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The objectives of this Division shall be to further enhance the education of all Fire Service Administrative Support by conducting workshops and seminars; to increase the proficiency of Fire Administrative Support by establishing a network sharing of information systems through various channels of communication; and to faciliate a statewide standardization wherever possible in all phases and aspects of the Fire Administrative Support field for the benefit of the Fire Service.

Recent Fire Administrative Support News

Posted: Oct 20, 2020
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Greetings all~

At the yearly business meeting of the WFAS, usually a part of the annual conference, 2020 elections were held. Two Regional Representative terms were up this year along with that of the Secretary and Chair. Cathy Blakeway, Tumwater Fire, will continue to serve as a Regional Rep and Tasiya Deering, Moses Lake Fire, was reelected to the position of Secretary. Kristen Cole chose not to run again for the Regional Rep position she has held but has opted to remain on the board as the Hospitality/Activity committee chair. Slita Bradley, Benton County Fire District 4, was chosen to fill that Regional Rep position. Caity Karapostoles, Clallam County Fire District 3, was elected to serve for the next two years as Chairman when Mykel Montgomery stepped down. Mykel will stay on the board as Past Chair, allowing her to help deliver the 2021 WFAS Conference in Chelan postponed from October 2020. A huge shout out to everyone for stepping up to run for positions on the board and to volunteer on the various committees, along with everyone who continues to serve as board/committee members. It takes all of us to create and maintain the valuable network that is the WFAS! And along those lines, the Vice Chair position is open if you or someone you know is interested, please let me know as soon as possible. In keeping with our policies and procedures, the vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board at our next meeting. The person chosen will serve until the next election at the 2021 WFAS Conference,

In lieu of this year’s conference and workshops, a number of webinars are being planned for our group. Check the website and the group’s Facebook page for more information as it comes available.

Please feel free to contact me or any of the other board/committee members, if there is anything we can help you with. I welcome comments, concerns and suggestions!

Take care and stay safe.

As always,

Caity K

WFAS Chair

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Posted: Apr 21, 2020
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Wednesday April 22nd

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Posted: Jun 27, 2018
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 A recording of the hour long webinar How to Apply for a Local Records Grant is now available at Washington State Archives’ website at:

 https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/RecordsManagement/Local-Records-Grant-Program.aspx

 

The Online Grant Application form will be available on July 2, 2018.

If anyone has questions or would like assistance in planning and preparing their application, please email recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov.

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Posted: Apr 25, 2018
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On behalf of your Washington Fire Administrative Support (WFAS) Board and Committee Members, we would like to acknowledge your hard work, dedication and commitment to the fire service and the work that you do. We all play an integral part in the departments we work for and the communities we serve, but perhaps don’t always get the acknowledgement that goes along with it. I hope everyone feels valued for their efforts and feels the support of your network of peers within the WFAS Section. Enjoy your day and I am so excited to see 96 of you in Walla Walla at our annual conference next week!

 

Ashley Becker, WFAS Section Chair

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Posted: Apr 2, 2018
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In accordance with the Washington Fire Chiefs' Bylaws, and the WFC Fire Administrative Support current Protocols, the recommended updated version of the protocols has been posted 30 days before conference

If you would like to see a version noting all of the changes, that document is shown as well. Feel free to share any concerns or comments regarding this updated document with us at: wfc@washingtonfirechiefs.org 

The updated protocols will be voted on by members at the WFAS conference in Walla Walla, Washington on Monday, May 7th.

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Posted: Feb 21, 2018
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Nominations need to be submitted to the WFC office by Friday, April 20, 2018 to kathleen@washingtonfirechiefs.org.

  • Nominee can be nominated by any WFC member, belonging to any WFC Section – please include: nominees name, position title, years of service;
  • The nominee must be a current member of the WFAS;
  • Nomination should list the nominee’s administrative accomplishments and contributions during the previous year as well as their leadership abilities, demonstration of professional performance and personal character.  A short story should be submitted to enhance the nominee’s accomplishments.
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Posted: Aug 8, 2017
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We currently have an opening on the WFAS Executive Board for an Eastern Representative, partial term, to serve through May 2018 (until the conference in which an election will take place for a two-year term).

 

Please submit a Statement of Interest to abecker@centralpiercefire.org, no later than Tuesday, August 15, for consideration at our upcoming Board Meeting in Walla Walla.

 

Feel free to reference the WFAS Board Campaign on the website for more information on Board involvement or reach out to a Board Member.

 

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Posted: Apr 26, 2017
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On behalf of the WFAS Board, we would like to thank you for your endless dedication to the fire service and your commitment to learn and grow.

