Alan M. Petrillo

Ambulance makers are stressing safety in their vehicles, both for patients and attendants in the rigs, as well as providing more easy-to-use storage and equipment space for responders-inside and outside of the patient box.

Structural Safety

David B. Cole, vice president of sales and marketing for Horton Emergency Vehicles, says that his company has been testing vehicles by sled tests and dynamic tests since 2007 and roll testing since 2009. "Every test we do provides us with additional information that we use in making a safer vehicle," Cole says. "For instance, our VI-Tech vibration isolation technology isolates the body of the ambulance from the road and enhances handling with less bounce and sway. The vibration reduction gives a firmer ride and means less noise penetrates the box, so it's a quieter ride."

(1) The Horton Occupant Protection System (HOPS), standard on all Horton Emergency Vehicles custom model ambulances, includes a three-point seat harness system used with inflatable head curtain and tubular air bags. (Photo courtesy of Horton Emergency Vehicles.)

Cole also points to the Horton Occupant Protection System (HOPS) as a technology that has made its rigs what he calls "some of the safest ambulances in the industry." HOPS starts with a three-point seat harness system used in conjunction with barrier seat bolsters to confine the occupant. A detachable feature on the over-the-shoulder part of the harness allows the medical responder to move forward to access a patient without removing the seat belt.

HOPS also includes progressive resistance headrests at all seating positions that dissipate energy throughout a laminated protective surface that eliminates the bottoming effect and offers additional protection much like that provided by high-impact sports and racing helmets, Cole says. In case of a side impact rollover, HOPS deploys two types of air bags-an inflatable head curtain and a tubular structure air bag. The head curtain protects the attendant from the inhalation area cabinet while the tubular air bag is used in the main attendant area and at the CPR seat for additional head protection.

The fourth element designed into HOPS, he notes, is a roll sensor that calculates the speed at which the vehicle is rolling to determine when to fire the air bag restraints. Cole points out that HOPS is standard on all of Horton's current custom models.

(2) PL Custom Emergency Vehicles uses radiused corners, blunted strike points, and thick padding on the patient area's walls to keep both attendants and patients safe inside its ambulances. (Photo courtesy of PL Custom Emergency Vehicles.)

Safer Seating

Chad Brown, vice president of sales and marketing for Braun Industries, believes the biggest strides made in safer ambulance design relate to seating. "Seating is a big safety issue," Brown says. "We put medics in a seated position and make sure they are harnessed yet still are able to perform their duties from that seated position."

Brown notes that different configurations are being developed in ambulances instead of the typical captain's chair, CPR seat, and squad bench. "We

By Robert Tutterow

Last month I discussed a long-term cost-cutting opportunity that is painless-building or modifying sustainable fire stations. The premise is that 49 percent of a building's lifespan costs are ongoing costs for utilities, maintenance, and replacement of furnishings. Now let's discuss materials selection.

Building Interior and Exterior

To continue with the exterior, a metal roof is a cost-effective and long-term choice if the station has a pitched roof.

Bollards are short posts strategically placed to protect the station and other fixtures on the station property. They are common at the apparatus bay door openings to protect the station. They are also used to protect outside fixtures such as storage buildings, fuel pumps, and generators. Bollards should be embedded in concrete that is isolated from the rest of the apparatus apron or bay floor. This is done so that if the bollard is hit, the impact does not damage concrete other than the base in which it is installed.

Wall material is another example for sustainability. Painted concrete blocks are an excellent choice for apparatus bays. They can also be used in the interior. However, most interior walls are drywall. If drywall is used, then fire departments should consider abuse-resistant drywall. It is a harder material that will minimize the need for wall patching from accidental damage. The abuse-resistant drywall is not that much more expensive than regular drywall. At a minimum, at least the lower four feet of drywall should be abuse-resistant.

Entry and Exit Points

Apparatus bay doors are other high-maintenance items. For extremely busy stations, horizontally hinged four-fold doors provide for low maintenance and long-term durability. For other stations with conventional roll-up sectional doors, three important criteria should be considered.

First, assuming the doors have glass panels (important so the public can see the equipment that serves them), the glass should have UV blockers. This will prevent UV degradation to firefighters' PPE that might be stored in an area that receives sunlight. Second, the lower panel should be nonglass. This is because when overhead roll-up doors "attack" apparatus, the damage is usually to the lower panel, and it is cheaper to replace than glass panels. The lower panel being nonglass does not detract from the public's ability to see the apparatus. Third, the metal frame of the door should be clear anodized aluminum for the lowest maintenance costs.

Bay doors are not the only doors to take into consideration for long-term sustainability. Walk-through doors have durability and safety considerations. Never use wood doors. Hollow core metal doors are a much better choice. Also, if the door is a passageway door (lots of foot traffic), then a glass panel should be installed so people on the other side can be seen before the door is pushed open into them. All passage doors should be oversized in width, and other doors that access areas such as storage rooms are often better suited for double doors. Any room that might house large equipment should have double doors.

Furnishings

There is longevity in upholstered furniture if the furniture is leather (especially recliners) or the cushions are not attached to the frame. With nonattached cushions, the cushions are easily replaced and often the covers are removable for washing. In addition to longevity, this allows for a cleaner, healthier, and better looking environment.

As more and more fire stations install washers/extractors to clean turnout gear, there are several issues to address. First, a washer/extractor needs to be mounted on a thickened, reinforced slab. Also, the machines might require special drain requirements. The decontamination equipment, such as tables and sinks, should be all stainless steel with hands-free valve capability. A

Alan M. Petrillo

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, (2012 ed.) might be one of the most important documents a fire department has on its shelf of rules, regulations, and operating procedures, according to one apparatus inspection specialist. NFPA 1911 (2007 ed.) combined for the first time NFPA 1911, Standard for Service Tests of Fire Pump Systems on Fire Apparatus; NFPA 1914, Standard for Testing Fire Department Aerial Devices; and NFPA 1915, Standard for Fire Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program. According to NFPA 1911's origin and development section, the organization changed "service test" to "performance test," and new testing requirements were added for the apparatus chassis, low-voltage electrical system, foam proportioning system, compressed air foam system (CAFS), line voltage electrical, and breathing air compressor system.

