By Robert Tutterow

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Life Safety Initiative 7 states: create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.

In November 2015, the NFFF held its third National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium in Arlington, Virginia. The previous symposia were held in 2005 and 2011. The symposium brought together representatives from major fire service organizations and researchers from academia.

Purpose

The symposium report from 2011 states: “The intent of the research symposia is to provide a reference source and a starting point to direct research efforts and funding toward those priorities that have been identified by the fire service. Most of the research efforts that focus on fire service issues are performed by universities, public and private sector research organizations, and independent researchers, often working in partnership with fire departments or fire service organizations.” Much of recent research funding has come from the Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Grants as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program under the purview of FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate. There is no requirement that a research project be identified in the NFFF’s Research Agenda Report to get funding. However, during the grant review process, it is always helpful if the grant writers can reference a project to one or more of the topic areas identified in the NFFF report.

Figure 1: Firefighter Health Research. Graph furnished by Dr. Sara Jahnke, Director of the Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Research at the National Development and Research Institutes Inc.

There has been a recent surge in firefighting research projects that have greatly benefited the fire service, such as the Underwriters Laboratories and National Institute of Standards and Technology fire behavior reports. Figure 1 shows the increase in just firefighter health research alone in the past 40 years.

Focus on Fire Service Programs

It is easy to think of something like a research symposium to be focused on issues like emerging technologies. However, all of the symposia, including the most recent one, tend to focus more on what and how the fire service does things rather than product development or the latest technological advances. There is lot of emphasis on trying to understand the effectiveness of existing programs-such as fire department health and safety-as well as developing new programs. Naturally, there were several projects identified that relate to firefighter cancer prevention.

Research Focus Areas

The 2015 symposium was divided among the following seven focus areas :

1. Community Risk Reduction
2. Data Management
3. Emergency Operations
4. Health and Wellness
5. Occupational Diseases of Firefighting
6. Tools and Equipment
7. Wildland Firefighting.

Each group consisted of seven to nine members plus a three-person facilitation team. There were also 17 observer

Excellance Inc, producer custom ambulances and emergency vehicles, announced their presence for FDIC International 2016.

Excellance, Inc. will be at booth #4939 showing the custom built First Class Emergency Vehicle from its dealer in North Carolina. Attendees can also check out booth #5139, where Ford will be showing the Bossier City (LA) Fire Department compressed natural gas (CNG) unit by Excellance, alongside the Freightliner Truck booth #4921 for Excellance's most recently completed unit for Avon Lake (OH) Fire Department.

"You will find a broad variety of emergency vehicle designs and features among the three apparatus that we are displaying. Thank you in advance for taking the time to come visit us at any of our multiple locations. We wish everyone a safe and informative visit to the 2016 FDIC convention in Indianapolis, IN.," states FDIC coordinator for Excellance, Johnathan Cody.

The CNG-powered ambulance, custom-built for the City of Bossier City Fire Department in Louisiana, has proven to lower fuel costs while helping the environment with its lower carbon footprint. “Excellance believes the CNG industry has reached a point that makes CNG a safe and cost-effective match with this new ambulance design,” explains Excellance CEO, Charlie Epps.

For more information about Excellance's presence at FDIC, contact Tommy Pugh at (800) 882-9799 or visit the official blog at www.excellanceinc.com.

By Chris Mc Loone

Since 1987, a small Midwest company, Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company (Midwest Fire), has been manufacturing tankers, tanker-pumpers, brush trucks, and quick-attack/rescue vehicles.

In 2013, a group of investors led by Sarah Atchison purchased Midwest Fire. Atchison serves as the company’s owner and CEO. Since that time, the company and Atchison have received accolades including a Top 25 Women in Business award for Atchison and being named one of the the 50 best places to work in the Upper Plains. Although it is a small company, Midwest Fire has enjoyed success specializing in specific types of apparatus and remaining a factory-direct seller of fire trucks.

Changing Ownership

According to Atchison, the time was right to purchase Midwest Fire when she did. Founders Scott and Pam Schneekloth sold the company to Atchison and family members Lyle and Jane Gessell. The decision to purchase the company was in large part because it fit a mission to work with small, Midwestern manufacturing operations developing products that help save lives. Additionally, Atchison was at a point in her life where it made sense to take on the challenge of leading the company. “I had spent more than 15 years working part time as a dental hygienist and being home with our two daughters,” says Atchison. “So, it was really good timing for me because my girls were at good ages for me to pursue this next opportunity.”

