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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

Cameras Installed in Baltimore City Fire Apparatus Starts Debate

Posted: Jan 11, 2017

Cameras Installed in Baltimore City Fire Apparatus Starts Debate

A decision that led the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) to install cameras in the majority of its vehicles has ignited a fiery debate.

While Chief Niles Ford says DriveCam aims to save money and reduce risky behavior, union representatives argue it’s become a common form of punishment. Among the violations firefighters are being cited for is not wearing seat belts. If firefighters are caught not wearing their seat belt three times, they face a five-day suspension. If BCFD policy is violated four times, they could face a 10-day suspension.

Anything beyond four violations may result in demotion or termination. Seat belt use is a secondary violation to the one that activated the cameras.

Union President Rick Hoffman says, "Every second counts when responding to an emergency."

Dr. Burton Clark has studied the culture within departments regarding the lack of seat belt use among firefighters. Dr. Clark says, while firefighters are led to believe the faster they get to a scene the better a person’s chance is to survive, studies show that’s not always the case. Between 2011 and 2015, Baltimore City paid out $3.5 million dollars to cover the total cost of collisions.

BCFD spokesman Roman Clark says, "Safety comes first. Seat belts are required by the law and department policy."

Atmore Fire Department (AL) Fire Apparatus Totaled Returning From Fire

Two firefighters escaped serious injury Saturday when the Atmore Fire Department pumper truck they were riding in overturned. The truck was totaled when it overturned early Saturday (Dec. 31) as firefighters were returning from a three-hour-plus battle against a house fire that erupted late Friday night.

According to a report filed by Alabama State Troopers, the truck was being driven eastward along Carver Street when the mishap occurred. Firefighters had moments earlier cleared the scene of a blaze that gutted a Liberty Street home and damaged two cars in the house's yard.

Trooper Anthony C. Odom states in the report's narrative that the driver of the firetruck, Volunteer Capt. Jerry Glenn Kelley, 43, of Atmore, "was driving too fast for the curve and ran off the left side of the roadway." The report shows that Kelley was driving 45 mph, which is the posted speed limit where the accident occurred, at 1:05 a.m.

Odom further states that the pumper, a 1985 Hurricane, "overturned and came to an uncontrolled final rest in a ditch."

The vehicle's windshield was knocked out by the impact, and its left side was severely dented, especially the portion nearest the cab. AFD personnel worked Tuesday morning to remove any salvageable trucks parts or fire-suppression equipment from the damaged pumper.

Easton (PA) Considers New Fire Apparatus

Easton City Council received an update Tuesday night on the city's new $560,000 fire truck, paid through a donation from Lafayette College.

The new fire truck, which will replace an 18-year-old pumper, should arrive in May, Fire Chief John Bast said.

Bast said the truck will be inspected by fire officials at the end of March at the manufacturing plant in South Dakota to ensure the truck meets the city's requirements.

Bast was questioned on what will happen to the old truck, which he said has a scrap value of $3,000 to $4,000.

He said there is virtually no market for used fire trucks.

"No one is really interested," he said. He said municipalities can not use grant money to buy old fire trucks.

24 Oshkosh Striker ARFF Fire Apparatus Ordered by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Oshkosh Airport Products has received an order for 24 OshkoshÂ® StrikerÂ® Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The purchase includes 14 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 vehicles, seven of which are equipped with the SnozzleÂ® High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET), and 10 Striker 4x4 apparatus. The Oshkosh Striker 6x6 shown here is similar to ones ordered by the PANYNJ.

OSHKOSH, WI—Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, has received an order for 24 OshkoshÂ® StrikerÂ® aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). The purchase includes 14 Oshkosh Striker 6x6 vehicles, seven of which are equipped with a 65-foot SnozzleÂ® high reach extendable turret (HRET), and 10 Striker 4x4 apparatus. The PANYNJ also purchased a Striker Simulator virtual reality training system.

The vehicles will be placed into service at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, and Teterboro Airport.

“This purchase signifies a major milestone for Oshkosh Airport Products and continues a decades-long tradition of uninterrupted service with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,” says Jeff Resch, Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC vice president and general manager. “To be selected once again by the Port Authority is an honor and a tremendous vote of confidence in our people and the Striker ARFF vehicle.”

The order represents the third generation of Oshkosh ARFF vehicles to serve with PANYNJ. The new vehicles will replace a fleet of first-generation Oshkosh Striker apparatus that were placed into service between 2002 and 2005, and those vehicles supplanted a fleet of Oshkosh T-Series™ ARFF vehicles that date to the 1990s.

The seven Snozzle-equipped vehicles will be the first 6x6 units furnished with Oshkosh’s longer 65-foot device that keeps firefighters further away from danger. The Snozzle HRET features a hardened carbide steel tip, a perforated nozzle, and a forward-looking infrared camera. The piercing steel tip now offers an updated hydraulic rotary actuator, an increased range of motion (up to 280 degrees), longer piercing depth, and a decreased overall width for better visibility. Inside the cab, a new control module feature simplifies operator controls and provides smoother operation.

The vehicles’ firefighting systems include tri-agent capabilities—featuring Halotron dry chemical, foam, and water. All of the Strikers are equipped with a Scania Tier IV Final low-emission engine, Oshkosh TAK-4Â® independent suspension, an Allison electronic transmission, and engine power pack components that are readily accessed through walk-in doors on either side of the engine compartment.

The Striker Simulator system, purchased in conjunction with the 24 Oshkosh Striker vehicles, depicts a nearly endless array of training scenarios for ARFF organizations. The virtual reality training system incorporates video footage and illustrated environments of Striker vehicles in action—