HomeExpand
- WFCExpoExpand
MembersExpand
- Fire Service DirectoryExpand
  - Associate MembersExpand
  - County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- NPPGOV Member ProgramExpand
- IAFC ForumExpand
About UsExpand
- WFC BoardExpand
- MembershipExpand
  - Department MembershipExpand
  - Affiliate MembershipExpand
  - Bugle MembershipExpand
- Contact UsExpand
NewsExpand
CalendarExpand
ResourcesExpand
- Legislative ResourcesExpand
- Job AnnouncementsExpand
- Classified AdsExpand
- EVIP InformationExpand
- WFC BookstoreExpand
- LODD ResourcesExpand
- Memorial WallExpand
- Safety CalendarExpand
- LinksExpand
- Volunteer ResourcesExpand
- Timeloss ResourcesExpand
- RFA Implementation GuideExpand
- COVID-19 ResourcesExpand
- WFC MagazineExpand
DocumentsExpand
- Association DocumentsExpand
  - Bylaws & PoliciesExpand
  - FormsExpand
  - Position PapersExpand
  - Minutes & Board BooksExpand
- Chief DocumentsExpand
  - State Chiefs RatesExpand
  - GEMT DocumentsExpand
  - NFIRS Annual ReportsExpand
  - Model PoliciesExpand
  - Training DocumentsExpand
- Legislative DocumentsExpand
- Event PresentationsExpand
- EMS Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Administrative Support Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Mechanics Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Training Safety and Officers Section DocumentsExpand
- Public Fire Educators Section DocumentsExpand
SectionsExpand
- Emergency Medical ServicesExpand
- Fire Administrative SupportExpand
  - DocumentsExpand
  - Discussion Forum & RFI'sExpand
  - Member DirectoryExpand
  - MerchandiseExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Fire MechanicsExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
  - Training & TestingExpand
  - EVT Discussion ForumExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Award NominationExpand
- Fire Training Safety and OfficersExpand
  - Firefighter ProgramExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Public Fire EducatorsExpand
- HazMat CommitteeExpand
County Fire ChiefsExpand
- King County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Pierce County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Snohomish County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Thurston County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
FRWCExpand
WSAFMExpand

Welcome

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

Pierce Ascendant Tiller Quint for the Santa Maria City (CA) Fire Department

Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Pierce Ascendant Tiller Quint for the Santa Maria City (CA) Fire Department

Special Delivery Alan M. Petrillo

Pierce Ascendant Tiller Quint for the Santa Maria City (CA) Fire Department

The Santa Maria City (CA) Fire Department had seen a big housing boom in the city and wanted to replace its 110-foot 1999 Hi-Tech LTI aerial ladder that had 100,000 miles on it. While the department was waiting for funding, it formed a seven-person truck committee that researched aerial manufacturers and neighboring fire agencies to determine the various truck options available.

The department was able to get an Assistance to Firefighters Grant for $988,410 in July 2017, and the city came up with the rest of the money to make up the $1.4 million purchase price for a Pierce Manufacturing AscendantÂ® 107-foot heavy-duty tiller quint.

FIRST-TIME TDA CUSTOMER

Christopher Rehs, a Santa Maria City captain and member of the truck committee, says the Pierce Ascendant is the department’s first tractor-drawn aerial (TDA). “The biggest advantage of the tiller is its maneuverability,” Rehs points out. “With the turntable in the middle of the truck, we can access areas in our city that our straight stick couldn’t, and it lets us get in a lot closer in tight-access places like a college campus and various apartment buildings.”

Tim Smits, senior sales manager for aerial products at Pierce Manufacturing, notes that the tiller quint concept is becoming more popular around the country. “With many departments trying to do more with less, the value of a TDA with a pump, a water tank, 500 cubic feet of compartment space, and the ability to carry up to 260 feet of ground ladders can’t be underestimated,” Smits points out.

1 Pierce Manufacturing Inc. built this 107-foot AscendantÂ® heavy-duty tiller quint for the Santa Maria City (CA) Fire Department on an Arrow XT™ chassis with an aluminum body powered by a Cummins 565-hp X15 engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)

2 The tiller quint works a large nighttime fire. (Photos 2-10 courtesy of Andrew Klein.)

3 The vehicle has a Hale DSD 1,500-gpm midship pump and a 300-gallon water tank.

421
0
Article rating: No rating

Using Thermal Imaging in Volunteer Departments

Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Using Thermal Imaging in Volunteer Departments

Thermal Imaging Manfred Kihn

Thermal Imaging in the Volunteer Sector

This month, I’d like to reflect on the volunteer sector of the fire service, which accounts for the majority of firefighters in North America today.

A volunteer defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service.” Volunteerism is “the act or practice of doing volunteer work in community service.” Many volunteer firefighters receive no remuneration for their time, while others receive a small yearly stipend for the number of hours they work. Some volunteer fire departments train once a week, others train biweekly, and some only train once a month—yes, that is only 12 times a year. Of course, that assumes that the volunteer firefighter attends all 12 training sessions, taking into consideration his full-time job, vacation, sickness, family matters, etc.

1Â Every firefighter must be trained on how to safely and effectively use the TIC. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

1 Every firefighter must be trained on how to safely and effectively use the TIC. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

Some fire departments have a dedicated training officer, while others train on what the chief deems to be essential. A typical training night could consist of vehicle and equipment checks, which can take a while depending on how many apparatus the department has and how many firefighters show up for training that night. Then there’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or ladder drill training that evening followed by a meeting. Federal legislation, municipal bylaws, and fire marshals’ directives all say and dictate what a firefighter must be trained on and to what standard or level based on jurisdiction.

