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The purpose of the Fire Mechanics Section is to promote standardization of fire apparatus and equipment preventative maintenance, improve safety standards and practices, promote workshops, conferences, and seminars related to the purposes of this Section, and to promote cost savings through standardization of building and equipment purchasing and maintenance.

RECENT FIRE MECHANIC NEWS

Posted: Dec 13, 2021

Photo of the Day: December 13, 2021

Fort Garry Fire Trucks—Perth Volunteer Fire Department, Amsterdam, NY, pumper-tanker. Spartan Gladiator MFD cab and chassis; Cummins X12 500-hp engine; Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump; 2,700-gallon polypropylene water tank; 30-gallon foam cell; FoamPro 2002 Class A foam system; Honda 7-kW generator. Dealer: Phil Vander Molen and Larry Gates, Vander Molen Fire Apparatus Sales and Service, Syracuse, NY.

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Posted: Dec 13, 2021

Honeywell to Acquire US Digital Designs, Inc., Expanding Public Safety Communications Capabilities

  • Acquisition has purchase multiple of ~14X EBITDA; Expected to achieve more than 25% return on investment by the fifth year that US Digital Designs is part of Honeywell
  • Combined offerings will enhance communications to first responders, eliminate manual processes, and enable faster emergency response times
  • Suite of hardware and software solutions will provide first responders with more accurate information, enabling better situational awareness before they even arrive onsite
  • Acquisition expands Honeywell’s already large portfolio of products, which help customers meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals

ATLANTA – December 13, 2021 – Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today announced it has agreed to acquire privately held US Digital Designs, Inc., a Tempe, Ariz.-based company, for a purchase multiple of ~14X EBITDA in an all-cash transaction. The company delivers alerting and dispatch communications solutions, which enhance first responders’ efficacy and enable faster emergency response times.

US Digital Designs’ EBITDA margins are accretive to Honeywell, and Honeywell is expected to achieve a return on investment of greater than 25% by the fifth year that US Digital Designs is part of Honeywell.

The acquisition will be integrated into Honeywell’s Fire and Connected Life Safety systems business and will expand Honeywell’s line of solutions for public safety communications, providing first responders with better situational awareness of building emergencies and improved life safety. When combined with Honeywell’s solutions, US Digital Designs’ offerings will securely transmit detailed data about the emergency, such as the type of hazard, severity, and location within the impacted building, all before first responders even arrive onsite.

The existing communications infrastructure between fire stations and emergency centers often uses legacy, manual technology, which slows response times and affects the accuracy of transmitted information. In contrast, solutions from US Digital Designs instantaneously connect dispatch centers to fire stations, improving both the quality of the information shared and the time it takes for first responders to arrive at an emergency. It is estimated that in the coming years, aligned to pending federal legislation to improve the 911 system, several billions will be invested in the United States alone to upgrade legacy alarm infrastructure to provide faster, more precise alarm alerting to first responders.

“The future of public safety relies on technology. We are integrating intelligence throughout the fire alarm transmission process – from the fire panel to the first responders – and providing uninterrupted communications to first responders,” said Doug Wright, president and chief executive officer, Honeywell Building Technologies. “Integrating US Digital Designs’ fire station alerting capabilities with Honeywell’s Connected Life Safety Services will allow us to eliminate manual processes and significantly reduce response time. Helping first responders arrive faster on site means potentially saving more lives and providing a higher level of asset protection.”

US Digital Designs’ suite of hardware and software solutions, which includes dispatch communication aids and mobile alerting applications, provides situational awareness and helps reduce response times. US Digital Designs also offers solutions that awaken first responders with soft-start LED lighting and audio alerts that are less disruptive.

The offerings complement Honeywell’s suite of solutions that help its customers meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, including improving safety for first responders.

“We are pleased to join the Honeywell team and support its efforts to add more automatio

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Posted: Dec 12, 2021

Vernon Township (IN) Fire Department Getting New Station

A new fire station is set for construction in McCordsville after the Vernon Township (IN) Fire Department secured more than $7.1 million in bonds, a process that began two years ago, reports youarecurrent.com.

The station will be at 600 West and will be surrounded by senior living communities, just north of the railroad tracks that divide McCordsville and Fortville, the report says.

Officials say McCordsville is receiving full-time firefighters and paramedics from the Fortville station, but by January 1 the Vernon Township Fire Department will have full-time firefighter and EMT crews living at the volunteer station until the new facility is ready.

Construction is expected to begin in June and will take eight months, and the belief is that it will be operational at some point in 2023.

The Vernon Township Fire Department was formed in 2019, and the Vernon Township Fire Territory was formed the following year as a cooperative effort of Vernon Township, the town of McCordsville, and the town of Fortville, according to the report.

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Posted: Dec 11, 2021

Decommissioned OH Fire Station to Be Converted into Brewery

Decommissioned Fire Station 41 on Silver Street in Lebanon (OH) will soon become The Lebanon Brewing company.

The city says on Facebook that on Wednesday “the deed has been signed and the sale is finalized! This morning, the Lebanon Brewing Company officially took ownership of the decommissioned Station 41 on Silver Street. We are excited to welcome the Lebanon Brewing Company to Downtown Lebanon and look forward to seeing the progress they make to transform the space for their spring 2022 opening!”

“We anticipate beginning our project toward the end of this year as the new fire station is completed and Station 41 becomes available,” the brewing company says. “We will be working hard to complete our brewpub and are targeting a spring, 2022 Grand Opening!

“The LBC will be a family-friendly, experience driven establishment. We will offer an outstanding range of American craft beer, our own line of hard seltzer, and house-made non-alcoholic beverages including craft soda, lemonade, and cold brew coffee!”

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Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
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Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
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Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
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Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
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Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
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Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
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Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

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Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
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Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
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Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
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Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

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