COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) – A fire alarm went off for a crew of firefighters at an Adams County fire station on Thursday and the fire turned out to be inside their own building. One of their fire trucks caught fire at the South Adams County Fire Station located in Commerce City.

The firefighters grabbed their equipment and along with the sprinkler system were able to put the fire out. MORE

By Alan M. Petrillo

The Wabash (IN) Fire Department covers the city of Wabash and the southern two thirds of Wabash County, servicing approximately 28,000 residents in 300 square miles. When it came time to retire a 2009 PL Custom Body and Equipment Co. Type III ALS ambulance, the department chose to continue to work with PL Custom and have it build a rig to replace the one it was retiring.

The PL Custom-built ambulance for Wabash has Whelen M series warning lights, Whelen LED 90 series scene lights, and a Whelen traffic advisor at the rear.

Chad Newsome, national sales manager for PL Custom, says that Wabash first purchased a PL Custom rig in 2009, followed by purchases in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2019.  "They have been a good customer for a very long time," Newsome observes. "This most recent purchase is our Medallion model Type III with a 170-inch body and 72 inches of headroom. It's on a 2019  Ford E-450 Super Duty chassis with XL trim, a 100-inch cab-to-axle length, a wheelbase of 158 inches, a GVWR of 14,500 pounds, and is powered by a Triton V-10 gasoline engine."

The interior of the Wabash ambulance is lit by Whelen high-load LED dome lights, and three TecNiq LED panel lights directly over the cot.

Kenny Kine, inspector/paramedic for the Wabash Fire Department, says, "We cover fire, rescue, and EMS for the city of Wabash, and rescue and EMS for the southern two thirds of Wabash County, and as a fire-based service, we carry some fire equipment on our ambulances, like SCBA, irons, and turnout gear, so we needed to increase the size of some outside compartments to have room for all of that."

The Wabash ambulance is built on a 2019 Ford E-450 Super Duty chassis with XL trim powered by a Triton V-10 gasoline engine, with a wheelbase of 158 inches, a 100-inch cab-to-axle length, and a GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of 14,500 pounds.

Inside the rig, Kine notes, Wabash had PL Custom install opaque doors on a couple of narcotic cabinets to prevent anyone from getting a look at the narcotics carried. "We also wanted more electrical outlets inside the patient area," Kine says. "We got two in the action area, two where the IV pumps are located, one in the bench seat area, three 110-volt outlets in our front compartments for monitors and a narcotics safe, and four 12-volt outlets in the front compartment. Also, there is a high-end inverter on the rig to keep everything charged when we aren't plugged into a shore line."

The bench seat on the curb side of the ambulance can seat two medics, each protected by a six-point harness.

Dean Martin, owner of Crossroads Ambulance Sales & Service, who sold the PL Custom ambulance to Wabash, says the department asked for a unique CPR seat that would allow its medics more room to work on a patient. "PL Custom widened the CPR seat at 45 degrees in both front and back, which gives the medic the ability, depending on the

Shelby, NC—Continuing in its tradition of firsts, HURST Jaws of Life® has launched the industry’s first watertight battery-powered extrication tool line, the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC® EWXT. The company’s EWXT water-resistant casing debuts in three tools, which also feature a new brushless motor for greater efficiency and a longer run time.

“The launch of the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC EWXT battery-powered watertight tool line provides the industry with another first from HURST, as we continue to bring first responders rescue tools that make what was once seemingly impossible now possible,” said Ellie Mulcahy, general manager of HURST Jaws of Life, part of the IDEX Fire & Safety group.

“This innovative underwater rescue tool solution aligns with the IDEX Fire & Safety platform to accelerate our position as the global market leader for electrohydraulic rescue tools,” Mulcahy said. “More important, it fills a gap in the rescue tool category for first responders who need extrication tools with power, speed and performance in submerged rescue operations where an external power source simply isn’t accessible and hose lines add complications.”

Using a potting process, tool engineers designed a protective compound for the internals of the HURST Jaws of Life EWXT watertight tool. When submerged, water enters the battery case, but the potting creates a seal that prevents moisture from getting to components, such as the battery and circuit board. As a result, the HURST Jaws of Life EWXT can be completely submerged and remain operational while underwater without risk of damage to the battery or any loss of performance.

The debut of EWXT technology comes in three tools: S 788EWXT Cutter, SP 555EWXT Spreader and R 521EWXT Ram. The use of a brushless DC (BLDC) electrical motor in the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC EWXT tools offers higher performance. Because brushless motors have significantly higher efficiency and draw less current, first responders gain longer battery runtime with the EWXT line’s BLDC motor. 

“The EWXT as a watertight solution is a game-changer for the industry, and the addition of the brushless motor for higher performance and longer run time is just another way we’re making sure first responders have better, stronger, faster tools that will help them get to the patient,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product management for HURST Jaws of Life, which is debuting the line at 2019 FDIC International, booth 1823, April 11–13 in Indiana, Indianapolis. 

In addition to being watertight, the EWXT offers other performance features and benefits. The cutter and spreader in the EWXT line have cases that are three inches shorter than HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC E2 rescue tools, providing easier mobility during extrication. Additionally, the new HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC EWXT tools have improved LED lights. The R 521EWXT Ram will feature four LEDs instead of the standard three, providing first responders with more visibility in confined spaces and during night rescues.

Other features and benefits of the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC EWXT watertight tools include:

• New axial piston pump design
• Optimized weight
• Larger battery option (9Ah) with IP57 protection class
• New, faster battery charger

HURST Jaws of Life introduced the industry’s first rescue tool in the 1970s and revolutionized the industry again in 2010 with the first battery-powered rescue tool line, giving first responders freedom from external power sources and faster deployment at the scene of a