Globe, DuPont Protection Solutions, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have announced the final two departments to receive turnouts through the 2016 Globe Gear Giveaway Program. The Grindstone (PA) Community Volunteer Fire Department and the Cottonwood Shores (TX) Volunteer Fire Department will each receive four sets of new Globe turnout gear.
 
“We thank Globe and DuPont for understanding the critical need many volunteer departments have as they struggle to find funding to obtain gear and equipment for their firefighters,” said NVFC Chairman Kevin D. Quinn. “Four sets of new, compliant gear will go a long way in helping these departments enhance the safety and efficiency of their boots-on-the-ground personnel.”
 
To be eligible to apply, departments had to be all-volunteer or mostly-volunteer, serve a population of 25,000 or less, be legally organized in the U.S. or Canada, and be a member of the NVFC. To help departments meet this last requirement, Globe sponsored NVFC Department Memberships for the first 500 applicants. In total, 52 sets of gear have been awarded in 2016 to departments in need.

The 28 volunteer firefighters in the Grindstone (PA) Community Volunteer Fire Department serve a population of 6,500 in a rural residential area. They respond to 200 calls a year, but have only 16 sets of gear available − all of which are more than 10 years old. They receive no tax income from their local community; instead, they rely on citizen donations. All of their current gear was donated from other departments. "We look forward to having new, safe gear that also features our own department name!" said Chief Rich Lenk.

The Cottonwood Shores Volunteer Fire Department protects a population of 1,700 in a small town in Texas. Nine of their firefighters are trained to Firefighter II, but they only have three sets of gear, and all are more than 10 years old. Training has been a challenge since the old gear does not meet the requirements for fire school in Texas. The four sets of new turnout gear will help protect the department’s personnel as well as enable the firefighters to obtain more hands-on training so they are ready to respond.

Stay tuned to the NVFC web site, Dispatch newsletter, and page on Facebook, as well as the Globe page on Facebook, for a full wrap-up of the 2016 Globe Gear Giveaway program in early January.

About Globe
Firefighters need to be prepared to perform at their peak, on every call. That’s why Globe delivers the most advanced, best-fitting, and longest lasting protection by listening to our customers, creating breakthrough designs, and applying the engineering skills of the nation’s most trusted turnout gear manufacturer. Globe turnout gear is designed to protect you, move with you, and improve your performance. It’s athletic gear for firefighters. Learn more at www.globeturnoutgear.com.

About DuPont Protection Solutions
DuPont Protection Solutions (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

About the NVFC
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the vo

By Michael N. Ciampo

With all of the mechanical equipment (auto-lubrication systems, hydraulic ladder racks, telescoping light towers, etc.) and gizmos and gadgets on many newer fire apparatus, it can be overwhelming for the chauffeur/engineer or driver of the rig to keep all the information in the forefront of his mind. When getting a new apparatus or even running a spare, loaner, or reserve rig, fluid levels could be different, may have changed, or there might be new types of fluids that must be added. Keeping those quantities and types straight can sometimes be a nightmare—especially if you have to pull out the operator’s manual and search for them. Sure there's newer technology like smart phones and tablets where we can "Google" the information quickly, but is that always possible while on the apparatus floor, repair shop, or broken down on the side of the road? In addition, if mechanics are dealing with numerous types of apparatus from different manufacturers in their fleets, quantities, capacities, types, and sizes can always be different. Plus if any apparatus was to get a flat tire and the chauffeur wasn't sure what number to relay to the repair shop, it could make a simple tire change turn into a dilemma. NFPA 1901 requires such information to be placed on the apparatus. To assist the apparatus operators and mechanics, some departments have created a "Quick Information/Lubrication Guide Chart" to take some of the guesswork out of remembering all those numbers and capacities while also making it easier to retrieve the information quickly.

One of the first things to consider when you are creating this chart is where you want to locate it on the rig. It must be easily visible and accessible for the chauffeur to locate it and use it. Don't affix it to the rear of a compartment wall where other equipment is going to block it or the equipment vibrates up against it while the rig is traveling over the road and wears off the information. If the chart is affixed to a compartment door, make sure that either a protective layer of Plexiglas covers it or that it is made up of a rugged material to withstand being brushed up against while removing equipment. On some of the newer FDNY apparatus, the plate has been attached to the lower panel of the interior of the cab’s front step panel on the chauffeur side. (photos 1, 2, and 3). There is a step light nearby so the chart can be viewed easier in areas with limited visibility. If this area is chosen, ensure that the chart isn't mounted low because the chauffeur's boot could hit it while climbing into and out of the cab and cause damage to it over a period of time.

While looking at other types of apparatus, the chart has been found to be on the driver’s sun visor so it is easily viewed and usually isn’t susceptible to damage because it is out of the way and the visor isn’t repeatedly used (photo 4). Another consideration is to make the chart's background bright with letters that stand out for easy viewing. The Orlando (FL) Fire Department’s fleet of Stuphen fire apparatus has a few different charts on the apparatus depending on the type of apparatus it is. The new heavy rescue has the chart placed up against the lower front wall of the rig on the engineer’s side by the steering wheels shaft way. Underneath this chart, the body manufacturer has also installed two information charts on the left front wall of the step (photos 5 and 6). On its new tower ladders, the main chart is located in the same position, and just ben

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WTKR) - Santa Claus got pulled over on Saturday night, according to neighbors in the Chimney Hill area.



Santa was in the back of a retired firetruck greeting children in the neighborhood when neighbors say police pulled the truck over after complaints about the sirens. The truck was using sirens to alert children and neighbors that Santa was passing by. Police told the truck to stop using the sirens, effectively ending the event, according to neighbors.

"We pulled over and I'm like, 'You pulled a firetruck over with Santa Claus on top. What's going on?'" Jasen White says he asked the officer. White was driving the truck. "The whole purpose of what we were doing was just to make the kids smile. It wasn't meant to disturb anybody."

At a recent fire in Berwyn, Illinois, Photographer Tim Olk took the photo of Engine 903, the Berwyn Fire Department's 2009 Crimson/Spartan.