Washington Fire Chiefs > Sections

HomeExpand
- WFCExpoExpand
MembersExpand
- Fire Service DirectoryExpand
  - Associate MembersExpand
  - County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- NPPGOV Member ProgramExpand
- IAFC ForumExpand
About UsExpand
- WFC BoardExpand
- MembershipExpand
  - Department MembershipExpand
  - Affiliate MembershipExpand
  - Bugle MembershipExpand
- Contact UsExpand
NewsExpand
CalendarExpand
ResourcesExpand
- Legislative ResourcesExpand
- Job AnnouncementsExpand
- Classified AdsExpand
- EVIP InformationExpand
- WFC BookstoreExpand
- LODD ResourcesExpand
- Memorial WallExpand
- Safety CalendarExpand
- LinksExpand
- Volunteer ResourcesExpand
- Timeloss ResourcesExpand
- RFA Implementation GuideExpand
- COVID-19 ResourcesExpand
- WFC MagazineExpand
DocumentsExpand
- Association DocumentsExpand
  - Bylaws & PoliciesExpand
  - FormsExpand
  - Position PapersExpand
  - Minutes & Board BooksExpand
- Chief DocumentsExpand
  - State Chiefs RatesExpand
  - GEMT DocumentsExpand
  - NFIRS Annual ReportsExpand
  - Model PoliciesExpand
  - Training DocumentsExpand
- Legislative DocumentsExpand
- Event PresentationsExpand
- EMS Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Administrative Support Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Mechanics Section DocumentsExpand
- Fire Training Safety and Officers Section DocumentsExpand
- Public Fire Educators Section DocumentsExpand
SectionsExpand
- Emergency Medical ServicesExpand
- Fire Administrative SupportExpand
  - DocumentsExpand
  - Discussion Forum & RFI'sExpand
  - Member DirectoryExpand
  - MerchandiseExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Fire MechanicsExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
  - Training & TestingExpand
  - EVT Discussion ForumExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Award NominationExpand
- Fire Training Safety and OfficersExpand
  - Firefighter ProgramExpand
  - ScholarshipExpand
  - Photo GalleryExpand
- Public Fire EducatorsExpand
- HazMat CommitteeExpand
County Fire ChiefsExpand
- King County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Pierce County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Snohomish County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
- Thurston County Fire Chiefs AssociationExpand
FRWCExpand
WSAFMExpand

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

Charleston Fire Station Temporarily Closes Its Doors

Posted: Mar 23, 2016

Charleston Fire Station Temporarily Closes Its Doors

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WSAZ) -- The Charleston Fire Department's station on Oakwood Road has been temporarily closed due to structural issues. "Some of them date back to the 1930s and before," Charleston Fire Lt. David Hodges said. "They weren't traditionally built to see the size of these fire engines that we see these days."

The fire engine and crew from the Oakwood Road station, Station 3, have been relocated to the training center on Lee Street. The move is 2 miles away from the Oakwood Road station.

Hodges said he does not expect a delay in response. He said the crew from Station 3 will continue to cover the same area, with some changes in routes to ensure response times.

"Again, we're less than 2 miles away," Hodges said. "It may not be an engine from here; South Charleston may get there before us, but we will be there not soon after them."

But some neighbors said they will miss the security of having a fire station right down the road.

"It's just comforting to know that they're there, and it's going to be disappointing to know that they're that much further away," Desiree Reed said.

Charleston City Manager David Molgaard said the city has set aside money to rebuild the fire station. He said the city will either demolish the current Oakwood Road station and rebuild or select another location nearby.

New Fire Truck For Bowman Volunteer Fire Department

By Samaria Terry | sterry@kfdx.com Published 03/22 2016 05:39PM Updated 03/22 2016 05:39PM Copyright 2016 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bowman volunteer firefighters are pumped about their new non-traditional fire truck.

Fire Chief John Strenski said they were looking for a hearty vehicle for off road use, but also something with multipurpose use.

The truck will be able to transport crew members to structure fires to keep larger trucks parked, and can fight fires with it's custom 125 gallon tank.

