By Alan M. Petrillo

The design/build team of SMP Design and Turner Construction had just completed a station for the Delhi (OH) Fire Department that got them a lot of accolades in the press when they learned of the Madison Township (OH) Fire Department seeking RFQs to build a new station that would be the third for the fire district. SMP Design got through the RFQ stage, moved on to the RFP process, and ultimately got to interview with the department to present a project proposal.

SMP Design and Turner Construction designed and built this two-bay station for Madison Township (OH) Fire Department. (Photos courtesy of SMP Design.)

"We work in a program called Sketch Art for 3D modeling to create a very good artistic rendering of a project," says Kevin Spector, SMP Design's chief creative officer. "We used that program to show the department the entire project where we do a three-dimensional helicopter flyover of the outside to spin and twist around the building, and even pull the roof off the rendering to show all the spaces inside the building." Spector says the presentation earned SMP Design the contract along with Turner Construction on a design/build project basis.

The rear view of Madison Township's new Station 183.

Jeff Fasone, chief of Madison Township Fire, says the department was founded 70 years ago with three stations, one with paid and volunteer firefighters, and the other two all-volunteer. "In 1985, we transitioned from volunteer to all paid and consolidated two stations into a new station 182," he says. "Eventually, when the levy passed to construct a full-size station 183 for nine firefighters and a new medic truck, we hired SMP Design and Turner Construction to do the job."

The new station is a one-story structure of 12,500 square feet, with two 80-foot-long, double-deep, drive-through apparatus bays and support spaces on a side wall holding SCBA storage, a decon room, turnout gear storage room, a shop, and a general storage room. A mezzanine contains all of the building's mechanical equipment." The support spaces form a buffer between the apparatus bays and the living and administrative spaces," Spector says. The public spaces are limited to the lobby, and there is a report room adjacent to the lobby, along with two offices, and a conference room.

The entryway at Madison Township's new station.

The station's report room has view lines to the street, apron and front lobby.

In the living area, SMP designed a open space dorm room with eight sleeping cubicles separated by seven-foot high walls that al

On August 19, 2019, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) announced that Mark Light has retired from his position as CEO and Executive Director.

Mark Light said, “It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement. It has been my sincere honor to lead the IAFC as CEO and Executive Director for the past 12 years. IAFC has accomplished many things during my tenure and I am proud of these accomplishments. None of those accomplishments could have happened without the full support of the IAFC Board of Directors and the IAFC staff. I cherish the relationships I’ve developed with so many of individuals over the years. Know that I am sad to step away from working with and for a vibrant and remarkable organization. The fire service is the most noble industry on planet Earth. It has been my sincere privilege to serve this profession for over 42 years.”

IAFC President (2018-19), Dan Eggleston, said, “Under Mark’s leadership, IAFC has expanded learning opportunities and executive fire officer training for leaders and emerging leaders, promoted diversity and inclusion in the fire and emergency service with iDELP and Women Chiefs Council, increased its operating budget from $10.5 million to $22.5 million, relocated its headquarters to a location that is better suited for IAFC business needs, implemented a social media and the conneXions education programs, and experienced a growth in IAFC staff from 32 to 68 employees. On behalf of the Board and the membership, we thank Mark for his contributions and wish him well.”

“We now begin a search for a new CEO and Executive Director to lead IAFC in achieving its short- and long-term strategic goals. The Board and I look forward to working with the next CEO and Executive Director to advance IAFC’s mission of supporting current and future fire and emergency service leaders worldwide through vision, information, education, services and representation to enhance their professionalism and capabilities.”

The Deputy Director will be the interim lead for the organization, reporting directly to the IAFC Board of Directors until the new Executive Director is selected and onboarded. More information regarding the Executive Director position will be available on the IAFC website, www.iafc.org, in the coming weeks.

By Alan M. Petrillo

Cahokia (IL) Fire Department was running a 2003 Ford F-550 with a skid pump unit as a brush truck, but as the department outgrew the capabilities of the vehicle, it began researching how to replace it and with what configuration truck. The department's officers and firefighters, all volunteers operating out of two stations, discussed having a vehicle that could handle car fires, dumpsters, and other hazards as well as brush fires and came up with a list of wants for its new truck.

