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The Finest Supporting the Bravest!

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

Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Fire Stations Blend into Neighborhoods
Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Fire Stations Blend into Neighborhoods
Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Fire Stations Blend into Neighborhoods

Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Blends Stations into Neighborhoods

BY ALAN M. PETRILLO


The Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department currently has 58 operational fire stations, with a 59th under construction, and a total of 75 buildings under its Facilities Management Section of the Support Services Division, including a large administration building, a huge firefighting training facility, and a Special Operations/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training facility.

When it comes to siting and constructing fire stations, the department is extremely cognizant of the character of the neighborhood the station will be placed in and the concerns of neighbors who usually want the fire station to complement existing structures in the area.

1 Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Station 59 is a large station meant to support operations at a nearby tank farm. Note the cylindrical form of the fire station’s physical fitness room, cladded on the exterior with insulated metal wall paneling, which echoes the shape and skin of storage tanks. [Photos courtesy of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department unless otherwise noted.]

1 Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Station 59 is a large station meant to support operations at a nearby tank farm. Note the cylindrical form of the fire station’s physical fitness room, cladded on the exterior with insulated metal wall paneling, which echoes the shape and skin of storage tanks. [Photos courtesy of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department unless otherwise noted.]

2 Phoenix Station 72 is set back more than 200 feet from Cave Creek Road because of a scenic corridor and is designed to blend in with the natural desert surroundings. (Photo courtesy of HDA Architects.)

2 Phoenix Station 72 is set back more than 200 feet from Cave Creek Road because of a scenic corridor and is designed to blend in with the natural desert surroundings. (Photo courtesy of HDA Architects.)

Jim Zwerg, architect for the Phoenix Fire Department, says that the context of the architecture of a fire station “is to do it like what the neighborhood is. We like to blend our stations into the neighborhoods that they will be living in, which has proven historically to have the neighborhoods be much more receptive to a fire station nearby.” Zwerg adds, “My job is to be sure we get the floorplan that we need to accomplish our mission and then leave it to the architects and designers the department hires to make the structure itself complement the other buildings in the area.”

STATION 59

Zwerg says that Phoenix Station 59, at 65th Avenue and Buckeye Road, is a large station meant to support operations at a nearby tank farm. “The tank farm had been expanding, which meant that our existing station had outlived its efficiency because it

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Firefighter and Civilian Rescue Device
Firefighter and Civilian Rescue Device
Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Firefighter and Civilian Rescue Device

The HERODrag Rescue Device

BY RAUL A. ANGULO


Being retired is great. It seems I have a lot more time for movies these days. I like westerns and war movies, and it seems in either category, someone is always getting shot and has to be carried back to safety. At least in the westerns, there was a horse close by, but in the war movies, the soldier had to be carried out.

Carrying a down firefighter in soaking wet full bunker gear is no easy task. Many firefighters can weigh as much as 300 pounds. I know with all my gear, I was easily more than 300 pounds and pitied the guy who would ever have to pull me out. Search and rescue is our number one job in the fire department. We have to be good at this task. If it is hard—and it usually is—you have to figure out techniques that will work for you in making this task easier. This is one reason I always carried a seven-foot pike pole. I discovered that dragging a down firefighter with a D-handle pike pole makes a challenging job extremely easy for one firefighter. And after you drill on this technique, you’ll be amazed how easy and simple it is. It’s a personal technique to work smarter, not harder.

This is a quick drag-and-go technique. Set the hook into the frame of the self-contained breathing apparatus backpack assembly and pull—just like you’re pulling a wagon. The rigidity of the pole transfers all your kinetic energy directly to the load. No energy is lost in the flexibility of rope or webbing. Try it (photo 1). Another option is to use a roof ladder as a sled to carry a down firefighter. A longer roof ladder distributes the load better than a baby ladder, and it makes it very easy to drag an unconscious firefighter out of a burning building. The roof ladder also allows you to easily lift the firefighter over large obstructions—something that would be nearly impossible without a solid object supporting the firefighter’s weight.

 

1 Photos 1 and 2 by author.

 

3 Photos 3-7 courtesy of HERODrag.