Washington Fire Chiefs > Sections

HomeExpand
- WFCExpoExpand
MembersExpand
- Fire Service DirectoryExpand
  - Associate MembersExpand
  - County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- NPPGOV Member ProgramExpand
- IAFC ForumExpand
About UsExpand
- WFC BoardExpand
- MembershipExpand
  - Department MembershipExpand
  - Affiliate MembershipExpand
  - Bugle MembershipExpand
- Contact UsExpand
NewsExpand
CalendarExpand
ResourcesExpand
- Legislative ResourcesExpand
- Job AnnouncementsExpand
- Classified AdsExpand
- EVIP InformationExpand
- WFC BookstoreExpand
- LODD ResourcesExpand
- Memorial WallExpand
- Safety CalendarExpand
- LinksExpand
- Volunteer ResourcesExpand
- Timeloss ResourcesExpand
- RFA Implementation GuideExpand
- COVID-19 ResourcesExpand
- WFC MagazineExpand
DocumentsExpand
- Association DocumentsExpand
  - Bylaws & PoliciesExpand
  - FormsExpand
  - Position PapersExpand
  - Minutes & Board BooksExpand
- Chief DocumentsExpand
  - State Chiefs RatesExpand
  - GEMT DocumentsExpand
  - NFIRS Annual ReportsExpand
  - Model PoliciesExpand
  - Training DocumentsExpand
- Legislative DocumentsExpand
- Event PresentationsExpand
- EMS Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Administrative Support Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Mechanics Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Training Safety and Officers Section DocumentsExpand
- Public Fire Educators Section DocumentsExpand
SectionsExpand
- Emergency Medical ServicesExpand
- Fire Administrative SupportExpand
  - DocumentsExpand
  - Discussion Forum & RFI'sExpand
  - Member DirectoryExpand
  - MerchandiseExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Fire MechanicsExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
  - Training & TestingExpand
  - EVT Discussion ForumExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Award NominationExpand
- Fire Training Safety and OfficersExpand
  - Firefighter ProgramExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Public Fire EducatorsExpand
- HazMat CommitteeExpand
County Fire ChiefsExpand
- King County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Pierce County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Snohomish County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Thurston County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
FRWCExpand
WSAFMExpand

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

Turnout Gear Will Have Special Room

Posted: Sep 21, 2016

Turnout Gear Will Have Special Room

New Lincoln fire stations will have an extra room to store the heavy gear that firefighters wear on the job. The gear -- coats, pants, overboots, gloves, a helmet and headsock -- is known as turnout gear, or bunker gear, or personal protective equipment.

After a call, the gear is sometimes covered in soot, or a hazardous material, which is one of the reasons blamed for firefighters being twice as likely to get some kinds of cancer, according to research.

Turnout gear is currently stored in the bay areas of Lincoln stations where the trucks, engines and ambulances are parked. That keeps it away from the stations' dining and living areas.

But it also means less room for vehicles. And those areas are not ventilated to protect employees from potential airborne carcinogens.

A special room in new fire stations will have its own ventilation, to dry out the gear more quickly and to vent the air outdoors -- away from the men and women who live in the station 24 hours at a time, said Fire Chief Micheal Despain.

A new room -- the size of a small bedroom -- will be part of all new fire stations, starting with Station 11, which is replacing an older Air Park station.

Fire Truck Photo of the Day-Ferrara Rescue-Pumpers

329
0
Article rating: No rating

Cason (TX) VFD Gets Enhancement to Firefighting Capabilities

Posted: Sep 20, 2016

Cason (TX) VFD Gets Enhancement to Firefighting Capabilities

Cason VFD after side./Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Cason Volunteer Fire Department recently received aid from two assistance programs administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. The department received an excess military vehicle, a Bowen-McLaughlin-York five-ton transport truck, from the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program.

A requirement of the program is that the department turn the military vehicle into a fire-fighting apparatus within 180 days of acquisition.

"We painted the truck and did some other repairs like moving the red line reel down behind the cab so a fire-fighter doesn't have to be on top of the truck to reach the line," said Jerry Ragsdell, Cason VFD Chief. "Being able to reach the line from the ground is a safety issue and safety is a priority with our department."

In addition to the military truck, the department also received a grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The grant was used to fund a slip-on unit for the back of the truck.

A slip-on unit is a complete, self-contained fire-fighting apparatus designed for a pick-up truck or custom-built vehicle platforms. It is intended to become a fast, initial attack fire-fighting component used for wildland fire-fighting, structure and automobile fires. The truck could also be utilized for high-water rescue when needed due to the height.

Beachwood (OH) Looking to Add Dispatch Center

City Council voted to spend $25,000 to draw up plans to include a dispatch center in its proposed new fire station. Two weeks ago, council voted to seek bids for the construction of a new fire station on 5.25 acres of city-owned land at Richmond Road and Park East Drive.

Two weeks ago, council voted to seek bids for the construction of a new fire station on 5.25 acres of city-owned land at Richmond Road and Park East Drive. At that time, police chief Keith Winebrenner and Fire Chief Patrick Kearns discussed the possibility of adding a dispatch center at the new station.

Winebrenner took the idea to Mayor Merle Gorden, who would like to see Beachwood house a dispatch center.

It was a year ago that the city dropped its plan to host a regional dispatch center, one that would also be used by University Heights, South Euclid, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. Beachwood, as a result, lost a $1.9-million Cuyahoga County grant that would have helped pay for the formation of a regional dispatch center.

The four cities, minus Beachwood, have since gone on, with the aid of a $1-million county grant, to form a dispatch center that will be housed in Cleveland Heights.

Beachwood then considered renovating its former police garage for use as a dispatch center at a cost of $1.2 million-$1.4 million, but action to do so has not been taken.