Chapter one's sentence 1.1.1 states that "This standard defines the minimum requirements for establishing an inspection, maintenance, and testing program for in-service fire apparatus." Sentence 1.2.1 states that, "The primary purpose of this standard is to provide requirements for an inspection, maintenance, and testing program that will ensure that in-service fire apparatus are serviced and maintained to keep them in safe operating condition and ready for response at all times." One company at the forefront of providing inspection programs that comply with NFPA 1911 is Sunbelt Fire, based in Fairhope, Alabama.

Neil Clark, service sales manager for Sunbelt Fire, says that although chiefs aren't stampeding to his door to hand him orders for apparatus testing, "It's interesting to note that we're getting business from all types of fire departments. There are departments that see the value in this testing, and we are performing inspections and pump tests to a constantly increasing number of customers."

1) Apparatus inspectors at Sunbelt Fire's Alabama service shop perform inspections on a number of rigs, including an aerial ladder from the Natchez (MS) Fire Department and pumpers from the Madison (MS) Fire Department and Foley (AL) Fire Department. (Photo courtesy of Sunbelt Fire.)

Apparatus Service Provider

Sunbelt Fire provides NFPA 1911 inspections, pump testing, and preventive maintenance to departments from those with a couple of vehicles to others with more than 50 pieces of apparatus, Clark notes, and from rural volunteer departments to some of the largest municipalities in its coverage area. "We do everything that can be done on a fire truck," Clark points out. "We have seven road service technicians, portable pump test trailers, a full shop, and two satellite service operations."

Clark notes that all in-service fire apparatus must meet NFPA 1911's requirements. "We've spent a lot of time making sure that what we offer meets or exceeds the requirements of NFPA 1911," he says.

Stephen Dean, chief of the Mobile (AL) Fire-Rescue Department, says maintenance "of our rolling stock is important in that it must meet all the standards and not have any safety issues either with the public who shares the road with us or our personnel on those vehicles."

Dean says that his department uses Sunbelt Fire to perform inspections, pump tests, and other maintenance on its fleet of 20 first-line pumpers, seven aerials,

• R•O•M CORPORATION and Specialty Manufacturing Inc. (SMI) announced that they will combine under new ownership with The Sterling Group, of Houston, Texas. Both companies are suppliers for specialty vehicle safety components. The Sterling Group will help R•O•M and SMI continue to improve their organizations, providing better service and products to their customers. Sterling plans to continue the efforts and successes both companies experienced while operating as portfolio companies of Century Park Capital Partners. The combination of R•O•M and SMI gives the new organization increased size and resources. As part of the announcement, both companies will continue operating and marketing the R•O•M and SMI brands. Primary points of contact at each company remain unchanged.

• WATEROUS COMPANY recently hosted the 2013 Minnesota Home Day. With sponsor support from Rosenbauer-America, Physio Control, Image Trend, Emergency Apparatus Maintenance, FoamPro, and the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, the vision for the 2013 Minnesota Home Day was to bring together the triad that represents the Minnesota fire service: Minnesota's fire chiefs, government leadership, and industry professionals. The group took aim at "Unifying the Voice for the Minnesota Fire Service" to communicate and learn the changing landscapes that affect hometown heroes and their effectiveness to answer the call. Keynote speaker Jerry Rosendahl, Minnesota state fire marshal, states, "Citizens and elected officials need to become more aware of their fire department's organization and needs." Budget issues are affecting firefighters' abilities to be well-trained and well-equipped to handle the emergencies in our communities. In Minnesota, he says, there is a need "to make sure that a balance of support and resources from federal, state, and local levels continues to exist."

• HME, Inc. has been awarded a multiyear contract from the state of California Department of General Services (DGS). This is the second consecutive multiyear award that HME has obtained from the California DGS to produce both the Type 1 apparatus for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Type 3 apparatus for CAL FIRE. The previous contract resulted in 269 apparatus to be manufactured by HME: 49 Type 1 engines for OES and 164 Type 3 engines for CAL FIRE. An additional 56 apparatus were also sold through the Municipal Fire Apparatus Cooperative Purchase Program. The OES fleet has more than 120 Type 1 apparatus and the entire fleet now rides on the HME product.

• DUPONT launched DuPont™ Nomex® MHP fabrics, its latest flame-resistant innovation. Nomex MHP offers inherent, multihazard protection that can help keep wearers safe from a variety of thermal hazards. Nomex MHP was engineered in response to market needs and to meet or exceed the international standards for heat and flame protection (NFPA 2112, ENISO11612), arc flash (NFPA 70E, IEC 61482-2), and small molten metal splash protection (ENISO11611), while excelling in comfort, durability, and value. Engineered to absorb moisture, Nomex® MHP dries faster than cotton. The flame protection of Nomex MHP, like in all products made of Nomex®, is inherent and provides permanent protection that won't wash out or wear away.

• SETCOM® CORPORATION, a manufacturer of intercom systems and headsets for fire service vehicles, has released its latest innovation for fire apparatus communications: CommandCom™. CommandCom is a Setcom microphone and speaker system that is fully integrated into an H.O. Bostrom headrest. The newly released system uses Setcom's patent-pending Phase Contouring™ technology. When using the system, a firefighter is able to seamlessly communicate with other