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Posted: Apr 6, 2017
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In accordance with the Washington Fire Chiefs' Bylaws, and the WFC Fire Administrative Support current Protocols, the recommended updated version of the protocols has been posted 30 days before conference

If you would like to see a version noting all of the changes, please contact us. Feel free to share any concerns or comments regarding this updated document with us at: wfc@washingtonfirechiefs.org 

The updated protocols will be voted on by members at the WFAS conference in Olympia, Washington.

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Posted: Jan 31, 2017
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Nominations need to be submitted to the WFC office by Friday, April 28th of this year, 2017.

  • Nominee can be nominated by any WFC member, belonging to any WFC Section – please include: nominees name, position title, years of service;
  • The nominee must be a current member of the WFAS;
  • Nomination should list the nominee’s administrative accomplishments and contributions during the previous year as well as their leadership abilities, demonstration of professional performance and personal character.  A short story should be submitted to enhance the nominee’s accomplishments.

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FIRE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SECTION UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Events

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FIRE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT BOARD & COMMITTEES

Departments Are Specifying Larger Pumps and Water Tanks on Engines

By Alan M. Petrillo

The “Bigger is better” trend is alive and well in the fire service. Lots of fire departments are choosing to outfit their new engines with larger fire pumps and bigger water tanks, compared to those being purchased five to 10 years ago.

Apparatus and pump makers acknowledge this trend toward larger water tanks and pumps on engines and say the reasons for such choices are varied.

Mark Brenneman, assistant sales manager for 4 Guys Fire Trucks, says that his company has seen an increase in size in pump capacity and tank gallonage on engines in recent years.

“The lines between pumpers and the pumper-tanker have blurred,” Brenneman observes. “The pump gpm (gallons per minute) on engines have increased significantly, and tank sizes have crept up too. Customers generally know what they want in terms of pump and tank sizes, so it’s up to the manufacturer to get them what they need.”

Brenneman checked the 4 Guys pumper data and found that 1,500-gpm pumps were the most popular size for engines, with the call for smaller 500-gpm to 1,000-gpm pumps sharply reduced. In terms of tanks, 4 Guys didn’t see a corresponding expansion into larger water tanks on engines, although Brenneman notes that may change in the near future. “ I’ve seen pumpers get progressively bigger,” he notes. “There are still smaller engines, but today’s small pumpers are bigger than those of previous days. Pumpers today are the size that tankers were 10 years ago.”

Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, says his company has been installing Mac1 3,000-gpm module pumps on municipal pumpers, most with 1,000-gallon water tanks, for semi-rural fire departments in the past year. “With the supply chain shortages that are plaguing manufacturers, we looked into alternative pumps and came up with the Mac1,” Messmer says. “Mac1 also has a 1,250-gpm version if the department doesn’t need the higher gallonage. We do the pump end on the 3,000-gpm unit with stainless-steel plumbing so the pump doesn’t take up any more room than a cast iron pump would and also give it a savings in weight.”

Chris Kleinhuizen, systems engineer for Rosenbauer America, says Rosenbauer has been seeing much larger pumps on municipal pumpers. “Many departments are asking for larger pumps but are de-rating them to give them a longer life span,” Kleinhuizen says. “We also are seeing more water tanks sized around 1,000 gallons and up to 1,200 gallons. Staffing is one of the big issues with pump and tank sizes because many departments can’t roll two or three rigs, so they want to do it with one.”

Kleinhuizen notes that Rosenbauer also makes fire pumps and has several series available in the larger sizes. “We have the RN series; then the N110, which produces 2,500 gpm and is used on a lot of aerials; the N130 pump will give 3,500 gpm; and we just proofed the N200 pump that will produce 5,500 gpm,” he says.

Alex Hobday, sales engineer for Spencer Manufacturing Inc., says Spencer has been seeing more large tanks going on pumpers than large pumps. “More water means extending the useful time on the scene,” Hobday observes, “so many departments are turning to pumper-tanker style vehicles, turning two trucks into one.”

Hobday points to a pumper-rescue-tanker that Spencer built for the Angola (IN) Fire Department on a Spartan Metro Star ELFD chassis and cab with a 10-inch raised roof, carrying a Hale QMax-XS 1,500-gpm pump and an 1,800-gallon water tank. “This vehicle was built to allow the department to roll one apparatus on a first-due assignment and not need to rely on a tanker/tender following right behind it,” Hobday points out.

For the Saugatuck Township (MI) Fire District, Spencer built a pumper on a Spartan Metro Star MFD chassis and cab with a 10-inch raised roof, a Hale QMax 2,000-gpm pump, and a 1,600-gallon water tank. “This pumper was built for a department that spends a large amount of time on a busy interstate highway, so they needed to carry a lot of water, rescue tools, and be safe on the road,” Hobday says. “The added water allows the department to put their personnel on the scene and not in an auxiliary tanker/tender. The large-gpm pump also allows the pumper to feed an aerial during a large-scale incident.”

