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: Apr 5, 2017

In The News

E-ONE, INC., a member of the REV Group, recently completed a chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear (CBRN) incident vehicle for delivery to China. The CBRN vehicle is designed for quick-response teams in contamination incidents that involve chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear substances. The vehicle is a 17-foot combo rescue built on a four-door European chassis.

It is designed with a safe cabin to accommodate three people. The safe breathing room includes a positive-pressure air filtration system that prevents contaminated air from getting into the cabin to safeguard occupants. The CBRN incident vehicle is equipped with multiple compartments to carry the necessary tools and equipment for detection and decontamination.

MSA SAFETY INCORPORATED has announced that its G1 integrated thermal imaging camera (TIC), which gives fire departments the opportunity to cost effectively equip every firefighter with thermal imaging technology, has received third-party certification as being compliant with NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (2013 ed.). With this approval, MSA can begin shipping its integrated TIC immediately.

MSA’s integrated TIC is built into the firefighter’s SCBA. Incorporating TIC technology directly into the SCBA provides multiple advantages, such as an auto-on feature that activates the camera once the SCBA is pressurized. Additionally, the TIC is driven by the G1 SCBA’s single integrated power source, which eliminates the need for additional batteries. This accessory is compatible with any G1 SCBA, including the more than 60,000 units in use at fire departments around the world.

SAFETY COMPONENTS recently named Ana-Maria Petrea merchandise planning manager. Petrea will manage planning for the company’s rapidly growing product lines, such as WeatherMAX performance outdoor fabric and Armor AP, Glide Ice, and PBI Max structural firefighting materials.

She has extensive experience as a demand forecast analyst and is skilled in inventory level control, production planning, customer service, and inside direct sales.

Valor seating systems, military-grade first responder seating systems, has announced that its products and seat configurations are now available on Spartan Emergency Response vehicles.

USSC GROUP recently named Kent Tyler vice president. Tyler will help lead sales and marketing, oversee business development, and direct the execution of the company’s strategic growth plan throughout North America.

Tyler will focus his initial efforts on the Fogmaker fire suppression system; report directly to Joe Mirabile, president of USSC Group; and serve on the executive leadership team for the company.

USSC VALOR announced that Tim Johnson has joined the company as western regional sales manager with responsibility for Valor First Responder Seating.

Read more
Posted: Apr 5, 2017

In The News

E-ONE, INC., a member of the REV Group, recently completed a chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear (CBRN) incident vehicle for delivery to China. The CBRN vehicle is designed for quick-response teams in contamination incidents that involve chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear substances. The vehicle is a 17-foot combo rescue built on a four-door European chassis.

It is designed with a safe cabin to accommodate three people. The safe breathing room includes a positive-pressure air filtration system that prevents contaminated air from getting into the cabin to safeguard occupants. The CBRN incident vehicle is equipped with multiple compartments to carry the necessary tools and equipment for detection and decontamination.

MSA SAFETY INCORPORATED has announced that its G1 integrated thermal imaging camera (TIC), which gives fire departments the opportunity to cost effectively equip every firefighter with thermal imaging technology, has received third-party certification as being compliant with NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (2013 ed.). With this approval, MSA can begin shipping its integrated TIC immediately.

MSA’s integrated TIC is built into the firefighter’s SCBA. Incorporating TIC technology directly into the SCBA provides multiple advantages, such as an auto-on feature that activates the camera once the SCBA is pressurized. Additionally, the TIC is driven by the G1 SCBA’s single integrated power source, which eliminates the need for additional batteries. This accessory is compatible with any G1 SCBA, including the more than 60,000 units in use at fire departments around the world.

SAFETY COMPONENTS recently named Ana-Maria Petrea merchandise planning manager. Petrea will manage planning for the company’s rapidly growing product lines, such as WeatherMAX performance outdoor fabric and Armor AP, Glide Ice, and PBI Max structural firefighting materials.

She has extensive experience as a demand forecast analyst and is skilled in inventory level control, production planning, customer service, and inside direct sales.

Valor seating systems, military-grade first responder seating systems, has announced that its products and seat configurations are now available on Spartan Emergency Response vehicles.

USSC GROUP recently named Kent Tyler vice president. Tyler will help lead sales and marketing, oversee business development, and direct the execution of the company’s strategic growth plan throughout North America.

Tyler will focus his initial efforts on the Fogmaker fire suppression system; report directly to Joe Mirabile, president of USSC Group; and serve on the executive leadership team for the company.

USSC VALOR announced that Tim Johnson has joined the company as western regional sales manager with responsibility for Valor First Responder Seating.

Read more
Posted: Apr 5, 2017

In The News

E-ONE, INC., a member of the REV Group, recently completed a chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear (CBRN) incident vehicle for delivery to China. The CBRN vehicle is designed for quick-response teams in contamination incidents that involve chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear substances. The vehicle is a 17-foot combo rescue built on a four-door European chassis.

