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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: Jul 21, 2021

HI Airports Take Delivery of Eight Oshkosh Airport Products Striker ARFF Vehicles

Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) Company, announced today that the company has completed delivery of eight Striker® ARFF vehicles to fire departments at the Hawaii airports of Lihue, Hilo International, Ellison Oizuka Kona International, Kahului, and Daniel K. Inouye International. The delivery represents a long-standing relationship with the state of Hawaii and its airport fire departments, which have purchased all Striker apparatus since 2004 and make up full Oshkosh Airport Products fleets.  

“For many years, it has been an honor to support the state of Hawaii’s dedicated aircraft rescue fire fighting teams by producing Striker ARFF vehicles for airports among the islands,” said Jack Bermingham, business unit director for Oshkosh Airport Products. “The remote nature of the islands’ airports and proximity to mainland U.S. can make accessibility to apparatus aftermarket services challenging in some circumstances. With an Oshkosh Airport Products dealer based on the island of Oahu, Hawaii’s airport fire departments have easy access to critical service support and parts inventory for their Striker fleets.”   

Hawaii’s recent apparatus delivery includes:

  • Lihue Airport: Two Striker 4×4 ARFF vehicles with a Snozzle® HRET
  • Hilo International Airport: One Striker 4×4 ARFF vehicle with a Snozzle HRET
  • Ellison Oizuka Kona International Airport: One Striker 4×4 vehicle and one Striker 8×8 ARFF with a Snozzle HRET
  • Kahului Airport: One Striker 4×4 ARFF vehicle with a Snozzle HRET
  • Daniel K. Inouye International Airport: One Striker 4×4 ARFF vehicle and one Striker 8×8 ARFF vehicle both with Snozzle HRET’s 

Features of Hawaii’s Striker ARFF vehicles:

  • Scania Tier 4 Final Engines
  • 50-foot (15 meters) and 65-foot (20 meters) Snozzle HRET’s
  • Water capacity: 1,500-4,500 gallons (5,678-17,000 liters)
  •  Foam capacity: 220-630 gallons (757-2,380 liters)
  • Dry chemical capacity: 550 Ibs (250 kg) 

Other notable attributes of the state of Hawaii’s aircraft rescue fire fighting teams’ new Striker ARFF vehicles include TAK-4® Independent Suspension, MADAS data logger system, Hydraulic 10KW generator, crosslay hoses, low attack bumper turret, in-cab SCBA storage, Command Zone™ diagnostics, Eco-EFP™ Foam Measurement, and full firefighting agent capacity with advanced technology features.

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is located in Honolulu. It’s one of the world’s largest, busiest, and most beautiful airports, covering 4,520 acres of land with four active runways, including the 12,000-foot reef runway, the world’s first major runway built entirely offshore. Kona International Airport is located in West Hawaii and accommodates domestic overseas, international, interisland, commuter, and general aviation flights. Hilo International Airport is located in East Hawaii and is used for interisland air carrier and general aviation operations. Lihue Airport is the primary airport on the Island of Kauai and handles overseas and interisland flights and Kahului Airport is the primary airport on the island of Maui and receives both overseas and interisland flights.

To learn more about Oshkosh Airport Products and the state of Hawaii’s new Striker ARFF vehicles, visit www.oshkoshairport.com.

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Posted: Jul 21, 2021

Somersworth (NH) Finances New Fire Station Despite Cost Surging to $9 Million

According to a report from Foster’s Daily Democrat, the city of Somersworth, New Hampshire, is still on track to finance its new fire station project after the City Council agreed Monday to use reserve funds to pay for a large amount of the $1.3 million budget increase on the building.

The new station will replace the existing 45-year-old, 8,100-square-foot station located at 195 Maple Street. The city originally approved a $7.7 million bond to finance the station, but city officials now say the cost has increased to a guaranteed price of $9 million. This maximum potential cost doesn’t include interest accrued from the existing bond.

Last week, a special City Council meeting discussed that either the project will be delayed or the city could finance it with $240,000 from the fund balance toward the station, $600,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to pay for ventilation system costs, increasing the bond commitment by five years, and increasing the bond authorization by $460,000 to a total bond authorization of $8.1 million.

During the Monday meeting, Councilor Matt Gerding suggested that Somersworth still use ARPA funds, but that it ups the reserve funds it plans to commit to the project instead of extending the price and life of the bond, which the city estimates could accumulate $1.7-2 million in interest, if extended.

Gerding said that Somersworth’s reserve funds sit with the city’s undesignated money and is similar to a savings account. He proposed an amendment to the resolution on financing the station which will appropriate $700,000 from the general fund unassigned to the fund balance. 

Deputy Mayor Dave Witham agreed that this was a better funding mechanism; although the fund acts as the city’s personal savings account, it is funded enough to support the appropriation. Witham also said the policy states that the fund balance should be somewhere between 5 and 15 percent of the city’s annual operating budget.

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Posted: Jul 21, 2021

Honolulu (HI) Fire Department Responds to Medical Call, Gets Truck Stolen

After responding to a medical call early Saturday morning, Honolulu (HI) Fire Department (HFD) firefighters discovered their truck had been stolen, reports hawaiinewsnow.com.

Department officials say personnel responded to a medical call at a home on Farrington Highway at around 3:30 a.m. Upon arrival, HFD entered the home and left the ladder truck running with its lights on—standard procedure in such emergencies.

Officials say the crew exited the home at 4 a.m. when they discovered the truck was gone and immediately notified police.

Authorities said officers found the fire truck and the suspect, who was promptly arrested, minutes later at a 7-11 in Makaha. No injuries—and nothing missing and no damage to the truck—were reported.

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Posted: Jul 21, 2021

Stafford (NJ) Volunteer Fire Co. Welcomes $1.1M, Pierce Enforcer 107-Foot Aerial Ladder Truck

The Stafford (NJ) Volunteer Fire Co. on Friday welcomed a Pierce Enforcer 107-foot aerial ladder truck to its Station 47 on Stafford Avenue, reports thesandpaper.net.

Last July, the township council gave the department the green light to acquire the nearly $1.1 million apparatus from Fire and Safety Services Ltd., based in South Plainfield.

The single-axle truck carries 500 gallons of water and has galvanized frame rails to help alleviate corrosion from salt water. In addition, it has a saw box on the side of the ladder, so it’s more easily accessible as firefighters make the climb.

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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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