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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

Posted: May 1, 2018

Sutphen Corporation Announces New Dealer in Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia, and Western Maryland

Amlin, OH—Sutphen Corporation has announced Fire Apparatus Service Technicians (F.A.S.T.), of Somerset, Pennsylvania, as the official Sutphen sales and service representative for Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia, and Western Maryland.

“This dealer transition is prompted by the retirement of longtime Sutphen representative, Jeff Britt,” says Clark Green, national sales manager for the Sutphen Corporation. “We sincerely thank Jeff for his dedication to serving Sutphen customers for the past 41 years. With Jeff’s assistance, the transition to F.A.S.T. is taking shape, and has been smooth and seamless thus far. Sutphen has been utilizing F.A.S.T. for service work in this territory for over a decade, so combining the amazing sales team that Jeff has built with F.A.S.T.’s reputation for providing excellent customer service is a perfect marriage.”

Owners of F.A.S.T, Bob Feathers and Brandon McKenzie, have more than 60 years of combined experience in the fire apparatus manufacturing and service field. “Working with Sutphen over the past decade has allowed us to experience the company’s commitment to the customer before, during, and after the sale. This customer focus is the same philosophy that F.A.S.T. has built its reputation on” stated Brandon. “Sutphen takes pride in the trucks they manufacture, and F.A.S.T. is excited to be on the team that sells those products.”

F.A.S.T. has multiple fully-stocked service trucks and trained technicians that can do anything from electrical repairs to pump overhauls in the field. They also offer in-station services such as, but not limited to: aerial maintenance, aerial cleaning, preventive maintenance, pump testing, ground ladder testing, generator services, and apparatus fluid changes. More extensive repairs and services including repainting or a total refurbishment of a unit can be done at the F.A.S.T. six-bay service and fabrication shop located in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit www.sutphen.com.

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Posted: May 1, 2018

Yakima (WA) Fire Department Takes Delivery of Two Rosenbauer Fire Apparatus

The Yakima (WA) Fire Department has taken delivery of two new Rosenbauer pieces of apparatus: a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper.

Bob Stewart, Yakima Fire Department chief, says the department has an apparatus replacement program in place where engines serve as front-line apparatus for 12 years, then in reserve for five years, and then go into the surplus fleet. Aerials are destined for 20 years of front-line service, he notes, and then five years in reserve before going into surplus. “One of our trucks is staffed 24/7,” Stewart points out, “while the second truck is cross-staffed with an engine.”

1 The Yakima (WA) Fire Department had Rosenbauer build it a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper. (Photos courtesy of General Fire Apparatus.)

1 The Yakima (WA) Fire Department had Rosenbauer build it a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper. (Photos courtesy of General Fire Apparatus.)

Platform Quint

Ken Gormley, sales engineer for General Fire Apparatus, who sold the platform quint and pumper to Yakima, says the department wanted room for personnel in the platform’s cab, so it went with an eight-inch raised roof and 70-inch-long cab with seating for five firefighters. “They also wanted an internal emergency medical service (EMS) cabinet in the cab behind the driver,” he says. Gormley notes that the platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with a welded body. Wheelbase is 252 inches, overall length is 47 feet 6 inches, and overall height is 12 feet 8 inches.

 2 Yakima’s platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with an eight-inch raised roof and seating for five firefighters and is powered by a Cummins 500-hp ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission.

2 Yakima’s platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with an eight-inch raised roof and seating for five firefighters and is powered by a Cummins 500-hp ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission.

The platform quint is powered by a Cummins 500-horsepower (hp) ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission and carries a Darley EM 2,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, front bumper and rear 1¾-inch discharges, and a 1,500-gpm Elkhart Cobra EXM wireless control monitor on the platform.

3 The Rosenbauer platform quint for Yakima has a Darley EM 2,000-gpm pump, a 316-gallon
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Posted: May 1, 2018

Yakima (WA) Fire Department Takes Delivery of Two Rosenbauer Fire Apparatus

The Yakima (WA) Fire Department has taken delivery of two new Rosenbauer pieces of apparatus: a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper.

