By Steve Rowland

Member companies of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) are involved in the manufacturing and innovation of fire and rescue vehicles.

The overriding focus of the FAMA Technical Committee is safety and encouragement to follow operation and vehicle maintenance best practices. The safety of pedestrians at fire and emergency scenes is one of the newer areas receiving manufacturers’ attention-both civilian and responder.

We live in a world of data. Within seconds, a Google search for “fire truck injuries” produces pages of results relating to firefighter injuries or deaths from apparatus crashes. Whether they are links to in-depth studies from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), or other industry organizations, many results point to persons injured in a crash involving an emergency vehicle. However, an Internet search for “pedestrians injured by fire rescue vehicles” returns anecdotal reports of persons hit while crossing in front of moving emergency vehicles. In response, several FAMA companies are proactively offering solutions intended to reduce pedestrian injuries or deaths by emergency vehicles.

The Backup Alarm

A long-existing requirement in NFPA standards, the backup alarm is still often viewed as a pesky annoyance by many apparatus operators. Often, the ability to cancel or mute the backup alarm is available in manufacturers’ specifications because of frequent requests from apparatus purchasers. I simply offer this parallel to the reader: Since the PASS device has a loud, shrill, and annoying tone, should the firefighter be able to mute it before entering the building on an interior attack because it might bother others? The answer is a resounding no. The backup alarm provides an audible alert to pedestrians to beware and be alert because something is backing up. Please use it.

Supplemental Lighting

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require reverse lighting on vehicles. However, the lighting is specifically designed not to be excessively bright to avoid blinding fellow motorists in parking lots, driveways, or other routine scenarios. Emergency apparatus have any number of other lighting devices available to supplement the FMVSS requirements while backing. Departments may consider linking emergency lighting, rear scene lighting, and side scene lighting to the reverse gear so that they come on automatically while the vehicle is backing up. As in the case of the backup alarm, all of this supplemental lighting can be “annoying,” but safety and effectiveness should take priority over convenience and comfort.

Camera Systems

Several FAMA member companies are in the business of providing camera technology for emergency apparatus. Whether incorporated into side view mirrors, tied into multiplexing displays, or as a standalone system, video technology has advanced to the point where nearly all common blind spots are now visible to the operator, no matter what the operation. Gaining popularity are systems that provide a “bird’s-eye” or 360-degree overhead view of the apparatus made possible by a multicamera system calibrated together. Consider camera technology options when specifying new products or refurbishing older vehicles in your fleet.

Radar Systems

Perhaps the latest emerging technology comes from the personal vehicle market. Although radar backup sensors have been used for some time, new to the market are sophisticated full-vehicle radar systems that alert the driver to brake if his vehicle approaches another from behind too quickly; sense and provide an alert when vehicles are present on either side of

By Alan M. Petrillo

The equipment used by trench rescue, structural collapse, and urban search and rescue (USAR) teams sometimes crosses into what firefighters usually find on rescues and pumpers but more often is specialized equipment designed for a single purpose.

Equipment used by these teams is typically unique to the types of jobs team members must perform to achieve their objectives in what is often characterized as technical rescue.

1 Res-Q-Jack makes the Super X-Strut, designed for stabilization and lifting, out of solid aluminum with threaded collars. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Struts

Tom Gavin, national sales manager for Paratech, says the products his company makes that are most often used in USAR, building collapse, and trench rescue situations are its air bags and its multipurpose struts. “With the struts, which use a thread system instead of a pin, you can change the heads to use the struts for a different type of use,” Gavin says. “You change the head for the discipline-from walls and concrete slabs and trenches to buses, trucks, and cars.”

Gavin points out that Paratech’s gray struts will hold up to 80,000 pounds for a four-foot-long strut, while its gold struts, which are 3½ inches in diameter, can hold 80,000 pounds at eight feet long. “Most fire departments start out with the gray struts, which are sold in our highway vehicle stabilization kits,” he says. “When they want to go really big, they add the gold struts. When you get into USAR and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams, they use quite a lot of gold struts, along with our Raker system.”

Gavin notes that Paratech’s gray struts can telescope out to 11 feet, while gold struts telescope to 18 feet. “The gray base plates we make fit both gray and gold struts, but we also make gold base plates for heavy rigging jobs and high angle rescue.”

2 The struts made by Res-Q-Jack are used not only in structural collapse and trench rescue but also in vehicle stabilization and lifting situations. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Hurst Jaws of Life makes the Airshore series of rescue struts and equipment used in USAR, structural collapse, and trench rescue situations. Airshore Pneumatic Rescue Struts are made in extendable lengths from one foot to eight feet that extend from 1½ feet to 12 feet. Capacities range from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds, depending on the strut.

Hurst also makes the Airshore Rescue Tool Gantry/A-Frame in sizes from 4½ to 12 feet, the Airshore Rescue Tool Column in sizes extendable from two feet to 12 feet and carrying a maximum capacity of 85,000 pounds for the two-foot model, and various Raker Rail assemblies.

