapse, swift water, ice, and dive rescues."

The Southwest Emergency Response Team (SERT) technical rescue built by VT Hackney provides service to 19 communities in four counties in northeastern Ohio. (Photos courtesy of VT Hackney.)

Storage Challenges

Before purchasing the Hackney technical rescue, Finneran points out that for a technical rescue, resources were pulled from a large geographic area. "We responded with a hodgepodge of vehicles and trailers and the rescue equipment was spread out on multiple vehicles," he says. "If one or more of those vehicles didn't get to the scene, we might not have the equipment needed for the rescue."

Finneran says the fire department chiefs received approval for a shared rescue vehicle and put together a six-person committee to develop specs based on the area's needs. "We reviewed a lot of the vehicles on the market and went on the road to see some of them firsthand," Finneran notes. "For us, the issue of equipment storage was huge, so we needed a vehicle that would be a large tool box."

He adds that the group had very particular needs regarding compartment depth, as well as some unusual ideas about storage of shoring timbers and trench panels. "Hackney was the only manufacturer who could meet those needs," Finneran says.

The Hackney-built technical rescue for SERT is crafted with an interior compartment, accessed from the rear of the vehicle, that can accommodate timbers up to 16 feet long, as well as 12-foot long FinForms.

Ed Smith, director of Emergency Vehicles Group for VT Hackney, says his company designed the SERT technical rescue with a rear tunnel so it could carry 16-foot-long shoring timbers and rakers on the right side and 12-foot-long FinForms with preattached StrongArms on the left. "That much timber and cribbing takes up a lot of space and is heavy, so we had to find a way to contain it all but still make it easily accessible," Smith says.

Smith points out that the compartments on the driver's side, forward of the rear wheels, are 42 inches deep from floor to ceiling and feature drop-down step platforms for full access. Access to the upper storage areas in the wheelhouse compartment is through removable wheel step bars, he adds.

"The first compartment has a transverse tunnel at the top for

By Raul A. Angulo

Technical rescue incidents that require rope systems can occur in your jurisdiction whether you have a technical rescue team or not.

They don't only happen on mountains or cliffs. Take a good look around-a technical rope rescue potential exists in every city. Are you ready? How can you perform a technical rope rescue when you don't have a technical rope rescue team and you only have two or three rescuers at your disposal? One way is to use the Amkus ARRS1 Rope Rescue System.

The ARRS1 slides onto an extension hitch, which slides into a 10,000-pound-rated, Class IV trailer hitch, which is attached to the apparatus. The apparatus serves as the bombproof anchor for the system. The motorized capstan runs off a power unit from the rig or from a portable generator. It requires 115 to 120 VAC/20 amps. This system can be set up in less than two minutes. Four wraps around the capstan increase the friction on the mainline for a controlled lower. (Photos by author.)

One Scenario

Whenever I'm looking for a challenging drill for me and my crew, I look at areas within my district and ask myself, "If this were to happen here, what would I do?" In this case, I have a bridge in my district that crosses a deep ravine. From the top of the bridge deck to the bottom of the ravine is 80 feet. The ravine has steep slopes and is wooded with thick thorny vegetation. Access to the bottom is not a walk in the park. The ravine is a great hideout for teens who don't want to be discovered. For younger kids who want to explore and play Indiana Jones or Army, it is irresistible. The end game for Ladder 6 was to see how fast we could get an injured patient at the bottom of the ravine up and onto the bridge deck for emergency transport using an aerial stokes/negative stokes evolution. For realism, I lowered a 150-pound training dummy, which would require the rescue firefighters to go down and actually package a patient into the Stokes basket.

Note that a standard aerial Stokes evolution is used to rescue a victim from a roof or elevated position down to street level. A negative Stokes evolution is used to reach a patient below grade in areas such as a large building excavation. The range is limited to a depth of approximately 50 feet, depending on how close the aerial apparatus can safely position to the edge.

The anchor plate swivels in the direction of the load so it's always aligned. The ARRS1 has a 1,000-pound work capacity and can pull 40 feet of rope per minute. The capstan is designed for ½- to 5⁄8-inch rope, and knots easily pass around the capstan. Two wraps provide less friction for a quicker descent.

Since this evolution would require me to lower two firefighters over the edge of the bridge, I invited our technical rescue team to coach us through the evolution. And since the department gets nervous anytime we have firefighters dangling from heights, I also invited the battalion chief. For training purposes, I wanted one firefighter to rappel down off the bridge and the other firefighter to be lowered on a rope from the aerial ladder. The evolution was a success. After that, we wanted to repeat the drill using a ladder gin or a gin pole in case the edge could not support the weight of a ladder truck. These cantilevered tools allow for a

By Robert Tutterow

Is there a changing landscape in fire service trade shows?

In the past 30 years, there have been annual broad product-line trade shows with national appeal, and there have also been some "semi-regional" trade shows through this time. With one notable exception, the number of exhibitors at many shows seems to be trending downward-state shows and conferences excluded. Ask 10 trade show attendees why they think this is happening and you will likely get a dozen different answers. As the old saying goes, "I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it."

Without a doubt, the extended economic downturn is a contributing factor. I recently read a quote from Glen Usdin, a former magazine publisher, that states, "The fire service is a low-tech market that has zero potential for growth, and the amount of new products and services being introduced each year is very small. We keep our expensive stuff for a long time and don't really embrace much new technology." He adds, "Look at declining trade show participations as well, and you can see how tough it is to sell stuff to the fire service." I found this comment to be humbling as it was something I have never considered or heard mentioned.

Vendors have often expressed that there are too many trade shows. I understand that trade shows typically consume a weekend, and the cost of exhibiting at a trade show is very expensive. The expenses include space rental, booth transportation costs, booth material handling costs, booth liability insurance, booth electricity, transportation costs for booth staff, lodging costs for booth staff, food, and other various expenses. Important to note is that Interschutz, in Germany-the largest fire trade show on the planet-draws from all continents and it is held only once every five years. Is the United States headed toward only one major trade show? If so, is that good or bad?

Generational Disparity

What else is changing about trade shows? My observation is that the younger generation of firefighters has less interest in their equipment than the older generations. This is disappointing, because the fire service owes it to itself and the public to make informed apparatus and equipment selections and purchases. This publication is unique and has value because it provides a lot of needed information about equipment and the equipment industry. However, in my mind, there is no substitute for the educational value of a trade show. It provides the opportunity to speak directly with competing manufacturers at one time. It is the ideal setting for comparative analysis.

Reputable manufacturers want an informed and educated customer. Less reputable manufacturers-not so much. So much of the equipment we select is directly related to the safety and health of firefighters. Equipment selection should be based on an informed decision-making process. I can't think of a better format than a trade show for such information.

Prepare

Trade show attendees should have a prepared agenda before attending a show. They should research manufacturer Web sites for products of interest and have a prepared list of questions. Fire service personnel responsible for health and safety, specifying, recommending, or purchasing equipment should have a basic understanding of the industry-i.e., the real experts, movers, and shakers. Is a particular manufacturer trending upward, downward, or treading water?

One of my litmus tests is whether or not a manufacturer is engaged in the greater fire service. Does it really understand the fire service, and is it involved outside of its immediate self-interest? Or, is it simply trying to make the next quarterly report look good? I think involved manufacturers will outperform and outlast others. They better understand product support and product innovation.

In addition, most trade show