All this week at FDIC International 2018, Monday through Friday, we will be featuring live radio and hangouts from the show, sponsored by 3M Scott Fire & Safety. More at www.scottsafety.com.

Watch the Thursday hangout above.

For more, go HERE.

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM         Rich Gasaway

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM         Tom Merrill

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM         Mike McEvoy

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM         Kimberly Cox and Angela Hughes

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM         The Lawyers

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM         Tom Aurnhammer and Ron Kanterman

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM  Remote from the 3M Scott Fire & Safety booth!

Podcast: Listen on FE Talk Radio 

APPLETON, Wis. (April 26, 2018) – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, today introduced a new, uncompromising addition to the Pierce Ascendant Class of Aerials at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Ind. The all-new Ascendant 100’ Aerial Tower includes best in class features including superior maneuverability, drivability, operator functionality, and serviceability. Answering the demand for the innovative Ascendant ladder to be available on additional configurations, the 100’ Aerial Tower offers heavy-duty capabilities and the highest level of dependability.

Reaching heights of 100' vertically and 93' horizontally, the Ascendant 100' Aerial Tower packages a 5-section heavy-duty steel tower onto a vehicle with a low overall ride height of only 10'8" and length of only 41’ 3”. Its 160" rear overhang minimizes tail-swing offering superior maneuverability and even greater visibility than that of a rear-mounted tower.

“We listened to our customers’ feedback and incorporated elements that exceed expectations with the innovative features of the new Ascendant 100’ Aerial Tower,” said Lisa Barwick, director of business development, Pierce Manufacturing. “Exceptional horizontal and vertical reach capabilities, combined with superior maneuverability, drivability, operability, and serviceability functions, address firefighters’ essential aerial apparatus needs.”

This new aerial tower outperforms with a 1,000 lb tip load capacity, up to a 20-degree below grade operation, and a below grade 50-degree scrub area. All of this is accomplished with the truck at a mere 20' set-back from the building. Its integrated ground pads eliminate time spent throwing ground pads, so setup is streamlined and faster than any other aerial on the market.   The apparatus will be ready for aerial operations in under 30 seconds.

“Last year we introduced a class of aerials that set a new benchmark for performance in the industry, and we didn’t stop at taking the platform options and apparatus features a step further,” said Barwick. “The all-new Ascendant 100’ Aerial Tower is ideal for customers in the market for a mid- or rear-mounted platform and is unlike any other aerial apparatus available.”

The Ascendant 100' Aerial Tower is available on a variety of custom chassis and body styles to meet fire departments’ needs. Additionally, the apparatus can be configured with a rear axle rating as low as 48,000 lbs. providing all of the benefits of a lighter weight vehicle such as shorter stopping distances and better performance from the chassis drivetrain. For a comprehensive review of the Pierce Ascendant Class of aerials, visit www.piercemfg.com/AscendantClass for complete specs, video and images.

Photo caption: Pierce Manufacturing introduces a new, uncompromising addition to the Pierce Ascendant Class of Aerials at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Ind. The Ascendant 100-foot Heavy-Duty Aerial Tower includes best in class features with superior maneuverability, drivability, operator functionality, and serviceability.

About Pierce Manufacturing

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. Products include custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, minipumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire a

SHELBY, N.C. (April 26, 2018) – HURST Jaws of Life®, an industry leading global manufacturer of rescue tools, is offering first responders four new choices in rescue tools in 2018, building on an already-extensive portfolio of battery-powered eDRAULIC® and 10,000 PSI rescue tools with more speed and power.

HURST Jaws of Life tools, which include the S 377E2 and S 377 Cutters and the SC 258E2 and SC 258 Combination Tools, are available starting this month and will be showcased at FDIC International 2018 April 26-28 in Indianapolis, booth #2322.

“We design HURST Jaws of Life to meet first responders needs for stronger tools with longer blades to cut through today’s tough steels without adding weight that can create user fatigue,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product management for HURST Jaws of Life. “Our portable eDRAULIC line and long-trusted 10,000 PSI line brings more speed and power to the rescue scene this year.”

New tools include:

S 377 E2 Cutter and S 377 Cutter – The 377E2 and 377 cutter tools are stronger than their predecessors, featuring a longer reach. An 8.11-inch blade opening ensures first responders can get better access to the patient. The S 377 replaces the S 312.

SC 258E2 Combi and SC 258 Combi – The 258E2 and 258 combination tools are the lightest of the light. At 32.8 pounds, it’s sleeker and lighter than its predecessor and maintains the spreading and cutting force needed for the rescue. The SC 258 replaces the SC 250.

The new tools share the reliability, ergonomics and safety offered by all tools in the HURST Jaws of Life family. New features like star-grip allows tool actuation from almost any gripping position. A dead man control valve that reverts to neutral position if a worker’s hand slips from the control. If hydraulic flow is interrupted, a dual pilot check value will sustain load requirements.

All eDRAULIC tools come with two Li-Ion rechargeable batteries and one charger, and each tool has an IP rating of IP54.

For more information, visit www.jawsoflife.com. Stop by FDIC International 2018 Booth #2322 to see the new tools.

William “Billy” Goldfeder was awarded the 2018 FDIC Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement award at this morning’s General Session.  Making the presentation were Chief Bobby Halton, editor in chief of Fire Engineering/FDIC International education director, and Eileen Cress, daughter of Tom Brennan.

In his introduction remarks, Halton noted: “Today we recognize someone who, not to sound cliché, truly needs no introduction. We gather to honor and recognize him for his life’s work. More than that: We bask in the complete and total love within this room at this moment. It is a love that is not conditional or limited. The type of love Billy evokes from us can’t be expressed in words. It allows for disagreement and struggle; is unaffected by position or point of view; and is unspoken, unbreakable, and without boundaries.”

RELATED: Talking Shop with Chief Billy Goldfeder

Goldfeder, a deputy chief in the Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department, has been a firefighter since 1973, when he joined the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department in Long Island, New York. He has been a chief fire officer since 1982 and has served as a chief in Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. He is a 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and the former chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Committee.  

In 1998, Goldfeder, along with the widely recognized authority on risk in public safety Gordon Graham, created  the Web site www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com, a 100-percent, noncommercial, independent, and free site with firefighter survival as its sole focus. He is a news and editorial columnist for Fire Engineering.com and FirefighterNation.com and has a monthly column “Nozzlehead,” which has appeared in FireRescue for the past 20-plus years. He is the author of the best seller PASS IT ON; the royalties derived from its sale are being donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Chief Ray Downey Courage and Valor Scholarship Fund. Royalties from his second best seller Pass It On … The 2nd Alarm will be distributed to the same beneficiaries and the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.  

Goldfeder is an honorary battalion chief of the Fire Department of New York, a member of the board of directors for the International Association of Fire Chiefs; the September 11th Families Association, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; he served as a commissioner of Fire Accreditation International for the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

Chief Goldfeder has served on several NFPA and IAFC Committees and on the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force Board. He chaired the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and is a subject matter expert for the CDC NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.

His achievements and involvements are too numerous to list. As Halton succinctly expressed it: “Suffice it to say that Chief Goldfeder has sat on every board, consulted with every agency, and shared with every organization and company in the fire service.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Tom Brennan, who was the editor of Fire Engineering for eight years and a technical editor. Brennan had more than 35 years of fire service experience, including more than 20 years with the Fire Department of New York and five years as chief of the Waterbury (CT) Fire Department. He was co-editor of The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth Edition (Fire Engineering Books