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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

Town of Burlington Fire station Renovations Nearly Complete

Posted: Aug 8, 2016

Town of Burlington Fire station Renovations Nearly Complete

TOWN OF BURLINGTON - Renovations and remodeling on the Town of Burlington Fire Department's Station No. 2 in the Bohners Lake neighborhood are expected to be completed this week. Town Fire Chief Ed Umnus said most of the renovation and construction is complete with only some cosmetic things left to be finished.

He said the station, located at the corner of McHenry Street (Highway P) and Fish Hatchery Road, will be open as a voting site for Tuesday’s primary election.

“We are just about done with it,” Umnus said. “We have a lot of contractors in there finishing things up.”

The Town Board and residents approved the $885,000 expenditure in October. The amount was $315,000 more than the initial $550,000 authorization.

The department added 3,100 square feet to the existing 2,500-square-foot building, which was constructed in 1969.

The additional space gives the renovated station four taller apparatus bays, all of which face north toward Fish Hatchery Road. Previously, the station had three bays that opened toward busier Highway P.

The original part of the structure was remodeled to accommodate meeting and office space.

The station houses an engine, the department’s brush fire units, an ATV, and a boat.

This Is the Fire Station of the Future--And It Costs $32 Million

From the 1960 plane crash in Park Slope to the 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, Rescue Company 2's firemen have always responded to New York City's most dangerous emergencies. For the last 31 years, they have worked and trained at their station in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

By summer 2018, they will get a massive, new, state-of-the-art home.

Designed by architecture and urban design firm Studio Gang, the 20,000-square-foot station will feature an obstacle course and a pit to practice underground rescues. On the edge of the roof terrace will be hooks to practice scaling the building — which firemen often need to do in real-life situations.

"It strikes a balance between being inviting to the community yet robust and secure enough to withstand training so they can do their job," the station's project designer, Weston Walker, tells Business Insider.

On July 28, the studio and FDNY's Rescue Company 2 celebrated the $32 million station's ground breaking.

To design the new station, the architects asked the firefighters what they needed from the new station.

Rescue Company 2 is one of five elite rescue companies in New York City, which means that in addition to fires, they also respond if there's an emergency situation like a collapsed buildings or people trapped underwater or under a car.

According to the Company's feedback, the new station will have a large, open central area, so that firefighters have room to drag their rigs, Walker says. Several training rooms will be located off of that main atrium. The station will also be the first in NYC to include large garage doors in the front and back, so that trucks can drive in and out quickly.

Smokejumpers, Planes Attack Remote Wildfires

Fighting wildfires requires skilled crews, coordination and lot of money. On remote fires, smokejumpers are the first people in the fight and air tankers provide support. Last year, wildfire management and wildfire suppression in the U.S. cost a whopping $2.1 billion, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Fire agencies utilize a wide range of specialized fire crews, aircraft and technology to minimize danger to property and people while allowing nature run its course.

Ian Cruess is one of a dozen smokejumpers currently stationed at the Air Tanker Base at the Pocatello Regional Airport.

The crew traveled to Pocatello from the McCall/Boise base last week and is waiting to be called out on the next complex fire.

Smokejumpers parachute into wildland fires when engines and trucks can’t get there.

Cruess, who hails from South Lake Tahoe, California, said the specialized crews land with their jump gear. Then additional supplies and tools can be dropped in via para-cargo.

“In a lot of cases, we’ll be the first ones on the ground,” Cruess said.

In his 100-pound pack, Cruess carries a radio and enough food and water for two 16-hour shifts, hand saws, a tent, cold and wet weather gear, extra clothes and snacks.

Smokejumpers also wear a reserve chute and carry a tape line to let themselves down if they get hung up in a tree.

Cool-Garner VFD Pushes in New Fire Engine

GARNER - The Cool-Garner Volunteer Fire Department has a new fire engine that can, replacing an older one they weren't sure would. Several dozen people celebrated with the department Saturday afternoon its 2016 Spartan Metro Star Emergency Response Vehicle, an all-purpose fire engine that can seat 10 and pump 1,500 gallons of water a minute and includes a foam system.

The department has been relying on a 1997 fire engine that has served it well, but with its age the costs of repairs and maintenance made it necessary to replace. Robertson said the engine currently has brakes, maintenance and electrical issues.

“It has an emergency brake that doesn't work,” Robertson gave as an example of the older truck's problems. “We would get to a fire, have to turn off the engine, get out, chock the tires, get back in and start the engine, then hook up the hoses.”

Parker County Emergency Services District No. 7 acquired the new $354,000 fire truck for the Cool-Garner VFD on a 12-year lease purchase, with a service life expectancy of 20-25 years.