 

 Summit Fire Apparatus built this pumper for the Roanoke (IN) Fire Department with a 3,000-gpm MAC1 pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank. (Photo 1 courtesy of Summit Fire Apparatus.)

 

 

 Rosenbauer built this engine for the Hooksett (NH) Fire Department on a Commander chassis with a Hale Qmax 2,000-gpm pump and a 1,000-gallon water tank. (Photo 2 courtesy of Rosenbauer.)

 

 

 The Saugatuck Township (MI) Fire Department had Spencer Manufacturing Inc. build a pumper on a Spartan Metro Star MFD chassis with a Hale QMax 2,000-gpm pump and a 1,600-gallon water tank. (Photo 3 courtesy of Spencer Manufacturing Inc.)

 

 

 Pierce Manufacturing Inc. built this pumper for the Knoxville (TN) Fire Department with a 2,000-gpm pump and an 1,800-gallon water tank on a single rear axle chassis. (Photo 4 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)

 

Aaron Zak, product specialist lead in fire suppression for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., says Pierce has found that the 1,500-gpm pump size has dominated the market in the past few years. “That size is in about two-thirds of the pumpers we’ve built over the past five years,” Zak says. “Also in that time period, the 2,000-gpm pump has been gaining fast on the 1,250-gpm size.”

In terms of water tank sizes, Zak says that inner city and suburban departments are still choosing water tanks in the 500-gallon to 750-gallon size but that semi-rural and rural departments are going from 750 gallons to up to 1,800 gallons on a single axle pumper.

Jason Nawrocki, sales manager for North American pumps at Waterous, says his company has seen a trend in the fleets of larger cities going to pumps in the 2,000-gpm to 2,250-gpm range. For other departments, Nawrocki notes that the 1,500-gpm pump has been a very stable choice. “When fire departments make a move from the 1,500-gpm pump, they usually skip the 1,750 and go straight to the 2,000-gpm pump,” he says.

Nawrocki points out that the Waterous CMU and CSU pumps can be rated from 1500 gpm to 1,750, 2,000, and 2,250 gpm. “Our CMU is the Centrifugal Multi Ultra pump that has a tungsten carbide impregnated hub on the impeller,” he says, “and the CSU is the Centrifugal Single Ultra with the same impregnated hub.”

Wayne Hable, chief engineer at W.S. Darley & Company, points out the biggest reason for larger pumps on pumpers is that the power plants are able to drive them, so the market has naturally progressed to the larger units. “Fire departments want bigger, faster, and more efficient,” Hable says. “Everyone has been trying to go to 2,000 gpm or 2,250 gpm for the past five years, and FAMA (Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association) data shows bigger pumps becoming more and more prevalent, and it’s because the diesel engines and automatic transmissions are there to power them. The pumps haven’t changed; they’ve always been capable of those bigger ratings.”

 

 

 The Waterous CMUC20 pump is available in 1,500-, 1,750-, 2,000-, and 2,250-gpm sizes. (Photo 5 courtesy of Waterous.)

 

 

 Fort Garry Fire Trucks built this engine for the Sir William Johnson (NY) Volunteer Fire Department on an International chassis with a Hale QMax 1,750-gpm pump and a 3,000-gallon water tank. (Photo 6 courtesy of Fort Garry Fire Trucks.)

 

While Hable sees the big city municipal markets moving toward 2,000-gpm pumps as standard on their pumpers, he has not seen a corresponding increase in water tanks. “We’re seeing pumpers being changed for dual or multi-purpose, with more crosslays, medical equipment, and rescue equipment, and that means sacrificing tank size,” he observes.

Robert Pike, corporate services manager for Fort Garry Fire Trucks, has the opposite view of Hable’s assessment on water tanks. “The more water a fire department brings to the scene tactically with a small crew means they can deploy larger lines on the fire,” Pike says. “When departments are preconnecting 2-inch hoselines to their engines, they need more water to service those hoselines,” Pike says. “We’re building engines on Freightliner chassis with a 16,000-pound front axle GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) and a 31,000-pound GVWR rear axle that can carry a 1,250-gallon or 1,500-gallon water tank.”

In terms of pump sizes, Pike says that some departments are sticking with 750-gpm and 1,000-gpm pumps; others are choosing sizes from 1,250 to 1,500 gpm, although those choices require larger diesel engines of 400 horsepower.

Wayde Kirvida, sales engineer for CustomFIRE, notes that for many fire departments, “More water is generally desired. We might see a department looking for a 1,000-gallon tank jump up to a 1,250-gallon tank, but we’ve not seen anyone go from 1,000 to 2,000 gallons.”


ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.

 

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Posted: Mar 21, 2023,
Categories: Fire Mechanics,
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