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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: Apr 27, 2017

HURST Jaws of Life Introduces Six New Tools

New Cutters, Combination Tools and Spreaders Debut at FDIC in Indianapolis

SHELBY, N.C. (April 27, 2017) – HURST Jaws of Life, Inc., an industry leading global manufacturer of rescue tools, continues to raise the bar in rescue tool performance with the launch of six new tools, including cutters, combination tools and spreaders that give first responders more power, more speed and wider blade openings to get the job done.

The HURST Jaws of Life® tools, which include the S 312 and S 312E2 Cutters, the SP 777 and SP 777E2 Spreaders and SC 358 and SC 358E2 Combination Tools, are available starting this month and will be showcased at the 2017 FDIC International April 27-29 in Indianapolis.

“We work year round with our customers to learn what they need to be successful at the scene, and we continually push ourselves to bring them rescue tool solutions that are stronger, faster, more portable and lighter,” said Bruce Johnston, director of marketing and product management for HURST Jaws of Life. “Our newest rescue tools raise the bar in performance, and our eDRAULIC® tools ensure tomorrow’s high strength steels are no match for first responders intent on saving their patients.”

HURST Jaws of Life introduced its eDRAULIC technology in 2010 as the industry’s first battery-powered rescue tools, redefining performance, portability and ease of use for the rescue tool category. In 2014, the eDRAULIC 2.0 line included tools that were stronger, lighter and faster than their predecessors. Today, HURST Jaws of Life offers a full line of battery-powered tools, including the three new eDRAULIC tools debuting at FDIC with their PSI counterparts.

New tools include:

SP 777 Spreader and SP 777E2 Spreader – The SP 777 Spreader is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, the SP 510, and perfectly suited for high-strength steel. Like the SP 777, the SP 777E2 Spreader from the HURST Jaws of Life eDRAULIC line has a single integrated cylinder body design and large blade opening, making it the most powerful 32-inch battery-powered spreader on the market. Both tools are NFPA 1936 2015 Compliant.

S 312 Cutter and S 312E2 Cutter – The intuitive blade design of these new cutters provide a powerful cut, while increased cutting force, fast opening and closing action ensure a quick rescue. The S 312 and S 312E2 Cutter each has a wider blade opening (6.3 inches) than its predecessor, and an NFPA Cutter rating of A7/B8/C7/D7/E7.

SC 358 Combi and SC 358E2 Combi – With a compact cylinder body design, our new SC 358 and SC 358E2 bring increased pulling force to the rescue scene. With an NFPA Cutter Rating of A7/B8/C7/D8/E7, the SC 358 Combi replaces the SC 357 and its eDRAULIC counterpart SC 358E2 Combi replaces the SC 357E2.

With safety as a priority, all six tools feature the ergonomically designed star grip for tool actuation from almost any gripping position, and a dead man control valve that reverts to neutral position if a worker’s hand slips from the control. A dual pilot check value sustains load requirements if hydraulic flow is interrupted.

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.

About Hurst Jaws of Life

Hurst is the only manufacturer of the Jaws of Life® brand. There is no equal to saving lives. The company’s commitment to research and development and dedication to quality engineering and manufacturing, has resulted in a line of innovative products known for outstanding safety, durabilit

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Posted: Apr 27, 2017

Pierce Ascendant Class Of Aerials Are Introduced At Fire Department Instructors Conference

Pierce Ascendant

APPLETON, Wis. (April 27, 2017) – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, today introduced all-new Pierce® Ascendant® aerial apparatus configurations at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana. All-new configurations showcased include a 107-foot tandem rear axle aerial ladder, a 107-foot tractor drawn aerial, and a stunning 110-foot single rear axle quint aerial platform. Also on display is the 107-foot single rear axle aerial ladder first introduced in 2015.

“Following on the heels of the wildly successful Ascendant 107-foot single rear axle aerial ladder, we’ve created an entirely new class of aerials, redefining what is possible,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “The Ascendant Class includes five distinct configurations and each sets a new benchmark for performance for the industry. At Pierce, we refuse to compromise when it comes helping firefighters successfully complete their mission.”

