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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: Oct 14, 2016

Honeywell Extends Capabilities of Industry-Leading Wireless, Transportable Multi-Threat Monitor

Honeywell AreaRAE Pro

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today announced AreaRAE Pro, the next-generation wireless, transportable, GPS-enabled, multi-threat monitor from Honeywell RAE Systems. AreaRAE Pro collects information on meteoreological conditions and simultaneously detects a broad range of threats including toxic and combustible gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and radiation. While monitoring for hazardous conditions, AreaRAE Pro uses state of the art wireless technology to communicate threats in real time up to two miles to a host receiver, where critical information is conveyed via remote software so that connected responders and decision makers across the enterprise have increased situational awareness to make faster, more informed decisions.

“The legacy AreaRAE notably served the HAZmat and emergency response community for almost 15 years as a multi-threat detector, but now the platform has been redesigned and upgraded through Honeywell technology and its considerable engineering resources,” said Thomas Negre, senior marketing director, Portable Solutions, Honeywell Analytics. “The result is more information being gathered by a single device and making that information easily accessible to local and remote decision makers. For first responders, understanding what the threats are, where they are and how they are moving is critical to determine an appropriate response plan. AreaRAE Pro’s detection capabilities give incident commanders more critical information, so that they can keep their teams and the community safe.”

With its versatile configuration options, AreaRAE Pro accommodates up to seven sensors that can be easily switched out as needs change. Users can select from over 20 sensors for toxic and combustible gases, a photoionization detector (PID) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at parts per billion levels, a gamma ray sensor for radiation, and a meteorological sensor to monitor factors affecting the dispersion and direction of gas plumes, such as wind speed and direction. Meteorological data can be used to develop a visual plume model on a computer loaded with Honeywell’s real-time monitoring software, which aids in predicting the spread of a gas leak and planning of additional safety measures.

In addition, AreaRAE Pro includes an embedded GPS location identification, which provides critical information on where a unit is deployed, enabling responders to react to an incident with increased situational awareness.

Honeywell has re-engineered the wireless technology to provide untethered flexibility with choice of wireless protocols includingGPS, mesh wireless, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® (BTLA). AreaRAE Pro also has a built-in mesh modem that facilitates the short-range transmission (up to 100 meters) of readings to a central monitor, while serving as a host for up to eight other portable Honeywell detectors. 

An optional Rapid Deployment Kit enables incident responders to configure and activate a wireless area monitoring system in minutes. Flexible power options are available for both short and long-term deployments, including switchable battery packs and AC power.

AreaRAE Pro builds on the AreaRAE’s legacy of excellence in the incident response community by providing responders with more information than ever to help them identify hot zones, set perimeters, and make other informed emergency decisions both onsite or remotely using AreaRAE Pro’s wireless technology.<

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Posted: Oct 14, 2016

Midwest Fire President and CEO Sarah Atchison Named Executive of the Year Finalist

LUVERNE, MN—Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company (Midwest Fire) President and CEO Sarah Atchison was named a finalist along with two other companies for the Executive of the Year Award at the Minnesota Business Manufacturing Awards. The award recognizes an individual who has made major accomplishments in Minnesota’s manufacturing industry in the past few years.

The awards event celebrating the finalists was held in Minneapolis. Winners and finalists will be honored in an upcoming feature story of an all-manufacturing issue of Minnesota Business.

“Atchison’s leadership and accomplishments are inspiring,” says Minnesota Business Editor in Chief Steve LeBeau. “Manufacturing is an aggressive industry, and Atchison has adapted and prospered. We are very impressed with her career.”

“I’m grateful for the recognition,” says Atchison. “I have a great team behind me at Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company and credit them for our success and awards as a business.”

 

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Posted: Oct 14, 2016

Fire Engineering, ISFSI Instructor of the Year Nominations

The Fire Engineering/ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award recognizes individuals for extraordinary accomplishments in fire service training. The winner of the George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award:

• will have displayed a deep commitment to furthering the cause of the fire
service through training;
• will have advanced the cause of firefighter operational effectiveness
and safety;
• will have gone above and beyond the call of duty in training;
• will have brought creativity and innovation to fire training programs, or will
have shown great persistence in pursuing an innovative program; and
• will have served as a positive model for other fire instructors and firefighters
throughout the country.

The George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award marks individual accomplishment. Therefore, while members of an instructional team or ad hoc training group, for example, will be considered, nominations in the name of a fire department or training academy are not eligible.

Nominations must be received by December 31, 2016.

Download the nomination form

Send them to:

Diane Rothschild
George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award, Fire Engineering
21-00 Route 208 South
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410-2602

Stephen Kerber Named FE/ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year, 2016

 

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Posted: Oct 13, 2016

Blue Grass Army Depot (VA) Opens Second Fire Station on Installation

Earlier this month, the Blue Grass Army Depot began operation of its second fire station in an effort to increase safety at the depot as the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plant will soon be operational.
On October 3, BGAD Fire Department II began operations in the "restricted" area of the depot - the area where 900 earth-covered bunkers hold large stocks of conventional munitions and chemical weapons, according to a BGAD release. The area is where employees work on inspecting, renovating and transporting munitions and securing the weapons, and where the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) soon will be making good on its name.

"The primary impetus for the new fire station was to meet mandated response time requirements for the chemical plant once it becomes operational," said BGAD Fire Chief Sean Brewer in the release. "The requirement of seven minutes just wasn't possible from the primary fire station located in the administrative area of the installation. Thus, the need for the new station and additional personnel. Some of our initial test runs from the new station to the chemical plant are in the three-and-a-half minutes range, so we're feeling really good about cutting BGCAPP's required response time by 50 percent or more."

Besides the protection the new fire station provides BGCAPP and its workers, other restricted-area workers -- particularly on the northern side of the Depot -- will experience benefits as well, according to Brewer.

"We're now able to provide improved rapid response services to workers in our restricted area, including the non-BGCAPP employees of BGAD and Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA), as well as truckers, vendors, contractors and even farmers taking care of their herds. This is a winning situation for everyone," he added.

Fire Department II currently houses four full-time, fully-equipped and highly trained firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) on a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a year basis, according to the release. While Brewer expects that personnel number to increase as time draws nearer to the start of chemical weapons destruction, he wants everyone to know that there's essentially no difference in capabilities, equipment and operational hours than the primary fire station located in the administrative area.

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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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