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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: Sep 30, 2024

Hurricane Helene Response | Atlanta Hybrid Rigs | FTTC

Chris Mc Loone shares his thoughts on Hurricane Helene and its remnants as at least five states continued to be impacted by the storm as well as an update on the Atlanta “Hybrid Trucks” recently placed in service in this episode of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Podcast.
Brought to you by Toyne, www.toyne.com.

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Posted: Sep 30, 2024

Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI After Crashing Into Sacramento (CA) Fire Apparatus, Police Say

Jenavieve Hatch
The Sacramento Bee
(TNS)

Sacramento police arrested a man Friday night after he crashed into a Sacramento Fire Department fire engine, authorities said.

The man hit the fire truck around 7 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Pell Drive and Main Avenue, which connects to Del Paso Road in North Sacramento’s Pell/Main Industrial Park neighborhood.

According to police, neither the driver nor any members of the Fire Department were injured in the crash. The driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a nearby hospital and was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

©2024 The Sacramento Bee. Visit sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Posted: Sep 30, 2024

Relief Fund for Firefighters Injured in Fire Truck Rollover Tops $250K

Mona Darwish
The Orange County Register
(TNS)

More than $265,000 has been raised so far for the firefighters injured when their truck overturned on an Orange County toll road last week, with contributions from Southern California hotshot crews, firefighter and police unions and others.

The crash occurred on the evening of Sept. 19, north of the Portola Parkway exit on the northbound 241 Toll Road. Eight members of the Orange County Fire Authority’s Santiago hand crew were headed back to their command post in a transport truck, following a 12-hour shift battling the over-23,000 acre Airport fire in the Cleveland National Forest area.

For reasons under investigation, the driver lost control and struck a metal guard rail, causing the truck to overturn and roll over several times before it landed on its side. Six of the eight injured crew members, who ranged between the ages of 24 to 34, suffered serious injuries.

As of Tuesday, Sep. 24, four critically injured members remained hospitalized, officials said. They were expected to remain in the hospital for “quite a while,” OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said in a news conference last week.

A relief fund for the eight affected firefighters and their families was set up by the OCFA and its union, with a fundraising goal of $500,000. The money raised will help with medical costs not covered by insurance, caregiver fees and other supplemental expenses they will incur “on the long road to recovery,”  said Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3631 President Chris Hamm.

“We drive the same kind of buggy, we do the same work they do… I’m sure they would have done the same for us,” said Patrick Fearon, a foreman at Los Angeles County’s Fire Camp 8 in Malibu. Fearon and close to 30 other hand-crew members made a group contribution of $2,000, with each individual pitching in what they could.

Over $265,000 total had been raised as of Tuesday, with roughly $236,000 in donations from a GoFundMe and a little over $30,000 through PayPal. Donors included hotshot crews and firefighter unions based in Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and even as far as Sacramento and Vacaville. So far, the single largest donation came from the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935, which gave $15,000.

“It’s a tragic incident. Anything we can do to help our brothers and sisters in Orange County, we always will,” IAFF Local 935 President Jim Gregoli said.

Some local police unions also showed support, including the police associations of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach. Garden Grove Police Association President Brian Stroud described the relationship between police and firefighters as a special brotherhood, with a long history of both agencies being there for each other. When he was injured in the line of duty, OCFA was there for him.

“We’ve been there to help them and they’ve been there for us. If one of them goes down, we feel the pain as well,” Stroud said.

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Posted: Sep 30, 2024

Hyundai Motor to Develop Firefighting Robot for Parking Lot EV Fires

Hyundai Motor Group recently announced plans to develop a firefighting robot to handle electric vehicle fires that occur in underground parking lots, the Bahrain News Agency reported.

The Korean automotive group announced it will coordinate with the National Fire Agency of the Republic of Korea to develop the firefighting robots by the end of the year and deploy them for use starting in 2026, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The firefighting robot will be equipped with a 65-mm water cannon, a thermal imaging camera, and a spray device, with the multipurpose unmanned vehicle as the basis, as requested by the National Fire Agency, kedglobal.com reported.

The robot is expected to allow remote-controlled fire suppression, providing an effective solution for fires in underground facilities, where it is difficult or dangerous for firefighters to enter, the group said.

Hyundai Motor Group expressed its intention to provide firefighting equipment to the government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in August.

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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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