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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: Oct 21, 2021

TCP Software Acquires Aladtec

Workforce management solution optimizes productivity with enhanced employee scheduling capabilities for the public safety industry

AUSTIN, Tex.—October 21, 2021TCP Software, a leading provider of workforce management and time and labor solutions, today announced the acquisition of Aladtec, an online employee scheduling and workforce management system specifically developed for Public Safety departments including EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Healthcare, and Dispatch. The highly configurable scheduling solution will be both integrated into TCP’s cloud-based workforce management software suite and maintained as a standalone solution.

Emergency services and law enforcement departments need reliable and robust systems to ensure shifts are filled and compliance rules are followed so they can serve the public well. Many still rely on manual processes like paper calendars and Excel spreadsheets, making shifts and schedules difficult to manage. Aladtec helps customers streamline scheduling by allowing users remote access to view, sign up for, and trade shifts. It also provides customizable reports on scheduled time and payroll, records management, integrations with outside applications and messaging tools for internal communication.

“The combination of best-in-class time and attendance solutions and a comprehensive scheduling program is a one-two punch that organizations need to effectively manage their workforce,” said Eric Thurston, CEO of TCP. “We’ve seen how powerful that combination can be with our acquisition of Humanity for the healthcare and retail industries, and we’re excited to extend that combination to the public safety industry with the addition of Aladtec. We’re thrilled to welcome Aladtec into the TCP family, and we’re looking forward to serving our customers and the public safety industry even better.”  

“As our product matures and our industry evolves, many of the new opportunities coming our way are considerably larger than they were just a few years ago,” said Dave Feyereisen, founder and president of Aladtec. “TCP’s size, experience, and resources are the rocket fuel we need to satisfy these challenges and tackle these opportunities faster than we ever could on our own. Together, we’ll provide the industry with more product value, more product innovation, and a better workforce management experience than ever before.”

For more information, please visit tcpsoftware.com and aladtec.com.

About Aladtec

Founded in 2005, Aladtec is an online employee scheduling and workforce management system specifically developed for Public Safety departments including EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Healthcare, and Dispatch. The smart platform streamlines scheduling by allowing users 24/7 remote access to view, sign up for, and trade shifts. Records management tools store customizable forms and employee information including certifications. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, the firm serves more than 2,400 customers across the U.S. and Canada. Annual subscription includes all set-up, training, and unlimited support. For more information, visit http://www.aladtec.com.

About TCP Software

For more than 30 years, TCP Software has helped organizations engage their people by providing flexible, mobile timekeeping, scheduling and workforce management solutions. Trusted by 30,000 customers and millions of users, TCP delivers best-in-class technology and personalized support to organizations of all sizes in the public and private sectors to meet

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Posted: Oct 21, 2021

Seaford (NY) Fire Department Receives $600k for Generator, SCBA Apparatus

The Seaford Fire Department has received a $600,000 grant from the state of New York for the purchase of new generators and breathing apparatus, reports liherald.com.

A total of about $2.3 million was distributed to fire districts throughout Senate District 8 via the state budget.

The department requested funding for an emergency generator to power the firehouse in the event of a power outage, as officials say the current generator is more than 50 years old and ill-equipped for use.

Approximately $350,000 has been appropriated for the generator, and the remaining funds will go to the SCBA apparatus.

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Posted: Oct 21, 2021

Flower Mound (TX), Lewisville, Highland Village Fire Departments Team Up for $4.9M Training Facility

The Flower Mound (TX) Town Council unanimously approved a 20-year cooperative agreement with Highland Village and Lewisville for a 9,000-square-foot joint fire training facility, reports communityimpact.com.

The Lewisville Fire Department approached the other two departments in 2019 about a joint agreement, the report says. The Lewisville fire training facility could no longer be used safely, they said.

The deal divides both the initial capital cost of the facility and the amount of time each fire department will have access to the facility, according to the report; Lewisville has 51.6% of the cost and time, Flower Mound has 40.6%, and Highland Village is at 7.8%. The total cost is more than $4.9 million, with Flower Mound responsible just over $2 million.

The agreement says the city of Lewisville would solely own the facility, but it would grant the Flower Mound and Highland Village departments access. The deal begins once construction is complete and accepted, the report says, and it includes automatic one-year renewals unless cities provide notice of nonrenewal.

The new facility—which officials anticipate will be ready about 18 months after construction begins—will be located where the old Lewisville facility currently stands, 701 E. Valley Ridge Blvd.

Related Articles:
Lewisville (TX) Voters to Vote on $95M Public Safety Complex
Apparatus Spotlight: Lewisville (TX) Fire Department’s 2019 Pierce Impel Pumper
Apparatus Spotlight: Flower Mound (TX) Fire Department’s 2019 Pierce Velocity Ascendant Tractor-Drawn Aerial
Flower Mound (TX) Opens New Firehouse
Gallery: Flower Mound (TX) Paramedic Truck Company

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Posted: Oct 21, 2021

Cantankerous Wisdom: Tillers & Quillers

By Bill Adams

Maybe I should hang it up and spend my remaining time strapped in a rocking chair drooling all over myself on the porch down at the Happy Valley Convalescent Home. Times are changing, and I have a hard time adjusting. Take ladder trucks as an example, and in particular tillers, also known as TDAs and tractor-drawn aerials. They’re probably called TDAs because people today can’t remember if there’s one or two L’s in tiller.

I recall the 1923 Stutz city-service ladder truck my father’s fire company ran in the early 1950s. He grumbled when they bought the 1953 75-foot Maxim aerial. He thought the world was coming to an end because they put doors on it. When we went into the “city” I became enamored with tillers, including the 1942 100-foot American La France at Ladder 5 (photo 1) and the 1927 American La France with a 75-foot wooden aerial at Reserve Ladder 6 (photo 2). The 1963 Maxim 100-footer tiller (photo 3) at Ladder 10 caused dad to say, “The damn thing’s got a roof on it; that’s blasphemy!” I agreed. When I joined the fire company in the early 1960s, Station 1 ran a 1957 Mack with a 75-foot Maxim ladder and Station 2 ran a 1932 Ahrens Fox city-service ladder. No pumps and no roofs and no doors on the Fox.

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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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