Menu

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

Posted: Sep 25, 2025

WA Fire District Plans Free, Independent Ambulance Service

Emily White – The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Sep. 23—As the cost for an ambulance ride soars, Spokane County Fire District 9 plans to shed its contract with American Medical Response and start its own ambulance service that won’t result in an expensive transport bill for residents.

If the move is approved by the Washington Department of Health, the fire district serving 50,000 people living in Mead and other areas directly north of Spokane and Spokane Valley will be be the only fire district in Spokane County to operate its own full-time ambulance transport operation, Chief Matthew Vinci said.

The push for its own ambulance service came about after current provider AMR doubled its rates beginning last month. The cost rose to almost $4,700 for basic life support and transport, Vinci said. That doesn’t include charges for supplies, IV therapies, medication or mileage rates that are applied to ambulance bills.

District 9 plans to have a fully independent ambulance service by July 1 if it can get approval, including a special license from the state Department of Health.

The service will be funded by existing levies and payments by insurance companies, Vinci said. The fire district will hire 15 new employees to support its independent ambulance service. The district currently has 65 uniformed staff.

AMR Operations Manager Jack Busch said the increased ambulance fees reflect the nationwide trend of rising costs in emergency medical services and health care — including costs to have personnel, equipment, supplies and maintenance for 60 ambulances in Spokane County. AMR is responsible for 95% of all medical transport in the county.

Busch disputed that residents within District 9 experience big savings. Taxes will likely increase, he said, if Vinci’s plan is approved.

But Vinci says the district doesn’t need a new levy to be able to fund an ambulance service. He said the money collected from insurance providers will cover the cost.

“There’s no bill, no cost, no balance billing, no co-pay associated with an ambulance ride in our district,” Vinci said of the plan.

There were 3,000 ambulance transports in District 9 last year. That compares with 2,500 ambulance transports every month in the city of Spokane, said Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg said.

Spokane’s rates for ambulance rides are similar to District 9’s, she said. In June, Spokane’s published rate was $4,790 .

AMR’s rates for ambulance rides have increased because it costs a significant amount of money to have care and lifesaving services available in minutes, O’Berg said, adding that the recent adjustment in AMR rates mirrors national inflation trends.

“The bigger problem is the health insurance and the health care system as a whole. We’ve lost context on what it costs to care for the sick and injured,” she said.

O’Berg expressed support for District 9’s endeavor and said every fire district has the authority to provide its residents with emergency medical services.

She noted, however, that fire districts operate on a tax-based system, in which all residents within a district contribute to emergency medical services regardless of their individual usage.

The city of Spokane operates on a service-based system, where people who use emergency medical services are billed for the care they receive. AMR advocates for such service-based models, Busch said.

According to Busch, most patients transported by AMR won’t be affected by its price increase.

About 81% of the Spokane market a

Read more
Posted: Sep 24, 2025

William F. Foster Award for Excellence Winner and EVT of the Year Announced at FTTC

At the awards ceremony at the 2025 Fire Truck Training Conference, Jeff Seal, director of sales for Spartan Chassis and MC for the evening, began his introduction for the William F. Foster Outstanding Service Award by recognizing its namesake, Bill Foster. “Bill’s presence is still felt here today even though we lost him on January 1 of this year. His legacy lives on in every one of these conferences.” Seal said that each year, the conference takes the time to recognize a person who has had a positive impact on training and being what Foster visualized as a trainer. Seal explained that this year’s recipient, Al Conkle, started his career in the 1960s as a diesel mechanic for Detroit Diesel, advancing to service tech engineer in the1970s. In the 1980s, he was a master EVT and in the 1990s joined Foster at the FTTC, becoming, according to Seal, one of the most recognized trainers. During his time with the FTTC, he was instrumental in furthering the knowledge of EVTs across the U.S. and North America.

