In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Thomas Dunne

Deputy Chief

Fire Department of New York

We’re Only Human: Understanding Fireground Behavior

SEE VIDEO

Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

My primary goal is to provide information about a vital, seldom-discussed aspect of firefighting—how people typically act at a fire or other disaster. In my 33 years with the Fire Department of New York, I received a great education on strategy and tactics, but little about human behavior in a crisis.

Preservation of life is the number one goal in the fire service. A basic knowledge of human behavior in a crisis can assist us in managing searches, evacuating buildings, and effectively communicating with people in distress. Understanding how they think and the ability to predict how they will  react (or not react) at a fire, how they function in groups, their choice of exits, their reactions to alarms, their stairway movement patterns, and the other topics covered can be incorporated into the overall size-up process we perform at every response.

Optimally, my class will enable the students to take home the concepts discussed and make practical, hands-on use of them in firefighting. It is far better to manage fire operations based on knowing how people will likely behave vs. how we think they will act. Similarly, we should base our risk evaluations, building prefire plans, and fire prevention activities with this in mind.

I recently presented this class to a large group of volunteer firefighters. They found the class entertaining--more importantly, they said they found the information useful and complemented their firefighting education. I look forward to sharing the same experience and the same results with our FDIC attendees.

In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

(L-R): Dan Kerrigan and Jim Moss

Dan Kerrigan

Assistant Fire Marshal

Health and Fitness Coordinator

East Whiteland (PA) Township Fire Department

Jim Moss

Lieutenant

Metro West (MO) Fire Protection District

Fundamentals of Firefighter Functional Fitness

SEE VIDEO

Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Each year, for decades, health-related events have been the number one cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths. Although we as a profession agree intellectually that improving firefighter health and fitness is critical, far fewer take tangible actions to reduce their health risks.  

For this reason, we took on firefighter fitness head-on by developing our program: “The Fundamentals of Firefighter Functional Fitness.”  We bring years of fire service and fitness experience to the table and present our program in a format that anyone, from the most deconditioned firefighter to the most highly trained occupational athlete, can use. Our goal is to teach and inspire our fire service brothers and sisters, from the rookie to the fire chief, to take better care of themselves through proper fitness, rest and recovery, hydration, and nutrition.  

Firefighter health and fitness is personal.  Every firefighter who makes a change for the better, who leads by example, becomes part of the solution to the health-related firefighter LODD epidemic. Our program provides the tools and knowledge to start firefighters down the right path to optimum health and improved fireground performance.  

By Chris Mc Loone

This year marks 70 years since P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. (PLCB) opened its doors in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.

In 1970, the business was purchased by the Smock family, led by Martin V. “Bud” Smock, and has been owned and operated by the Smocks ever since. The company thrived during the ensuing years, based in large part on its methodical, calculated growth; its focus on people-both within the company’s walls and its customers; and maintaining a size that allows it to turn on a dime when necessary.

Origins

The company was founded in 1946 and built brush truck and responder vehicles. At that time, it had not gotten into ambulance manufacturing. In the 1960s, the company moved to Brick, New Jersey, and continued to manufacture brush trucks and other small fire trucks. “My father was selling for Swab Wagon, out of Pennsylvania, in the 1960s,” says Deborah Smock Thomson, president of PLCB. He discovered PLCB in the 1960s, hooked up with the company, and started developing an interest in ambulances. He had been a first-aid member in Spring Lake and Manasquan, New Jersey, and, according to Thomson, “He said there’s got to be a better way to build a better ambulance,” and figured PLCB would be able to do it. He started selling for PLCB and in a short amount of time made the investment to buy into the company and then bought the company. “He kept all the employees,” adds Thomson. “So if you go back to 1970, it’s always been our structure to say we’re going to keep the people we have, expand their talents, and promote from within.”

1 P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. is celebrating 70 years in business during 2016. The company has used this facility in Wall Township, New Jersey, since 1987. (Photos courtesy of P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc.)

As the modular ambulance started to become accepted, the company needed more space because until then it could only work on one truck at a time. So, in the mid 1970s, PLCB moved to a facility in Wall Township, New Jersey. Since that time, the company has been in four buildings on Atlantic Avenue. “We’ve continued to grow and continued to move into larger facilities,” says Thomson. “Every time we got to one, we said, ‘That’s it. We’re never going to need more space.’ And, a couple of years later, we would say, ‘We need more space.’ As our footprint in the industry increased, we needed bigger facilities.”