Atchison did not come into the business without experience. Her husband, Dean, has owned his own business-Spectrum Aeromed-for eight years. “It was a turnaround company that was essentially bankrupt when he purchased it in 2007,” she says. “I’ve been able to watch his success with his company, and when he was ready to take a next step and purchase another company, he thought I would be a good fit for Midwest Fire.” Still, Atchison wasn’t completely ready to take the plunge. “It took some persuasion from Dean because I didn’t know if I was up for the challenge,” she adds. “But after spending the past two years at Midwest Fire, I am certain I made the right choice. I think my more than 15 years of experience working in private practice has helped me in this role as well. Customer service is such a critical component in the dental field, and I am able to apply those skills here as well. My number-one priority is the customers and making sure we are being responsive and listening to their needs.”

1 Most of the fire apparatus Midwest Fire Equiment & Repair Company builds are tanker-pumpers with All-Poly® tanks and bodies that have lifetime warranties and almost any type of Darley, Hale, or Waterous pump. (Photos courtesy of Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company.)

Atchison says that she was fortunate when she acquired the company because it already had a solid team in place. Right away, her team enlisted Enterprise MN to guide the group through a comprehensive strategic planning process to determine the current state of the company and where its customers need it to go as it moves forward. “We put a number of aggressive action plans into place, and the team worked extremely hard to make these improvements happen,” Atchison says. “Initially, we put a substantial amount of time and effort into getting our sales ramped up. We identified a professional market

By Chris Mc Loone

Since 1987, a small Midwest company, Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company (Midwest Fire), has been manufacturing tankers, tanker-pumpers, brush trucks, and quick-attack/rescue vehicles.

In 2013, a group of investors led by Sarah Atchison purchased Midwest Fire. Atchison serves as the company’s owner and CEO. Since that time, the company and Atchison have received accolades including a Top 25 Women in Business award for Atchison and being named one of the the 50 best places to work in the Upper Plains. Although it is a small company, Midwest Fire has enjoyed success specializing in specific types of apparatus and remaining a factory-direct seller of fire trucks.

Changing Ownership

According to Atchison, the time was right to purchase Midwest Fire when she did. Founders Scott and Pam Schneekloth sold the company to Atchison and family members Lyle and Jane Gessell. The decision to purchase the company was in large part because it fit a mission to work with small, Midwestern manufacturing operations developing products that help save lives. Additionally, Atchison was at a point in her life where it made sense to take on the challenge of leading the company. “I had spent more than 15 years working part time as a dental hygienist and being home with our two daughters,” says Atchison. “So, it was really good timing for me because my girls were at good ages for me to pursue this next opportunity.”

Atchison did not come into the business without experience. Her husband, Dean, has owned his own business-Spectrum Aeromed-for eight years. “It was a turnaround company that was essentially bankrupt when he purchased it in 2007,” she says. “I’ve been able to watch his success with his company, and when he was ready to take a next step and purchase another company, he thought I would be a good fit for Midwest Fire.” Still, Atchison wasn’t completely ready to take the plunge. “It took some persuasion from Dean because I didn’t know if I was up for the challenge,” she adds. “But after spending the past two years at Midwest Fire, I am certain I made the right choice. I think my more than 15 years of experience working in private practice has helped me in this role as well. Customer service is such a critical component in the dental field, and I am able to apply those skills here as well. My number-one priority is the customers and making sure we are being responsive and listening to their needs.”

1 Most of the fire apparatus Midwest Fire Equiment & Repair Company builds are tanker-pumpers with All-Poly® tanks and bodies that have lifetime warranties and almost any type of Darley, Hale, or Waterous pump. (Photos courtesy of Midwest Fire Equipment & Repair Company.)

Atchison says that she was fortunate when she acquired the company because it already had a solid team in place. Right away, her team enlisted Enterprise MN to guide the group through a comprehensive strategic planning process to determine the current state of the company and where its customers need it to go as it moves forward. “We put a number of aggressive action plans into place, and the team worked extremely hard to make these improvements happen,” Atchison says. “Initially, we put a substantial amount of time and effort into getting our sales ramped up. We identified a professional market