SINGLE OR TANDEM REAR AXLE AERIAL PLATFORMS
The new Pierce Ascendant 110-foot single rear axle aerial platform features a remarkable 110-foot vertical reach and a 90-foot horizontal reach. The platform achieves the same tip load capacities as the Ascendant aerial ladders, while the ergonomically designed, three-person basket is rated to carry 100 lbs. of additional equipment. A single monitor located at the fly section can flow up to 1250 gpm. The Pierce Ascendant 110-foot aerial platform is also available in a tandem rear axle configuration.

SINGLE OR TANDEM REAR AXLE 107-FOOT LADDERS
The Pierce Ascendant 107-foot aerial ladder is available in singe rear axle as well as an all-new tandem rear axle configuration. Manufactured using heavy-duty 100K-psi steel, both feature tip load capacities of 750 lb. (dry) and 500 lb. (wet), a 100 lb. additional equipment allowance at the tip and 1500 gpm flow. Other features include a replaceable egress, e-coated torque box and stabilizers, and an operational range from -10º to 77º.

107-FOOT TRACTOR-DRAWN AERIAL
The all-new Pierce Ascendant heavy-duty 107-foot tractor-drawn aerial (shown courtesy of the Tuscaloosa, Ala. Fire & Rescue Dept.) achieves the same operational range and capacities of the Ascendant 107-foot heavy-duty ladder. The apparatus is highly maneuverable, with a jack-knife angle of up to 60º, and utilizes a single set of H-style stabilizers with a 17-foot jack-spread.

All Pierce Ascendant Class aerial apparatus feature a weight optimized design structure that places weight and mass only where required. “Our product development group – including engineering teams from both Pierce and Oshkosh Corp. – made no sacrifices in terms of strength, performance or safety,” said Lisa Barwick, Pierce Manufacturing director of business development and aerial products. “Each configuration takes full advantage of the optimized ladder design and the weight savings we’ve been able to achieve. For example, a tandem rear axle configuration is over 7,000 pounds lighter, and now satisfies the requirements of weight-restrictive states on the West Coast. Plus, everyone will benefit due to its shorter stopping distances, lower cost of ownership, and enhanced overall vehicle performance.”

The Pierce Ascendant Class of aerial apparatus is available on a wide range of custom chassis, including the Arrow XT™, Velocity®, Impel®, Enforcer™ and Quantum®. For a comprehensive review of the Pierce Ascendant Class of aerials, visit www.piercemfg.com for complete specs, video, and images.

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Posted: Apr 27, 2017

Chris Ferrara Leads US Fire Pump Into the Future of Firefighting

As the world continues to advance and grow, the risk of major fires and emergency events has also continued to increase. With the elevated risk of potential catastrophic disasters, it is no longer sufficient for fire departments to respond in old traditional ways using dated tactics and standard firefighting equipment. US Fire Pump President/Owner, Chris Ferrara, has experienced this first hand and is now leading a new movement to change the way fire departments are able to respond. 

While working as a pipe fitter in the petrochemical industry, Chris Ferrara was also a volunteer fireman for a rural town in Louisiana. The Central VFD was in desperate need of water tender, but there was no room in the budget for one. Using his pipe fitting background, Chris built his first fire truck that proudly served Central and hasn’t looked back since. He soon established Ferrara Fire Apparatus and continued building fire trucks that have been in service all across the world for the last 30 years.

Firefighting is Chris Ferrara’s biggest passion, where he has performed in many emergencies throughout his career. Chris helped man the line that shut down the last open valve in the Exxon refinery explosion that rocked Baton Rouge in December of 1989. More recently, he managed to extinguish a 50 acre, 118 foot tall landfill that had been burning for over ten years. Where many others had tried and failed to put out this fire, Chris had it extinguished in just three months. 