Accepting the award, Conkle first addressed the EVTs gathered for the ceremony, saying, “You folks make this industry safer.” Conkle cited statistics from the 1970s where 30% to 33% of firefighter line-of-duty deaths involved fire apparatus accidents or lack of maintenance.

The NTSB, out of concern, went to the IAFC, which decided to do something similar to what it did with paramedics and firefighters—train the people maintaining fire apparatus and certify them. Based on that, the IAFC created the Maintenance Section, responsible for training. Then it started to develop tests for the students. From there, the EVTCC was born as a standalone entity to perform the testing. In 1996, the EVTCC administered 1,230 exams. In 2024, it administered 8,901 EVT exams. Conkle was there all along the way. He recounted trips to Chicago, Illinois, where he and others met to look at what they needed to do to make training available that is pertinent to EVTs and emergency vehicle market, which resulted in the first F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 tests for certifications.

He also recounted the beginnings of National Fire Protection Association maintenance standards and qualifications for emergency vehicle technicians. He proudly announced that in 2024, 14% of the line of duty deaths in the fire service were attributed to lack of vehicle maintenance.

Conkle summed up by addressing the gathered EVTs, saying, “What separates an EVT from a regular truck technician is his passion to do the repair right the first time, to pay attention to details and to make sure when he’s done with that emergency vehicle that it’s going to start, it’s going to get that fire crew to the emergency, and take care of that emergency, and return then safely back to the firehouse so that they can go home at the end of the day.”

The FTTC is also where the Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year, cosponsored by Spartan Fire Chassis and Firehouse is awarded annually. This year’s recipient is Anthony “Tony” Newman. Newman is a master emergency vehicle technician with the Tucson (AZ) Fire Department. Newman was not only recognized for th

Read more
Posted: Sep 24, 2025

Vintage 1932 Fire Truck Back in Use in WV

CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.
(TNS)

BLUEFIELD — With help from the Bill Cole Automall, a vintage 1932 fire truck is back in use for the Bluefield Fire Department.

The Ford Model A fire truck made its first public appearance in more than five years Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, during Bluefield’s Fall Festival. The plan is to use the old No. 6 at upcoming city events, including the Bluefield Christmas Parade, according to Lt. Brandon McKinney with the Bluefield Fire Department.

“It used to be an icon of the city,” McKinney said of the antique fire truck. “It used to haul Santa Claus, and it has been at lemonade festivals.”

The old fire truck was still being used by the Bluefield Fire Department in service up until the mid 1970s. A 1975 photograph in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph — saved in a scrapbook at the fire station — showed the old fire engine No. 6 in service at a call.

A 1935 photograph shows the same truck responding to a fire in the city. It is believed the Bluefield Fire Department purchased the truck in 1932.

But it was eventually retired sometime in the 1970s, only to be refurbished again in the 1990s.

“It kind of gotten in really bad shape,” McKinney said. “I think back in the 90s the guys got together and did a complete restore on it.”

About five years ago, the old fire truck was parked at a city owned site after experiencing a number of problems. But in recent weeks Jessica Cole started asking about the status of the vintage truck, and whether or not it could appear at Bluefield’s Fall Festival, McKinney said.

“A few months ago Jessica and Jason Cole reached out to us,” McKinney said. “And they wanted to fix it back up and get it back in use in the city.”

McKinney said Jason Cole took the fire truck to the Bill Cole Automall last month, where the mechanics there made a series of repairs and upgrades to the vehicle.

“I definitely want to give props to Jason and Jessica Cole and the Bill Cole Automall,” McKinney said. “Jessica is really the one who got the push (going) and wanted to see it at the fall festival.”

McKinney said the Bill Cole Automall spent about three weeks working on the old fire truck. Some of the repairs made it to included a new starter, a new battery and fixing all of the lights.

“They even sent it to their detail shop and had everything polished on it,” McKinney said.

The old fire truck was a hit at Saturday’s fall festival. One woman even asked if she could take a photograph of her dog inside of the fire truck.