Bob Stewart, Yakima Fire Department chief, says the department has an apparatus replacement program in place where engines serve as front-line apparatus for 12 years, then in reserve for five years, and then go into the surplus fleet. Aerials are destined for 20 years of front-line service, he notes, and then five years in reserve before going into surplus. “One of our trucks is staffed 24/7,” Stewart points out, “while the second truck is cross-staffed with an engine.”

1 The Yakima (WA) Fire Department had Rosenbauer build it a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper. (Photos courtesy of General Fire Apparatus.)

1 The Yakima (WA) Fire Department had Rosenbauer build it a 101-foot Cobra platform quint and a top-mount custom pumper. (Photos courtesy of General Fire Apparatus.)

Platform Quint

Ken Gormley, sales engineer for General Fire Apparatus, who sold the platform quint and pumper to Yakima, says the department wanted room for personnel in the platform’s cab, so it went with an eight-inch raised roof and 70-inch-long cab with seating for five firefighters. “They also wanted an internal emergency medical service (EMS) cabinet in the cab behind the driver,” he says. Gormley notes that the platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with a welded body. Wheelbase is 252 inches, overall length is 47 feet 6 inches, and overall height is 12 feet 8 inches.

 2 Yakima’s platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with an eight-inch raised roof and seating for five firefighters and is powered by a Cummins 500-hp ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission.

2 Yakima’s platform quint is built on a Commander cab and chassis with an eight-inch raised roof and seating for five firefighters and is powered by a Cummins 500-hp ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission.

The platform quint is powered by a Cummins 500-horsepower (hp) ISX15 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission and carries a Darley EM 2,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, front bumper and rear 1¾-inch discharges, and a 1,500-gpm Elkhart Cobra EXM wireless control monitor on the platform.

3 The Rosenbauer platform quint for Yakima has a Darley EM 2,000-gpm pump, a 316-gallon
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Posted: May 1, 2018

Using the TIC When Responding to Marijuana Grow Houses

Carl Nix

A Gallup poll in 2017 showed that 64 percent of Americans were in favor of legalizing marijuana.

Carl Nix

Today in the United States, recreational marijuana is legal in nine states and medical marijuana is legal in 29 states. Experts predict that the legal marijuana market will reached nearly $25 billion in sales by 2021 as more states pass legislation making marijuana legal.

Why am I writing about marijuana use when this column is about fighting fires using thermal imaging technology? The changing landscape of marijuana use poses a significant risk to firefighters who are responding to a fire call and find themselves in the middle of a grow house. Firefighters need to be aware of the dangers lurking inside a grow house to help protect them from a situation that could turn disastrous. When you first arrive on the scene, these homes look like every other house in the neighborhood from the outside. It’s what’s happening inside that puts firefighters at risk and where the use of thermal imaging technology can have life-saving effects.

1 A TIC can help protect firefighters from the hidden dangers inside a grow house. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

1 A TIC can help protect firefighters from the hidden dangers inside a grow house. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

Once the firefighting crew arrives on a scene and prepares to attack the fire, it should be common practice for a firefighter to grab the thermal imaging camera (TIC) off the truck and begin to perform size-up. Always start at the roof level with your TIC, checking the chimney, vents, and eaves before working your way to the attic and walls (include doors and windows). Be sure to check the crawlspace, basement areas, and dryer vent locations with the TIC. The TIC readings will be the first indication to the firefighting crew that this structural fire call may not be your typical call.

If your TIC screen is showing an excessive amount of heat coming from the chimney, vents, or basement area, it’s time to start questioning what is happening inside the home. Use your TIC to compare the heat signatures you are seeing to the heat signatures from neighboring structures to give you a baseline. After this comparison, if your TIC is still reading excessive heat coming from inside the structure, it’s time to alert the utility and police departments that you suspect a grow operation.

The police are aware of the dangers inside a grow house and will advise your firefighting crew of the potential risks they are facing including fortified doors and windows, booby traps, and unknown hydro sources from bypassing the meter or generator. As the firefighting crew enters the structure, it’s critical to proceed with caution and use the TIC for safely navigating obstacles such as low-hanging wiring and ventilation ductwork, which can entangle and entrap firefighters. The excessive heat created in a grow house is from the sodium vapor bulbs used, which can range fr

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Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
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Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
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Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
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Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
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Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
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Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
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Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

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Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
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Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
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Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
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Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

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