Aprell May Munford
The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
(TNS)

Mar. 15—AGAWAM — Replacing older models that were beginning to fail, the Agawam Fire Department received a delivery of 37 new air packs Monday.

The new self-contained breathing apparatuses — which firefighters don to protect against toxic smoke and gasses generated by structure fires, vehicle fires and hazardous materials incidents — were designed with more safety features than the older models, said Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois.

“This new standard provided a number of safety enhancements including adjusting the amount of time that a firefighter has to exit a burning structure after their low air alarm activates,” Sirois wrote in an email. “Improved redundancies in the air supply system as well as electronics were also included.”

Agawam firefighters last recieved new air packs in 2010 and they were beginning to give out, Sirois said.

According to the fire department, some fires fueled by composite materials and plastics can produce smoke “so toxic that inhalation can result in almost immediate death.”

The new air packs cost the department $254,363, but most of that cost was mitigated through a Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters grant, which also helped the department upgrade its air filling station.

Because there are 37 seated positions across the fire department’s vehicles that include a tower ladder, four fire engines, four ambulances, equipment standards set by National Fire Protection Association say the department must have 37 air packs.

“Each fire apparatus is capable of carrying a set number of firefighters, so an (air pack) is allotted for each riding position,” Sirois said.

The Town of Agawam maintains 60 full-time firefighters when fully staffed.

“These career personnel are augmented by a Call Firefighting force of 6,” Sirois added.

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(c)2023 The Republican, Springfield, Mass.

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Maddie Pfeifer
Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore.
(TNS)

Mar. 14—The Albany Fire Department has released its 2022 report, highlighting the agency’s training methods, call data and grant funding. Among the revelations: 469 of the calls were false alarms and 89% were requests for medical assistance.

Training

In 2022, Albany firefighters logged 10,858 training hours. Specific types of training included “traffic incident management system” training which teaches them how to stay safe when responding to and managing traffic incidents. The Oregon Department of Transportation taught this course.

The agency also participated in a fire investigation course with the Office of the State Fire Marshal. During this training, investigators learned how to look into arson, electrical fires and more.

Albany firefighters utilized a “burn to learn” method of training as well. This happens when someone donates a structure to the department so firefighters can practice extinguishing a staged, controlled fire.

Each year, the department also has a wildland fire refresher training to prepare crews for wildfire season. Other trainings AFD participated in include ventilation, active threat and rescue technician training.

Call numbers

The 2022 report includes some data regarding the types of calls Albany Fire Department responded to.

There were 11,260 calls for service, with 89% of the calls being medical. The agency received 294 calls for fires, 41 calls for hazmat, four explosions and 469 false alarms.

According to the report, AFD responded to 507 motor vehicle collisions.

December in particular had a historically high call load with 1,158 emergency calls and 609 ambulance transports. The Dec. 23 ice storm in itself resulted in 85 calls for the day, which doubled the previous daily record.

Notable highlights

Another major point from the 2022 report included the opening of Station 15 in Millersburg. That city provided the funding, while AFD helped with the floor plan and amenities and provides the staffing for the station.

The agency also received multiple grants last year. The department received a $35,000 grant to increase staffing during wildfire season as well as $642,727 from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant for a new fire engine and $1.3 million from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant to go toward the hiring of three new firefighters for three years.

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Maddie Pfeifer covers public safety for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6091 or Madison.Pfeifer@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @maddiepfeifer_

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(c)2023 Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore.

Visit Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore. at www.gazettetimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horton Emergency Vehicles, a subsidiary of REV Group Inc., and a leader in ambulance safety, announces the launch of Horton Occupant Protection System™ (HOPS) featuring MBrace™, the first of its kind protection for first responders.  MBrace is a patent-pending advanced airbag safety system designed specifically to protect emergency care providers inside the patient compartment during frontal impacts, in addition to ambulance rollovers. Horton is the first and only brand in the ambulance industry to offer MBrace.  All Horton vehicle orders placed on or after April 1, 2023, will include the MBrace system as standard equipment. 