Chris Pasto, founder and owner of Res-Q-Jack, says that “no matter which strut you’re using for an application, you have to know the load you’re working with and the capacity of the strut that you’re using. Also, you shouldn’t limit your thinking in applying struts be

By Alan M. Petrillo

The equipment used by trench rescue, structural collapse, and urban search and rescue (USAR) teams sometimes crosses into what firefighters usually find on rescues and pumpers but more often is specialized equipment designed for a single purpose.

Equipment used by these teams is typically unique to the types of jobs team members must perform to achieve their objectives in what is often characterized as technical rescue.

1 Res-Q-Jack makes the Super X-Strut, designed for stabilization and lifting, out of solid aluminum with threaded collars. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Struts

Tom Gavin, national sales manager for Paratech, says the products his company makes that are most often used in USAR, building collapse, and trench rescue situations are its air bags and its multipurpose struts. “With the struts, which use a thread system instead of a pin, you can change the heads to use the struts for a different type of use,” Gavin says. “You change the head for the discipline-from walls and concrete slabs and trenches to buses, trucks, and cars.”

Gavin points out that Paratech’s gray struts will hold up to 80,000 pounds for a four-foot-long strut, while its gold struts, which are 3½ inches in diameter, can hold 80,000 pounds at eight feet long. “Most fire departments start out with the gray struts, which are sold in our highway vehicle stabilization kits,” he says. “When they want to go really big, they add the gold struts. When you get into USAR and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams, they use quite a lot of gold struts, along with our Raker system.”

Gavin notes that Paratech’s gray struts can telescope out to 11 feet, while gold struts telescope to 18 feet. “The gray base plates we make fit both gray and gold struts, but we also make gold base plates for heavy rigging jobs and high angle rescue.”

2 The struts made by Res-Q-Jack are used not only in structural collapse and trench rescue but also in vehicle stabilization and lifting situations. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Hurst Jaws of Life makes the Airshore series of rescue struts and equipment used in USAR, structural collapse, and trench rescue situations. Airshore Pneumatic Rescue Struts are made in extendable lengths from one foot to eight feet that extend from 1½ feet to 12 feet. Capacities range from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds, depending on the strut.

Hurst also makes the Airshore Rescue Tool Gantry/A-Frame in sizes from 4½ to 12 feet, the Airshore Rescue Tool Column in sizes extendable from two feet to 12 feet and carrying a maximum capacity of 85,000 pounds for the two-foot model, and various Raker Rail assemblies.

Chris Pasto, founder and owner of Res-Q-Jack, says that “no matter which strut you’re using for an application, you have to know the load you’re working with and the capacity of the strut that you’re using. Also, you shouldn’t limit your thinking in applying struts be

By Alan M. Petrillo

The equipment used by trench rescue, structural collapse, and urban search and rescue (USAR) teams sometimes crosses into what firefighters usually find on rescues and pumpers but more often is specialized equipment designed for a single purpose.

Equipment used by these teams is typically unique to the types of jobs team members must perform to achieve their objectives in what is often characterized as technical rescue.

1 Res-Q-Jack makes the Super X-Strut, designed for stabilization and lifting, out of solid aluminum with threaded collars. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Struts

Tom Gavin, national sales manager for Paratech, says the products his company makes that are most often used in USAR, building collapse, and trench rescue situations are its air bags and its multipurpose struts. “With the struts, which use a thread system instead of a pin, you can change the heads to use the struts for a different type of use,” Gavin says. “You change the head for the discipline-from walls and concrete slabs and trenches to buses, trucks, and cars.”

Gavin points out that Paratech’s gray struts will hold up to 80,000 pounds for a four-foot-long strut, while its gold struts, which are 3½ inches in diameter, can hold 80,000 pounds at eight feet long. “Most fire departments start out with the gray struts, which are sold in our highway vehicle stabilization kits,” he says. “When they want to go really big, they add the gold struts. When you get into USAR and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams, they use quite a lot of gold struts, along with our Raker system.”

Gavin notes that Paratech’s gray struts can telescope out to 11 feet, while gold struts telescope to 18 feet. “The gray base plates we make fit both gray and gold struts, but we also make gold base plates for heavy rigging jobs and high angle rescue.”

2 The struts made by Res-Q-Jack are used not only in structural collapse and trench rescue but also in vehicle stabilization and lifting situations. (Photo courtesy of Res-Q-Jack.)

Hurst Jaws of Life makes the Airshore series of rescue struts and equipment used in USAR, structural collapse, and trench rescue situations. Airshore Pneumatic Rescue Struts are made in extendable lengths from one foot to eight feet that extend from 1½ feet to 12 feet. Capacities range from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds, depending on the strut.

Hurst also makes the Airshore Rescue Tool Gantry/A-Frame in sizes from 4½ to 12 feet, the Airshore Rescue Tool Column in sizes extendable from two feet to 12 feet and carrying a maximum capacity of 85,000 pounds for the two-foot model, and various Raker Rail assemblies.

Chris Pasto, founder and owner of Res-Q-Jack, says that “no matter which strut you’re using for an application, you have to know the load you’re working with and the capacity of the strut that you’re using. Also, you shouldn’t limit your thinking in applying struts be