By Bill Adkins

Tower ladders are well-known for flowing copious amounts of water. The platform makes an excellent spot for two firefighters to flow two to three nozzles at a time. When thinking of tower ladders, many don’t reference their great ability to perform rescues, engine operations, and the ability to carry a vast amount of equipment. Training the crew to be proficient with the capabilities of the tower ladder is to be an ongoing task. A task that can be rewarding when hearing command say on the radio to leave room for the tower.

Flowing Big Water

Of course, we can’t discuss tower ladders without mentioning their ability to flow water. It is not uncommon to see one flowing close to, if not more, than 2,000 gallons per minute (GPM) on a fire scene. When training your crews, have a couple of different sequences and assignments for each member to minimize set-up time. For instance, if you arrive on a defensive fire the crew will need to assist the operator with water supply and the outriggers to have the ability to get the bucket in the air and flow water quickly. When arriving first due on an offensive fire, the tower can operate as an engine first, tower second; this allows the crew members to concentrate on hose deployment instead of setting up the outriggers right away. Keep in mind, if flowing big water don’t hesitate to establish a second water source coming to another intake of the tower ladder; this allows the pump and engine to operate at a lower RPM with the capability of continuing to flow large volumes of water.

Rescues from the Tower

With proper training, performing rescues from the building can be just as easy from a tower ladder as it is on a straight stick. Sometimes victims are severely terrified of heights and talking them down a ladder can be challenging. Proper placement of the tower bucket can make for a seamless transition from the building to the bucket—allowing the patients to become mor

City and fire officials were recently on hand to break ground on the Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department’s first new firehouse in 20 years.

Located at 627 Grand St. in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood, the new digs is a $5.6 million, 12,000-sqaure-foot, state-of-the-art firehouse which will house Engine 10 and Ladder 12.

“We are furthering our commitment to bring renewed opportunities to areas that need it most, and this firehouse is our latest investment in the key community assets our residents deserve,” Mayor Steven M. Fulop said in a press release. “This project is two-fold in that we are putting the critical resources to build upon recent growth in Bergen-Lafayette, while also expanding public safety with a newly equipped and modernized firehouse to enhance safety for our brave firefighters and the greater public.”

The new firehouse will replace the decommissioned 116-year-old station, which was condemned after the floor collapsed inside the single-bay structure.

The new firehouse will be green construction and a LEED Silver Certified structure designed with dual bays, advanced decontamination and hose extraction equipment, turnout gear, and housing for firefighters.

Construction is expected to be complete in Summer 2022, the report notes.

“With the population growth in this area, due to the number of new businesses and housing coming online, a modern facility only makes us that much more prepared to protect the residents and properties in an emergency,” said JCFD Chief Steve McGill.

The long-awaited new Station 11 for the Charleston (SC) Fire Department (CFD) opened for business today, reports abcnews4.com.

Station 11 is built adjacent to the Charleston 9 memorial along Savannah Highway, at which nine CFD firefighters died in the line of duty during the Sofa Super Store fire on June 18, 2007.

It features state-of-the-art advancements and is about 14,000 square feet, the report says. It can accommodate up to two companies of firefighters, a command training center, and ample space for equipment and vehicles.

Workers first broke ground at Station 11 in August 2018, with an original completion date targeted for the end of 2019. Delays pushed it to the end of 2020, and then May 2021.

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A long-planned new $5.3 million fire and rescue station in Franklin County (VA) ignited controversy before the project has even begun, reports roanoke.com.

The proposed Glade Hill Volunteer Fire-EMS Station has drawn pointed criticism from county supervisors for its cost and from volunteer firefighters who say the project has pushed them out, the report notes.

At a recent board meeting, station defenders voiced frustration at mixed feelings on the new digs after years of preparation. They also said that the station’s construction would encourage development in the district.

A decision needs to be made as to whether to accept a $4.8 million bid from a Gretna construction company to start work on the chosen site—near the intersection of Virginia 40 and Turtle Hill Road. Officials, though, postponed that decision until the board’s next meeting on Sept. 21, the report says. The problem lies in that bids for the project are set to expire on Sept. 25.

The proposed station—under discussion since 2011—is a 13,800-square-foot facility, which is bigger than the current 1960s-era station, but the new design still offers only three bays, the same as now, officials say. The $5.3 million price tag includes costs beyond construction, such as the land purchase, surveys, and architectural designs.