McKinney said the plan is to use the restored fire truck at upcoming city events, including the Bluefield Christmas Parade and possibly the upcoming Octoberfest celebration.

“It’s back up and going,” he said. “So it should make its way to the Christmas parade and wherever else it’s needed.”

Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

© 2025 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.). Visit bdtonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The post Vintage 1932 Fire Truck Back in Use in WV Read more

Posted: Sep 24, 2025

Start a Tool Maintenance Program

Tools enhance our ability to perform our duties and represent a large investment of taxpayer money. Keeping these tools in a high state of readiness is part of our job and is evidence of our professionalism as firefighters.

Good maintenance reduces downtime and saves money for other needs. A tool maintenance program, including preventive maintenance, will help ensure having safe, functioning tools that won’t let you or your community down when you need them the most. Being good at keeping tools running is as important as being a good tool operator.

Begin with documenting inventory. Categorize (i.e., hand or power), count, and describe every tool and its assigned location. Include a copy of the purchase record, operating manuals, and any maintenance records. Create a unique identification marking for each tool. This will make it easier to track each tool’s maintenance history.

Assign specific staff to be responsible for tool maintenance. Provide training through seminars or manufacturers’ workshops. Tool rental/local repair shops are a great resource for information and troubleshooting tips/ advice. Equip staff with a tool kit and diagnostic instruments to facilitate troubleshooting and repair. Basic diagnostic tools include an electric multimeter, gas engine compression gauge, tachometer to check engine rpm, and spark tester. Get a work bench with a vise, adequate lighting, and a supply of maintenance items such as lubricants, cleaning solutions, and spare parts. Start a “Tag Out-of-Service” procedure accessible to all staff. The “Do Not Use” tag needs to list the problem, who tagged it out, the date, and the tool assignment.

Assess the condition of each tool and list and prioritize deficiencies. Budget to keep tools to factory specifications and sustain them. Power tools such as electric generators, air chisels, reciprocating saws, and chain rotary saws need to be on a preventive maintenance/inspection program. At least once a year, cycle these tools through your “tool person” for an in-depth inspection, testing, cleaning, lubrication, tuning, and fastener check. When maintaining, inspecting, or adjusting any power tools, make sure the equipment is deenergized, the pressure is safely bled off, the tool is unplugged, and the sharp edges are guarded. Be sure the tool can’t be turned back on while you are working on it.

BEST PRACTICES FOR MAINTAINING TOOLS

Keep your tools clean inside and out. Wipe dirt and debris from tools and also contamination from smoke. Use compressed air to blow into tool vents. Brushing accumulated dirt from vents could force dirt deeper into the tool. Keep all blades clean—rotary saw blades/chain saw chains are notorious for getting “gunky,” resulting in reduced performance.

Heat is the main source of tool malfunction. Overheating a tool puts a lot of stress on all components. This condition is a cumulative injury to the tool, like most of the conditions described here. You can get away with it a few times, but eventually it will catch up with you—likely at the worse time. Keep the bits/blades sharp. A dull bit/ blade can reduce tool efficiency by 30%. When the bit/blade dulls, many of us will try and push on through, worsening the situation and rarely speeding up the operation. Keep extra bits and blades handy. Do not block tool vents with your hands while operating. Let the tool breathe.

1 Photo by Shutterstock.com/Chuyko Sergey.

We often have to push our tools hard. Proper lubrication is a must to keep all the moving parts on your tools working properly. It keeps the parts from excessive wear and overheating and prevents rust and corrosion.

Check the maintenance section o

Read more
RSS
First2627282931333435Last

Theme picker

Upcoming Events

Theme picker

Sponsors

Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
Read more

Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
Read more

Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
Read more

Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
Read more

Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

Read more

Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
Read more

Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
Read more

Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
Read more

Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

Read more
RSS

Theme picker

2020 CAR SHOW