Cahokia (IL) Fire Department had Unruh Fire build this quick attack industrial/brush truck on a Ford F-550 chassis and crew cab to handle a wide range of fire situations, including serving as a remote monitor truck. (Photos courtesy of Unruh Fire.)

"We wanted to be able to meet the department's needs to cover a number of different kinds of fire situations," says Stephen Robbins, Cahokia's chief. "In addition, in our district, we have a compressed gas facility, an industrial chemical plant, a Phillips Refinery petroleum tank farm, and a number of grain elevators, so we had the need for a mobile monitor platform."

The Unruh-built Cahokia pumper  has two Task Force Tips 1,500-gpm Typhoon remote control monitors on the rear corners of the body that are supplied by standpipes.

The resulting pumper built by Unruh Fire, Robbins says, is on a Ford F-550 chassis and crew cab, powered by a Ford Power Stroke 6.7 liter 300-hp engine, with a Darley 2-1/2 AGE pump run by a 24-hp Kubota diesel engine, a 400-gallon McClarin Plastics polypropylene water tank, a 20-gallon foam cell, and a FoamPro 1601 Class A foam system.

The Cahokia rig has a Darley 2-1/2 AGE pump run by a 24-hp Kubota diesel engine, a 400-gallon McClarin Plastics polypropylene water tank, a 20-gallon foam cell, and a FoamPro 1601 Class A foam system.

But, the rig is far from typical of its class because it also carries two Task Force Tips 1,500-gpm Typhoon monitors on top of the rear of the body, one on each corner. "We call this truck our first attack industrial/brush truck," Robbins notes. "The two Task Force Tips remote control monitors on the back are fed by standpipes, so if there's a fire in one of those big industrial facilities, we can park the truck in a place to deal with the situation, hook up to a water supply, and fight fire and protect exposures. It gives us the option of doing a remote operation so we don't put any firefighters in the danger zone. If for some reason we lose the truck, it's an unmanned $200,000 vehicle, not three firefighters on a $600,000 pumper. This is really a safety issue."

One of the Task Force Tips Typhoon monitors flowing water.

Brad Cashion, owner of Cashion Fire Equ

NESQUEHONING, PA – August 16, 2019 – KME Fire Apparatus, an industry leading manufacturer of fire apparatus, announces the delivery of (12) twelve KME custom pumpers and (2) two KME tractor-drawn aerials (TDA) to Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD).
 
The new trucks will join hundreds of KME apparatus currently in service at the LACoFD. The custom pumpers are built on KME’s Severe Service^TM cab. The Severe Service^TM cab was engineered for heavy-duty use and has been exposed to high-volume calls with over a million miles of real-world testing.

 
The 12 new LACoFD custom pumpers include:

• 96” KME Predator™ Severe Service cab
• 175” wheelbase for tight turning radius
• Cummins X12 500 hp engine and Allison EVS 4000 transmission
• Hale QMax 1500 GPM pump
• Hale Smart Foam system
• Hale CBP250 Auxiliary PTO pump for pump and roll
• 500 gallon stainless steel water tank with 25 gallons of class A foam
• KME lock-n-load hose bed cover, which provides a strong aluminum tread plate working surface that can easily and safely be lifted for hose repacking with a short raised height for operations in low clearance

The two AerialCat^TM Tractor Drawn Aerials feature the following:

• KME Severe Service^TM cab
• Cummins X15 600 hp engine and Allison EVS 4500 transmission
• Waterous S100 2,000 GPM pump
• AerialCat™ 101’ ladder with a 350-gallon water tank
• Equipment capacity of double the NFPA requirement of an aerial ladder
• Integrated hosebed with the capacity of 800’ of 4” hose
• 225’ of wooden ground ladders

The Los Angeles County Fire Authority is supported by REV Fire Group sales and service center in Jurupa Valley, California. This operation offers a robust network of sales, parts, and service to support LA County with both mobile and service center support.

For more information on these units please contact Stephen Carleton at scarleton@kmefire.com or 800-235-3928, your local KME dealer or visit our website at http://kmefire.com/support/dealer-locator.

About KME: 

KME is a part of REV Group (NYSE:REVG), a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty vehicles and related aftermarket parts and services. KME engineers and custom manufactures a full range of specialty trucks for federal, industrial, commercial, aviation and municipal markets. Additional information on KME can be found at kmefire.com or by emailing to kme@kmefire.com.