It is designed with a safe cabin to accommodate three people. The safe breathing room includes a positive-pressure air filtration system that prevents contaminated air from getting into the cabin to safeguard occupants. The CBRN incident vehicle is equipped with multiple compartments to carry the necessary tools and equipment for detection and decontamination.

MSA SAFETY INCORPORATED has announced that its G1 integrated thermal imaging camera (TIC), which gives fire departments the opportunity to cost effectively equip every firefighter with thermal imaging technology, has received third-party certification as being compliant with NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (2013 ed.). With this approval, MSA can begin shipping its integrated TIC immediately.

MSA’s integrated TIC is built into the firefighter’s SCBA. Incorporating TIC technology directly into the SCBA provides multiple advantages, such as an auto-on feature that activates the camera once the SCBA is pressurized. Additionally, the TIC is driven by the G1 SCBA’s single integrated power source, which eliminates the need for additional batteries. This accessory is compatible with any G1 SCBA, including the more than 60,000 units in use at fire departments around the world.

SAFETY COMPONENTS recently named Ana-Maria Petrea merchandise planning manager. Petrea will manage planning for the company’s rapidly growing product lines, such as WeatherMAX performance outdoor fabric and Armor AP, Glide Ice, and PBI Max structural firefighting materials.

She has extensive experience as a demand forecast analyst and is skilled in inventory level control, production planning, customer service, and inside direct sales.

Valor seating systems, military-grade first responder seating systems, has announced that its products and seat configurations are now available on Spartan Emergency Response vehicles.

USSC GROUP recently named Kent Tyler vice president. Tyler will help lead sales and marketing, oversee business development, and direct the execution of the company’s strategic growth plan throughout North America.

Tyler will focus his initial efforts on the Fogmaker fire suppression system; report directly to Joe Mirabile, president of USSC Group; and serve on the executive leadership team for the company.

USSC VALOR announced that Tim Johnson has joined the company as western regional sales manager with responsibility for Valor First Responder Seating.

Read more
Posted: Apr 5, 2017

Chicago (IL) Fire Department Takes Delivery of New Squads

By Alan M. Petrillo

The Chicago (IL) Fire Department has taken delivery of eight custom rescue squads - four walk-through models and four squads carrying Rosenbauer ACP-55 articulating Cobra platforms.

Three of the ACP-55 equipped rescues and three of the walk-through squads are located in Chicago’s north, central, and south divisions, while one ACP-55 rescue and one walk-through squad are located at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Chicago Squad Concept

Paul T. Foertsch, district chief for the Bureau of Logistics in the Chicago Fire Department, says the two types of rescue squads respond together on all alarms, never separately. “The ACP-55 squad travels with two special operations firefighters, and the walk-through travels with four,” Foertsch says. “The squads are our elite special operations companies and carry all our heavy rescue equipment. Members are selected through a special interview process and then go through special operations certification.”

1 The Chicago (IL) Fire Department has taken delivery of four Rosenbauer custom walk-through rescue squads and four custom rescue squads outfitted with Rosenbauer’s ACP-55 articulating Cobra platform. (Photos courtesy of Rosenbauer unless otherwise noted.)
1 The Chicago (IL) Fire Department has taken delivery of four Rosenbauer custom walk-through rescue squads and four custom rescue squads outfitted with Rosenbauer’s ACP-55 articulating Cobra platform. (Photos courtesy of Rosenbauer unless otherwise noted.)

Roger Parker, northern regional sales manager for Rosenbauer, says the ACP-55 units on the Chicago rescue squads are the first ones deployed in such a fashion by the company. “The ACP-55 uses a single joystick control with Smart Aerial technology that includes auto bedding, collision avoidance, soft touch ramp up and ramp down, and high- and low-range speeds,” Parker points out. “Diagnostic screens are located in the bucket and at the pedestal.”

Foertsch notes that the Chicago Fire Department has had aerial units on its rescue squads since the 1960s. “The new Rosenbauer ACP-55s are replacing 15-year-old 55-foot Snorkel units,” he says. “The ACP-55 units are a little bit bigger physically than what we had, but we gained more compartment space and platform space on the new ones.”

Parker adds that Chicago’s previous Snorkel rescue squads were built by Central States in 2000, a company that was purchased by Rosenbauer.

2 The Rosenbauer walk-through rescues each seat four firefighters in the cab and allow access to the interior of the rear of the body both from the cabs and through a rear door
2 The Rosenbauer walk-through rescues each seat four firefighters in the cab and allow access to the interior of the rear of the body both from the cabs and through a rear door.

The New Squads

All eight of the rescue squads are built on Rosenbauer’s Commander chassis and EXT body, with the ACP-55 units having flat roofs and the walk-through squads having 18-inch raised roofs. They have a wheelbase of 170 inches, are 29 feet 8 inches long, are 10 feet 7 inches high, are on single rear axles, and are powered by Cummins ISX12 425-horsepower (hp) diesel engines and Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmissions.

Read more

RSS
First34043405340634073409341134123413Last

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