Independent data indicates that nearly 80% of accidents with ambulances that resulted in fatalities and serious injuries were frontal impacts*. MBrace was developed to provide more protection against head and neck injuries during frontal impact collisions, in addition to ambulance rollovers.  MBrace integrates an airbag into an innovative multi-point restraint that both protects emergency care providers while allowing them the mobility and freedom to work. Designed and engineered by IMMI and tested extensively with Horton ambulances at the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation (CAPE), MBrace takes EMS protection to a new level.

“Pioneering safety is in Horton’s DNA, and our partnerships with industry leaders, such as IMMI, have enabled us to keep advancing the level of safety that is available to emergency care providers”, stated Mike Albers, Vice President and General Manager for Horton Emergency Vehicles. “We are excited to offer MBrace as standard equipment. Improving the safety of our ambulances is one of our highest priorities.”

Customers who already have a Horton ambulance on order can work with their Horton dealer to add MBrace to their order, depending on how far along it is in the design process.  In addition, MBrace will be available for Horton remounts that are performed at the REV Remount Center in Grove City, OH. 

“The launch of MBrace is the culmination of years of research and development with partners such as Horton, who share our goal of raising the bar on safety through innovation,” said Larry Gray, CEO of IMMI.  

The MBrace system will be on display in the Horton Emergency Vehicles booth #4920 and the IMMI booth #4632 at FDIC International in Indianapolis, Indiana from April 27 – 29, 2023.  Find out more information about MBrace at www.hortonambulance.com.

*Source:  NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System 1991-2000; Green J. et al, “Reducing Vehicle Crash-Related EMS Worker Injuries Through Improvements in Restraint Systems”, World Congress on Safety & Health at Work. 9/05.

Sarah Cassi
The Express-Times
(TNS)

Shocking video of a crash last month on Interstate 80 in Warren County shows what happens when drivers fail to “Move Over” for emergency responders.

New Jersey State Police, Allamuchy-Green First Aid Squad and the Allamuchy Fire Department responded to a crash the night of Feb. 23 on I-80 at mile 17.6 in Allamuchy Township, Warren County.

The left and center lanes were closed with flares and New Jersey State Police vehicles as emergency crews worked, but a tow truck towing a box truck traveled into the scene, crashing into three NJSP vehicles, an ambulance and a firetruck.

The responding troopers were outside of the three vehicles that were struck and were unhurt, but an EMT inside the Allamuchy-Green First Aid Squad ambulance reported a minor injury, state police previously said.

The video above shows the shocking crash and aftermath, with footage from a NJSP vehicle and a body cameras worn by a responding trooper.

A trooper who was directing traffic with a flashlight and his hand is seen running to the side of the highway as the tow truck comes barreling toward him and an NJSP SUV. The tow truck crashes into the first state police SUV and pushes it before crashing into the back of the recording NJSP vehicle.

The body camera footage shows the aftermath, including a crushed state police SUV.

State police Sgt. Philip Curry said the crash remains under investigation, and that the tow truck driver was a 53-year-old man from Carteret, New Jersey.

“We lucked out,” one person says in the crash footage, but New Jersey lawmakers behind the state’s “Move Over” law want police, fire, emergency medical services, road crew or tow truck drivers to have more than luck when they’re responding on area roads and highways.

Drivers are required to move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles on the side of the road.

Fines range between $100 and $500 for for failing to move over one lane or slow down. Drivers can get two motor vehicle points for a third violation.

In Pennsylvania, the Steer Clear law requires drivers to move over for all emergency responders, including PennDOT personnel and roadside assistance vehicles.

If a driver can’t safely change lanes, they must slow down to no more than 20 mph below the posted speed limit. In 2020 Pennsylvania increased the law’s penalties. Fines range from $500 for a first offense up to $2,000 for a third offense, and a violation would add two points to a person’s driving record. The changes mirror penalties for construction zone violations.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.

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