Chris Ferrara founded US Fire Pump in 2014 to explore new possibilities in firefighting and emergency response equipment that will protect the lives of the public and firefighters while minimizing property loss. By leveraging his experience and vision with dependable materials and technology, Chris has developed a new line of firefighting equipment that have exceeded standard performance ratings by far. Using the High Velocity Pump to attain the Guinness World Record for highest pumping capacity fire truck is just the beginning. Chris Ferrara and US Fire Pump will continue to change the firefighting industry forever.

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Posted: Apr 27, 2017

New High-Torque, High-Power Leece-Neville PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme Starters

Latest Starter Motor Offering Includes Robust 12V & 24V Medium, Heavy Duty and Extreme Use Models 

Novi, Michigan, April 27, 2017…New Leece-Neville® PowerPro™ and PowerPro Extreme™ series high-torque starters for medium, heavy duty and extreme use applications are available now and represent the latest in rotating electrical products from Prestolite Electric. 

PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme 12V and 24V starters – engineered to provide starting power for 12L to 40L engines – include a host of features to help reduce operating and maintenance costs and increase vehicle uptime, including high-torque, high-power designs, planetary gear reduction, rotatable flanges, soft start relays and more. 

“The robust new line of PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme starters certainly illustrate our commitment to our customers to deliver best-in-class starting technologies for applications ranging from medium to extreme use,” said Jonathan Smith, assistant director, aftermarket sales and marketing, Prestolite Electric. “Utilizing global technologies developed by Prestolite, PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme products can help to significantly reduce overall operating costs and maintenance-related downtime.” 

Manufactured to deliver industry-leading starting performance, the new PowerPro and PowerPro Extreme product line features four models – PowerPro 5, PowerPro 7, PowerPro 7.5 and PowerPro Extreme 10 – that offer coverage of heavy duty engines from the world’s top manufacturers.

PowerPro™ 5 for medium and heavy duty diesel engines up to 11L

• 12V 5kW starting power

• Coverage includes Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, International, John Deere, Mack and Perkins

• Weighs less than 29 pounds (13.2 kilos)

• Integral Magnetic Switch (IMS)/Soft Start Relay technology to eliminate ring gear damage

• Rotatable flange and mag switch

• Sealed noseless design

PowerPro™ 7 for heavy duty diesel engines up to 16L – IDEAL FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES & FIRE TRUCK APPLICATIONS

• 12V 7kW starting power

• Coverage includes Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Mack, Mercedes-Benz, PACCAR and Volvo

• Weighs less than 30 pounds (13.6 kilos)

• Integral Magnetic Switch (IMS)/Soft Start Relay technology

• Improved commutator with larger copper cross section

• Heavy duty, solid copper brush plate to help improve performance through better conductivity

• Planetary gear reduction technology

• eCoated for corrosion resistance

• Rotatable flange and mag switch

PowerPro™ 7.5 for medium and heavy duty diesel engines up to 14L

• 24V 7.5kW starting power

• Weighs less than 29 pounds (13.2 kilos)

• Integral Magnetic Switch (IMS)/Soft Start Relay technology

• Rotatable flange designs available

• Sealed noseless design

PowerPro Extreme™ 10 for extreme-use heavy equipment 

• 24V 10.5kW starting power

• Coverage includes Case, Caterpillar, Cummins, Hitachi, John Deere, Komatsu and MTU

• Weighs only 36 pounds (16.5 kilos)

• -40° C to 125° C ambient operating range

• Wet and dry clutch applications

• Rotatable flange with radial bell housing seal

• High-torque, planetary gear reduction

To learn more about these and other Leece-Neville products, please contact your Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Systems representative, email marketing@prestolite-marketing.com and visit www.prestolite.com. For technical support, call 866-288-9853.

*Certain models

About Prestolite Electric, Inc. 

The Prestolite and Leece-Neville product line includes high-output alternators and gear reduction starter motors for on- and off-highway trucks, military applications, mining vehicles, school and city buses, motor coaches

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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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