From my perspective, I see the volunteer firefighter having to give more and more to stay on as a volunteer serving to protect the community. The requirements and standards as they apply to the fire apparatus, personal protective equipment, and firefighting equipment must be met by the volunteer firefighter to perform his job. Not part of the standard firefighting requirements is the use of operating a thermal imaging camera (TIC). For many fire departments, this valuable tool is considered a luxury. Some chiefs who have fought fires for many years and never used or owned a TIC ask, why do they need one now? Fortunately, society has changed, and so have tactics, and the use of a TIC has made the job safer and to a degree easier. Some departments have municipal budgets; others rely on donations and fundraisers in the community to keep operations going and purchase equipment.

I know of a volunteer fire department w

276
0
Article rating: No rating

Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Fire Apparatus Drivers Using SCBA?

keeping it safe Robert Tutterow

Driver-Operator Use of SCBA

Should the driver-operator use a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while on the scene of a working fire? And for clarity, this means actually breathing the SCBA’s air as opposed to simply wearing the SCBA. Based on emerging information, the answer to that question is yes! This certainly goes against the traditional mindset.

THE DRIVER-OPERATOR ENVIRONMENT

Why should the driver-operator use an SCBA when he is not engaged in the firefight and might not be wearing any personal protective equipment? Let’s take a deep-dive into the environment of the driver-operator. It is now known that carcinogens are prevalent in the warm zone of a fire scene. Historically, if we tested the air for safe removal of the SCBA, we used a CO meter. If the CO meter indicated the air was safe to breathe, then the SCBA came off. However, we have learned that carcinogens are very prevalent despite CO levels. And, there is always the possibility of a wind shift that could engulf the driver-operator’s position.

The air quality around a working fire scene is not as safe as once believed. This revelation was proven in an unexpected result of a carcinogen study on live fires conducted by the Illinois Fire Service Institute. The research study showed that a significant amount of the contaminants came from the diesel exhaust of the pumping engine. So, with the combined contaminants from the fire and the diesel exhaust, the driver-operator is likely facing a far riskier health hazard than previously thought. This scenario also applies to vehicle and dumpster fires.

The driver-operator is also exposed to diesel exhaust at nonemergency events. For example, career drivers-operators are exposed during their daily apparatus checkouts if the apparatus is not connected to a source-capture diesel exhaust system. Likewise, volunteer drivers-operators are exposed during weekly apparatus checkouts if the apparatus is not connected to a source-capture system.

Dawn Bolstad-Johnson, MPH, CIH, CSP, FAIHA wrote a book titled EXPOSED—Carcinogenic Exposures on the Fireground and 11 Work Practices to Minimize the Risk, published in late 2018. She is an industrial hygienist with a background in emergency services, including 19 years with the Safety Section of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department. In her book, she clearly outlines the hazardous carcinogens found at fire scenes and fire stations. One of her focus areas is the driver-engineer, and she provides a case study of Phoenix Fire Department Engineer Andy Brunelle, who acquired job-related cancer. An interesting quote from Engineer Brunelle is, “Wearing an SCBA is inconvenient for an hour, but getting a cancer diagnosis is inconvenient for the rest of your life.”

DIFFERING ROLES

The role o

302
0
Article rating: No rating

Turtle Plastics “Pays It Forward”

Posted: Apr 1, 2019

Turtle Plastics “Pays It Forward”

to the rescue Carl j. Haddon

Turtle Plastics “Pays It Forward”

Most people know Turtle Plastics (Lorain, Ohio) as the company that makes the Turtle Tile compartment matting found inside most fire apparatus.

Others know it as the company that makes the heavy-duty plastic cribbing, step chocks, and bag pads that are made from recycled plastic milk jugs. Few, however, know of its philanthropic works and finding new solutions to age-old fire service and industrial challenges.

The company’s latest endeavor is to bring awareness to the very large issue of grain entrapment that occurs in grain storage bins, silos, transport trucks, trains, and cargo ships. Technically, a grain entrapment occurs when a victim is buried in grain beyond his ability to self-extricate. In a grain engulfment, the victim is entirely covered beneath grain. Half of grain entrapments lead to engulfments, which are almost always fatal. In addition to bins and silos, statistics show more than 140 recorded deaths have been related to grain transport boxes—mainly children riding atop grain loads and being sucked in as dump gates are opened. It’s a category with an incomparable impact on farm families: 95 percent of victims are boys with an average age of 11.

Even with training and awareness, danger is always lurking. Research cites an Illinois fire department undergoing grain bin rescue training. The assistant fire chief of the department hosting the training, also a grain farmer, suffocated in a grain bin just weeks after the training session.

THE PRODUCT

Although it is thought that grain entrapment is confined to “Grain States,” this is not at all true. Truck, train, and cargo ship loads of grain traverse this country regularly. Most states have grain storage bins or silos in everywhere from livestock feed lots to industrial breakfast cereal making facilities! Believe it or not, Purdue University research shows that from 2006 to 2016, grain entrapments accounted for roughly 50 percent of all reported confined space incidents in the nation.

1 Photo courtesy of Turtle Plastics.

The Turtle Plastics answer to this rescue challenge is called the “Turtle Tube” (US Patent D809,210). A few years ago, I was introduced to Turtle Plastic’s Grain Entrapment Rescue Tube during a confined space grain bin rescue program (photo 1). For 2019, Turtle has redesigned its “Turtle Tube” by adding a self-contained (no parts to drop into the grain) and a self-latching system for faster and safer deployment. Additionally, it has added a serrated edge to the bottom of the tube to allow for less resistance when pushing the tube into the grain and around the victim. Unlik