Following a $100,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Erie (PA) Fire Department is installing a state-of-the-art Bryx alert system at each of its stations, reports yourerie.com.

The system aims to tell first responders 45 seconds before any radio alerts, giving crews an advantage to respond to a call sooner.

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On the heels of a growing population, the Bluffton (IN) Fire Department (BFD) is asking for two new stations and more manpower over the next two years, reports wane.com.

The National Fire Protection Association’s national recommendation is to have at least six firefighters working one truck, while the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration also mandates two firefighters on the truck to operate, while two to go into a burning building.

BFD currently has two paid firefighters on duty during a 24-hour shift; the station also has an engineer who works Monday through Friday. During the day the chief and assistant chief are also in the station. However, after 4 p.m. there are only two crew members on duty.

Town officials organized a task force to see the department’s needs. It showed the department’s present staffing model failed to meet standards and posed a significant risk to firefighters; its current Bluffton station is inadequate in size; the station has 14 pieces of equipment in a firehouse that only has room for eight; and the station is not able to accommodate a gender-diverse staff.

The two new potential stations would be placed in the areas of 200 North and 200 South. With one station north of town and the other south, an official says the department would no longer be stopped by trains. He adds that no matter where a fire would be called out in the city, both stations would respond.

When researching for an article on front bumper extensions, more questions were created than facts were found. And they were only about front tow hooks and tow eyes. Sentence 12.3.5* Tow Hooks in the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus states: “Front and rear tow hooks or tow eyes shall be attached to the frame structure to allow towing (not lifting) of the apparatus without damage.” That is short and simple–probably as brief as most purchasers’ specifications as noted below. There is a bit more to front-towing provisions that purchasers should consider.

Alissa McGlone, marketing manager for HME Ahrens-Fox, put me in touch with David Rider, director of product management & development for HME, who answered some questions on front-towing provisions, the differences between hooks and eyes, how and why they’re located, and how purchasers should specify them.

Do tow hooks and tow eyes have different “weight” ratings? Generally, no, because they have the basic job of providing an anchor point to attach a tow cable. They are only as stout as what they are bolted to and the strength of the fasteners. NFPA 1901 stipulates they are for towing only and not lifting the apparatus.

Eyes and hooks can be mounted on top of a bumper, underneath it, or through the front of it. Are mounting locations job-specific? Typically, tow hooks under the bumper are the standard.  Sometimes it’s more about aesthetics than function with hooks being more hidden and eyes more in the open. They are there if needed, but typically play no other role. Tow eyes through the bumper, or above or below it, might be used as anchor points. In large fleets they might be specified to be compatible with a fleet-owned wrecker.