It's something Strenski says they've been waiting on for a long time.

"We're pumped," said Strenski. "I don't think there's any other way to describe it. The guys are excited, i think the community is excited. We shared it last night with the community and we've gotten nothing but positive input. I think the community will see the role that it will fill and it will definitely fill a role that we feel is needed."

Strenski said the truck can also support their EMS platform -- as it will be able to run first responder calls.

Grant Could Help Area Hazmat Emergency Response

With interstate highways running through the Valley, area hazmat teams get called into action pretty frequently for crashes. The Bridgewater Fire Department is home to important equipment that serves all of Rockingham County, including the county's hazmat truck. A Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant could help the firefighters get this equipment out more quickly.

Currently, the station has six full time firefighters, allowing them to keep two at the station 24 hours a day --the minimum number needed to take an engine to a call.

That means, if a call required another piece of equipment, including a hazmat truck, it wouldn't be possible.

The SAFER grant from FEMA would solve that problem, making Valley firefighters' jobs a little easier --firefighters like Capt. Clay Shiflet. "And that additional person would allow us to bring the hazmat truck, if it was that type of incident that we needed it, or the ladder truck or the brush truck or the tanker, if it deems, so having that additional person really frees us up to bring additional apparatus," Capt. Shiflet told WHSV.

Shiflet said an additional crew member on each shift would also help with station maintenance as well as more realistic training exercises, all designed to keep you safe.

The grant application is due in the next couple of weeks and could be awarded in the next few months.

TheFireStore Is Now an Authorized MSA Distributor to Virginia Fire Departments

TheFireStore logo

TheFireStore, the leading source for firefighting equipment and supplies, recently announced that it is now an authorized MSA distributor to over 600 fire departments in the state of Virginia, effective immediately.

The territorial expansion in Virginia serves to strengthen the long-standing allegiance between TheFireStore and MSA. TheFireStore became a distributor for MSA in 2004, rose to be MSA’s number one distributor in 2008, and has been in the top five MSA Fire Service Channel Partners in each of the last six years (this is in addition to TheFireStore’s success with Cairns helmets, in which TheFireStore ranks number one year after year). “Continuing to expand our partnership with additional territory is a great opportunity for not only TheFireStore and MSA, but also the customers we serve,” said TheFireStore’s Chief Executive Officer, James Witmer. “We’ve been serving the greater state of Virginia out of our Richmond, Virginia, location, with life-saving gear from so many great manufacturers. We’re looking forward to adding MSA’s high-quality SCBA, thermal imaging cameras, and gas detection meters to our Virginia offering.”

TheFireStore’s acquisition of additional MSA territory in Virginia closely follows having been awarded sole MSA distributorship for the state of New Jersey, a territorial increase that expanded the number of sales representatives in the region and allowed TheFireStore to increase its Service Department staff and capabilities.

“We are extremely excited to be able to offer the full MSA line, including the G1 SCBA, to our ever-growing customer base in Virginia,” TheFireStore Public Safety Equipment Specialist Paul Hartsoe said. “MSA is a very strong brand that has been a valued partner of TheFireStore for many years. We look forward to building upon that relationship and expanding it to even greater heights by offering their full product line in the great state of Virginia.”

The MSA G1 Breathing Apparatus, which has 1 patent granted and 13 patents pending, represents an entirely new and innovated approach to SCBA design and function. The G1 SCBA was designed side-by-side with firefighters; the result is an SCBA that features a vastly lighter facepiece; a more ergonomic harness; improved weight distribution; a “Central Power” unit that powers the entire SCBA from a single battery compartment; darkness-and smoke-piercing “buddy lights” that provide visible indicators of critical air supply data from any angle; and improved voice amplification communications, all of which come standard on every MSA G1 SCBA. Together, these innovative features help deliver a higher overall level of safety for firefighters. Since the G1’s release on November 21, 2014, TheFireStore has delivered over 3000 units and currently has more than 1,000 additional units on order. For more information on MSA, the G1, and TheFireStore, please visit www.TheFireStore.com/VirginiaMSA.