Alexis—Washington Township Fire Department, Arcadia, OH, flatbed brush truck. Ford F-550 Crew Cab and chassis; 7.3L V8 350-hp gas engine; Darley 375-gpm @ 25-psi 2BE 21H direct-drive, skid-mount pump with Honda 20-hp gas engine; 300-gallon skid water tank; 10-gallon foam cell; Scotty through-the-pump foam eductor and mixer; Akron 3463 front bumper turret. Dealer: Jeff Huber, 911 Fleet & Fire Equipment, Florence, KY.

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A video circulating online shows a car racing in circles around an Orange County fire apparatus with lights and sirens on, wesh.com reported.

According to Orange County Fire Rescue, it happened over the weekend near Sand Lake and Winegard as they responded to a car fire.

When they arrived, they say the crew “encountered large crowds” and cars “involved in street racing,” the report said.

When the fire apparatus found no car fire and attempted to leave the scene that’s when the trouble started, according to the report.

Orange County Fire Rescue said as the apparatus tried to leave, someone driving recklessly around it prevented the apparatus from returning to service, the report said. They said once sheriff’s deputies arrived, the cars left, the report said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said they’re aware of the video and is working to identify everyone involved, the report said.

Oswego Fire Protection District officials are trying a new approach to gain passage of a referendum to help the agency pay for its rising operational costs, shawlocal.com reported.

The agency’s Board of Trustees has placed a referendum on the April 4 ballot that, if approved, would allow the district to sell up to $17 million in general obligation bonds to pay for what district officials describe as its “critical needs,” the report said.

A fire official said the fire district would, in turn, use the proceeds from the bond sale over next 10 years to buy new vehicles and equipment, fund the construction of an additional fire station and retire a portion for the district’s current debt, according to the report.

Among the items in the capital improvement plan targeted for funding with bond proceeds, the fire official said, are the purchase of three new fire engines, the replacement of two ambulances, the rechassieing of three other ambulances and the purchase of an additional ambulance, five staff cars, rescue tools and cardiac monitors, the report said.

The fire official said one of the fire engines the agency is seeking to replace dates to 1998, while the oldest ambulance was acquired in 2006, according to the report.

A full-size fire engine costs approximately $4 per mile to operate when diesel fuel, upkeep and repairs are totaled, according to Gallatin Fire Chief Jeff Beaman, tennessean.com reported.

An SUV can cost around 30 cents per mile, Beaman estimates.

That’s why Gallatin is developing plans to utilize a Chevrolet Tahoe to run certain medical calls that have been handled by a full-time fire truck, the report said.

Gallatin is implementing the “alternative response vehicle” program with a Chevrolet Tahoe that has been used by each shift commander when they are on-duty, the report said. The city has purchased a new vehicle for shift commanders and the used Tahoe will be equipped and wrapped with a white over red concept to make it identifiable with the fire department.

The alternative response vehicle will be used at Station 1, which is the department’s busiest station, according to the report. Data will be gathered with hopes to expand to other stations.

The Tahoe will have medical equipment and will generally carry two crew members instead of four that are typically on a fire truck, the report said.

New fire engine coming

The city of Gallatin has received its first rendering of a new fire engine in production that was ordered in December of 2021 for $635,000, the city said in a press release. The water-pumping engine will replace the primary fire apparatus currently being used at either at Fire Station 3 (860 Red River Road) or Fire Station 4 (315 Big Station Camp Boulevard). The Gallatin Fire Department will conduct an evaluation of the operating costs for each of these sites to determine which station this new fire engine will be assigned to.

The fire engine to be replaced will continue to be used for an additional five to seven years as a reserve apparatus when a front-line fire engine is down for repairs or maintenance. Generally, a fire engine has a service life of 15 years in front-line service and approximately five to seven additional years as a reserve.

The Princeton City Council approved the purchase of a new tender March 23 to replace Tender Two at Wyanett Station, hometownsource.com reported.

Tender Two will then be sold with funds returning to the truck replacement reserve fund. This purchase is part of the overall truck replacement plan approved in 2019, the report said.

The cost of the new tender is $372,563. The truck replacement reserve fund currently has just under $343,000 in it. The remaining funds will be taken from the fire equipment reserve fund, according to the report.

The budget forecast for continued replacement of fire trucks includes a predicted $1 million expenditure in 2028 for the replacement of Engine Eight, the report said.

According to a report from ABC7, the second of two Stinnett (TX) Fire Department (SFD) firefighters who was hurt in a rollover crash Friday received slightly better news about his neck injury today.

Although the SFD initially reported that the firefighter may have suffered two hairline fractures in his neck, they are now saying the injury was actually “severe whiplash.” He is expected to be released from the hospital Monday after consulting with a physical therapist.

The crash occurred while the members were responding to a wildfire in the Canadian River bottom FM 2277. The two firefighters were transported to Golden Plains Community Hospital in Borger.

One member was treated and released, while the other was transferred to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo.

The SFD thanked The 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle and Panhandle Firemen’s & Fire Marshals’ Association for their support.

The city of Lancaster dedicated the new Fire Station 3 Saturday, wgal.com reported. The Bureau of Fire also celebrated its 141st birthday.