The company moved into its current facility in 1987 after Bud Smock looked across the driveway from his office in a building the company built and saw that the complex was for sale. “He said, ‘Think we should do it?’ and went home to talk to Jean Smock, the company’s current owner and CEO. He and Jean talked about it, and she said, ‘Why not? Let’s go for it.’ So, we bought the building in 1987 and had no idea how we were going to fill it up.” Jean Smock adds, “The interest rate in those days was 18 percent. What a leap of faith!”

Read more 451 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Apr 15, 2016 P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. Celebrates 70 Years of Steady Growth By Chris Mc Loone This year marks 70 years since P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. (PLCB) opened its doors in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. In 1970, the business was purchased by the Smock family, led by Martin V. “Bud” Smock, and has been owned and operated by the Smocks ever since. The company thrived during the ensuing years, based in large part on its methodical, calculated growth; its focus on people-both within the company’s walls and its customers; and maintaining a size that allows it to turn on a dime when necessary. Origins The company was founded in 1946 and built brush truck and responder vehicles. At that time, it had not gotten into ambulance manufacturing. In the 1960s, the company moved to Brick, New Jersey, and continued to manufacture brush trucks and other small fire trucks. “My father was selling for Swab Wagon, out of Pennsylvania, in the 1960s,” says Deborah Smock Thomson, president of PLCB. He discovered PLCB in the 1960s, hooked up with the company, and started developing an interest in ambulances. He had been a first-aid member in Spring Lake and Manasquan, New Jersey, and, according to Thomson, “He said there’s got to be a better way to build a better ambulance,” and figured PLCB would be able to do it. He started selling for PLCB and in a short amount of time made the investment to buy into the company and then bought the company. “He kept all the employees,” adds Thomson. “So if you go back to 1970, it’s always been our structure to say we’re going to keep the people we have, expand their talents, and promote from within.” 1 P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc. is celebrating 70 years in business during 2016. The company has used this facility in Wall Township, New Jersey, since 1987. (Photos courtesy of P.L. Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc.) As the modular ambulance started to become accepted, the company needed more space because until then it could only work on one truck at a time. So, in the mid 1970s, PLCB moved to a facility in Wall Township, New Jersey. Since that time, the company has been in four buildings on Atlantic Avenue. “We’ve continued to grow and continued to move into larger facilities,” says Thomson. “Every time we got to one, we said, ‘That’s it. We’re never going to need more space.’ And, a couple of years later, we would say, ‘We need more space.’ As our footprint in the industry increased, we needed bigger facilities.” The company moved into its current facility in 1987 after Bud Smock looked across the driveway from his office in a building the company built and saw that the complex was for sale. “He said, ‘Think we should do it?’ and went home to talk to Jean Smock, the company’s current owner and CEO. He and Jean talked about it, and she said, ‘Why not? Let’s go for it.’ So, we bought the building in 1987 and had no idea how we were going to fill it up.” Jean Smock adds, “The interest rate in those days was 18 percent. What a leap of faith!” Read more 434 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious4190419141924193419441954196419741984199NextLast Theme picker Section Quick Links   Fire Mechanics Documents EVT Discussion Forum Fire Mechanic Photo Gallery Training & Testing 2019 Scholarship Logo Wear Store Upcoming Events Theme picker Sponsors Fire Mechanics Section Board Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Chair Elliot Courage North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Vice Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Vice Chair Mike Smith  Pierce County Fire District #5 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Secretary Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Secretary Greg Bach South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #1 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #1 Doug Jones South Kitsap Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #2 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #2 Paul Spencer  Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #3 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #3 Jim Morris Mountain View Fire Department Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #4 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #4 Arnie Kuchta Clark County Fire District 6 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #6 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #6 Brett Annear Kitsap County Fire District 18 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #5 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #5 Jay Jacks Camano Island Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Legislative Representative Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Legislative Representative TBD TBD Read more 3255 0 Article rating: No rating Immediate Past Chair Posted: Oct 20, 2015 Immediate Past Chair Brian Fortner Graham Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating RSS Theme picker 2020 CAR SHOW Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement - Copyright 2024 by Washington Fire Chiefs Home Members About Us News Calendar Resources Documents Sections County Fire Chiefs FRWC WSAFM