Alexis—Clover Township Fire Protection District, Woodhull, IL, heavy rescue. Spartan Metro Star LFD cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; heavy-duty stainless-steel body and subframe; 22-foot walk-around rescue body; Warn 9,000-pound multimount winch kit; four-bank 6,000-psi cascade system with fill panel and bottle enclosure; Will-Burt Night Scan Powerlite light tower; Onan 25-kW PTO generator. Dealer: Greg Landon, Alexis Fire Equipment, Alexis, IL.

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            I ran into a fellow white hair who moaned and groaned about the pandemic and resulting paranoia. I agreed. After all, it’s keeping the Raisin Squad out of the fire station. Like myself, this old geezer was having a difficult time using his so-called “smart” phone. Many “seasoned” citizens can’t or will not grasp modern technology. That rang a bell. Resistance to technology can affect the fire service. To get the point across, my story must be embellished – but only slightly so.

            At one trade show before the big shut-down, members of an unnamed fire department were jawboning about their latest apparatus deliveries. The department mechanic had a case of the red eye about the maintenance and service manuals provided with the rigs. They were on those little round pizzas you stick into computers and laptops. I know what they are, but never used one. I did use those square plastic things that slid into a desktop computer. You couldn’t bend one without breaking it, but for some reason it was called a floppy.

            The department’s training officer chimed in saying that it’s a PITA (a pain someplace) to quickly look up a diagram or schematic on a computer to answer a firefighter’s question. An officer agreed computers aren’t as fast and easy as looking at a printed manual for a quick refresher on servicing the rig’s light tower or operating its cascade system. A rather portly mechanic said its damn inconvenient because there’s never enough room for him and his computer on the creeper when rolling around underneath some rigs. He complained oil and grease are hard to keep off the screen and the gritty hand cleaner permanently scratches the screen. One grizzled old timer said it’s not wise to bring a computer into the “facility” in the morning. He maintained its easier to read a manual and its less expensive to replace if you drop it and it gets wet.

            One of their “new generation” firefighters proclaimed discs aren’t always used because most everything today is on flash drives. I thought a flash drive had an LED light, two AAA batteries and a push-button switch that could make it flash. It’s really one of those thumb thingys you stick into a computer. Maybe technology is why the kids don’t want raisin squad members in the fire station – it might not be the pandemic after all.

            On the serious side, I checked the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus to see the actual documentation required upon delivery of a new rig. There are 23 specific requirements for apparatus construction details and 19 formal certifications of tests and conformance. Additionally, 20 items are listed pertaining to the operation, maintenance and service of not only the rig itself – but of all its component parts! And all that stuff supposedly fits on a couple of those thumb things. More confusing would be having some on pizzas and some on thumb things. The mechanic better grab the right thingy or pizza before climbing under the rig or inside the pumphouse to troubleshoot a problem.

            NFPA 1901 sentence 4.19* Documentation says: “Any documentation delivered with the apparatus shall be permitted to be in printed format, electronic format, audiovisual format, or a combination thereof.” (For raisins: Audiovisual means you can see and hear everything at the same time, but it doesn’t say if glasses and hearing aids are required!) If purchasers don’t specify the exact format or formats they want delivery documentation delivered and how many copies of each they want – it is

According to a report from The Chicago Sun Times, the largest firehouse in the history of the city of Chicago, Illinois, has opened for service. It is also the first new multi-truck facility in decades on the city’s far south side.

The $30 million, 27,000-square-foot firehouse is located at 1024 W. 119th Street and will serve as the new headquarters for Engine Co. 115.

The opening of the station is a personal victory for Alderman Carrie Austin, who campaigned 16 years for a new firehouse.

The grand opening coincides with the retirement of Fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford II, which takes effect on Friday, April 2.

Ford noted that the single-story firehouse features a radio communications tower, which will enhance data and voice communications, greatly reducing “dead spots” that hampered operations in the past.

The post Chicago (IL) Fire Department Opens Largest Firehouse in Its History on South Side appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

Intelagard, National Foam, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up to support the volunteer fire service. Through a special giveaway program, nine volunteer fire departments will be awarded a Macaw® compressed air foam system (CAFS) backpack, nozzle kit, five gallons of Knockdown® firefighting foam, and four gallons of EasyDECON® DF200 to assist them in protecting their responders and their community. Each package is valued at $6,500.

“Communities across the country depend on volunteer firefighters to be their first line of defense for a wide variety of emergencies, including fires, natural disasters, vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, and more,” said NVFC chair Steve Hirsch. “We appreciate Intelagard and National Foam for their commitment to help these volunteers by providing their most up-to-date, innovative equipment so they can do their jobs safely and efficiently.”

“We are fortunate to have served the fire community for the past 30 years,” said Intelagard president Dennis Smagac. “During this anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to give back to the volunteer departments whose staff sacrifice their time and risk their lives to protect us. You are all heroes.”

The Intelagard Macaw® backpack provides versatile power in a totally independent CAF backpack. More powerful than standard extinguishers, the multipurpose Macaw® can be used for fire suppression, exposure protection, mop-up, hazardous materials cleanup, and decontamination. The Knockdown® foam is a unique environmentally responsible Class A foam concentrate that provides unmatched firefighting performance and flexibility. Knockdown® is specially designed for use in Class A/B foam systems and is excellent for CAFS.

To be eligible to apply, departments must be at least 50 percent volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, have an annual revenue of no more than $250,000, be located in the U.S. and legally organized under state law, and demonstrate a need for the product. The applicant or department chief must be a member of the NVFC; learn about member benefits and join at www.nvfc.org/join.

The application period is open through April 30. Learn more and apply at www.nvfc.org/macaw-giveaway.

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Intelagard provides a full range of innovative compressed air foam systems (CAFS) ranging in size from man-portable to truck-mounted units. The Intelagard CAFS enhance the fire extinguishing properties of water and stretches firefighting power. When used with firefighting foam, the patented CAFS create a superior bubble structure that blocks oxygen to the fuel, suppresses the vapors, and provides a cooling effect. After a 9-year process the US Military chose the Macaw® Backpack as the “new standard of portable fire suppression equipment.” Intelagard systems are also used for hazardous material clean up, crowd control, and chemical and biological decontamination. Learn more at https://intelagard.com/.

About the NVFC

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides critical resources, programs, education, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.

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