The completed renovation of Fire Station 3 marks a total investment of $13.6 million in Fire Bureau facilities since 2020, the report said.

Saturday’s open house featured demonstrations, a restored 1936 Mack Fire Truck Cab (Ladder A), self-guided tours, kids’ activities, food, and the opening of a time capsule.

April 1 is also the first day of the Fire Bureau’s open application period for potential firefighters.

New technology is constantly emerging to help keep first responders healthier and safer. To give more volunteer firefighters access to this innovative equipment, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has partnered with MSA Safety to award three NVFC members a personalized MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet in 2023.

The jet-style design of the Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet reduces snag hazards, provides a personalized fit, and houses its own integrated light module. Plus, the soft goods are removable, washable, and replaceable, helping firefighters align with cancer awareness programs as written by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. Approvals include NFPA 1971-2018 Structural Firefighting and NFPA 1951-2020 Rescue and Recovery.

NVFC members will have a total of three opportunities to enter to win an XF1 helmet in 2023. One recipient will be randomly selected after each entry period. To be eligible to enter, applicants must be an active U.S. volunteer firefighter and a member of the NVFC.

The first entry period is now open until April 30. Learn more and enter to win at www.nvfc.org/helmet.

• Unboxing with Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment: MSA Cairns XF1 Fire Helmet
• Editor’s Opinion: Keep an Open Mind and Don’t End the Discussion

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About MSA

Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products and software that protect people and facility infrastructures. Many MSA products integrate a combination of electronics, software, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The Company’s comprehensive product line is used by workers around the world in a broad range of markets, including fire service, the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, construction, industrial manufacturing applications, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, utilities, mining and the military. MSA’s core products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, industrial head protection products, firefighter helmets and protective apparel, and fall protection devices. With 2022 revenues of $1.5 billion, MSA employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide. The Company is headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., and has manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. With more than 40 international locations, MSA realizes approximately half of its revenue from outside North America. For more information visit MSA’s web site at www.msasafety.com/.

About the NVFC

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides critical

Firefighters in North Jackson Township are working to get their firehouse back online after fire broke out at the facility on Saturday.

The fire started in the area near the station’s emergency generator at about 1:50 p.m., WKBN reports. At that same time, the region was suffering from a power outage.

The department says it will stay in service while it makes repairs to the station.

By Raul Angulo

Radio communications are probably the least exciting component of fireground strategy and tactics, yet without them we cannot operate efficiently and safely.

In fact, in a modern society, without radio communications it is unlikely that we could perform any emergency operations at all. Radio communications are used extensively in size-up, making assignments, reporting progress or delays in carrying out those assignments, reporting changing fireground conditions, and maintaining firefighter accountability.

Most importantly, radio communications are our invisible lifeline to safety, especially when a Mayday is called for a trapped or down firefighter. This is when your life literally depends on the reliability of your portable radio.

Another area that heavily depends on the reliability of portable radio communications is in high-rise firefighting. Depending on how much concrete and steel is used in a building of Type I fire-resistive construction, firefighters may lose the ability to communicate when operating deep inside the building or in below-grade levels. An 800 MHz signal from a repeater can effectively be blocked. A “bonk” tone occurs when the transmit button is depressed, preventing all communications from being sent or received. Task assignments can be missed; situation updates can’t be reported; and, most importantly, you cannot call a Mayday for help. You are on your own.

Our current solution is to switch to a simplex channel (radio-to-radio) or physically move to a perimeter window within the high-rise building to establish line-of-sight communications with the command post or move to where the portable radio can once again connect to the repeater and reestablish normal communications. However, this solution is not always reliable or possible.

A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

Well, these problems have been mitigated by Motorola Solutions with the introduction of the APX NEXT XN portable radio and XVN500 Remote Speaker Microphone (RSM). Launched in December 2022, it is Motorola Solutions most rugged portable radio for the fire service to date.

This smart radio is an all-band radio. It can be used with 800 MHz, 700 MHz, UHF, VHF, broadband, and Wi-Fi networks. It has voice-roam LTE (Long-Term Evolution) capability with FirstNet AT&T and Verizon networks as well as Bell Mobility in Canada. LTE is a standard for wireless data transmissions and is sometimes referred to as 4G LTE. Equipped with Smart Connect, the radio detects when a land mobile radio signal is low or lost and automatically switches to LTE connectivity, ensuring the continuity of voice communications.

For example, the 800 MHz system or whatever designated fire frequency normally is used always takes priority, and the ability to switch to a simplex channel remains a viable option. But if the 800 MHz signal is weak, intermittent, or lost completely, as in a dead zone, the smart radio will roam to the agency’s carrier network (FirstNet AT&T, Verizon, or in Canada Bell Mobility) and will automatically switch over without the firefighter having to manually change channels or manipulate the radio.

The smart radio can also roam to a Wi-Fi network and continue to transmit and receive messages if provisioned on the network or connected to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The quality of communication remains the same. The radio indicates that SoundConnect is active by showing blue bars on the top display panel as well as on the larger touch screen on the front of the radio. It also uses a different talk-permit tone, which alerts the firefighter that the radio has switched to an alternative network. Again, it’s done automatically and seamlessly without the firefighter doing anything.

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