Menu

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

Posted: Apr 16, 2016

Welcome to FDIC International 2016

For individual FE videos.

Bobby Halton has a sneak peek at the preparations for the big show. FDIC International 2016 is here. Where are you?

 

Register at http://www.fdic.com/register.html

Read more
Posted: Apr 16, 2016

Former Swartswood Fire Department Donates Tanker to Branchville Company

BRANCHVILLE -- The former Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department, which lost its official recognition by Stillwater Township earlier this year, found a new home for its tanker truck in the bays of the Branchville Hose Company No. 1, a surprise to many Branchville firefighters.

The donation was a few quiet weeks in the making, but the tanker truck from the former department was driven in at the end of the Branchville fire company's monthly meeting on Thursday night, with horns blaring, to the delight -- and complete shock -- of all firefighters who had not know about the "secret."

"We wanted to give it to a department that justified the need for it, and they had it," former Swartswood Fire Chief Anthony Ashley said.

The donation of the 2008 tanker truck, which holds 2,000 gallons of water, will "truly benefit" the Branchville company, said Keith Whitehead, fire chief of Branchville Hose Company No. 1.

After the Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department was no longer recognized by Stillwater Township,the result left the former fire department without its non-profit status. The department had to either donate any items it had left or sell the items; however, any money received from a sale would have to be donated to another non-profit organization, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

"This is a great story from bad to good," said Tony Frato, vice president of the Branchville Hose Company No. 1, who also serves as the borough's mayor.

For Ashley, the donation was bittersweet.

"It stinks, but we've always helped each other out, so it is going to someone who truly needs it," Ashley said of the donation. He said that he and former members took their time looking around to see which department was in need.

Whitehead said the additional tanker would greatly enhance the fire company's operations since it only has a mini pumper. In addition, the fire company's access to water is off Route 206, where there is minimal water pressure due to 4-inch water mains, resulting in a slower flow of water during a fire.

The mini pumper the fire department owns holds 275 gallons of water and 15 gallons of foam that is used to saturate materials inside a structure that may re-ignite. It pumps 1,000 gallons per minute.

The new truck will pump 1,250 gallons per minute and will hold more than seven times the amount of water. In addition, the fire truck

Read more
Posted: Apr 16, 2016

Firefighter Shot and Killed in Maryland; Second Firefighter Critically Wounded

One of the two firefighters who were shot Friday night in Maryland has died of his injuries, officials confirmed late Friday.

John Ulmshneider, 39, was a 13-year veteran of the Prince George's County Fire Department, a husband and a father, fire officials said.

"Will it ever end? God, I hope so. But at the end of the day, the men and women of public safety are going to be there when the community needs us. And that's the reality," Prince George's Police Chief Henry Stawinski said.

The firefighters were shot while responding to a medical call. The shooter is in custody and is cooperating with police, Stawinski said.

The incident began at about 7:30 p.m., when firefighters and police received a 911 call from a "concerned individual" who was worried about a family member at a home in the 5000 block of Sharon Road in Temple Hills in Prince George's County, Stawinski said.

The firefighters tried to communicate with the man at the home, but there was no response. As they tried to go into the house to help the resident, the resident fired several rounds that hit the two firefighters and the relative who called 911, Stawinski and Deputy Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale said.

Related:

Read more
Posted: Apr 15, 2016

Product News

Safety Today Inc. Brass Knuckle® SmartShell™ BKCR4599 heavy-duty protective glove offers wide-ranging protection for extreme jobs. The BKCR4599 provides heavy-duty cut, light-oil and moisture resistance, nontacky slip resistance, and shock-absorbing impact protection-all in an easy-wearing glove. Providing a broad spectrum of protection, the BKCR4599 delivers ANSI level 4 cut resistance in a very breathable, durable, and flexible glove.

On the palm and fingers, the BKCR4599 offers three layers of protection. The liner is an ultra-high-performance polyethylene and spandex composite that delivers heavy-duty cut resistance without bulk. Bonded to that first layer is a gray polyurethane fabric topped with a grippy nitrile surface, a barrier to light-oil or other light-liquid penetration. In critical areas of the palm, padding provides impact resistance. www.safetytoday.com, 800-263-1251

Bayco Products, Inc. Nightstick® Intrinsically Safe Class I, Division 1 angle lights come in three models: the XPP-5570R, the XPR-5572R, and the XPR-5572RM. Each new Nightstick angle light model is cULus- and MSHA-certified Intrinsically Safe Permissible, water-rated as IP-X7 waterproof, and meets requirements of NFPA 1971-8.6. Made from glass-filled nylon polymer, these individually serialized angle lights feature a heavy-duty stainless-steel pocket clip that eliminates slippage when attached to a firefighter’s jacket or respirator pack and include a top-mounted visible low-battery indicator that illuminates in low-battery situations.

All three Nightstick angle lights feature three user-selectable flashlight settings of 200, 100, and 60 lumens plus a strobe feature with a 267-meter beam distance. Turn on both the flashlight and the floodlight simultaneously in dual-light mode to see objects at a distance or through the smoke as well as the ground in front. www.mynightstick.com, 469-326-9400

Motorola Solutions APX 8000 XE two-way radio and APX XE500 RSM are two new additions to the APX Project 25 (P25) digital radio line. The APX 8000XE features all-band functionality and is a rugged P25 two-way radio that can be used in either analog or digital mode across the 700- and 800-MHz, VHF, and UHF bands.

It is programmable via WiFi. With five strategically placed microphones and automatic noise suppression, the APX XE500 provides clear communications when worn on either shoulder, center chest, or over the shoulder. It can be submersed in two meters of water for up to four hours. It withstands heat conditions of up to 500°F for up to five minutes. A channel knob automatically controls the channels of the user’s portable APX radio. newsroom.motorolasolutions.com, 888-325-9336

Streamlight® Inc. ProTac HL® 4 high-lumen (HL) flashlight delivers 2,200 lumens of white light. The “dual-fuel” light also permits a choice of either 3-V CR123A lithium or Streamlight’s new 18650 rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The light offers high, medium, and low settings as well as a strobe for signaling. The light’s TEN-TAP® programmable switch allows users to select from high/strobe/low (the factory default), high only, or low/medium/high.

Read more
RSS
First42524253425442554257425942604261Last

Theme picker

Upcoming Events

Theme picker

Sponsors

Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
Read more

Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
Read more

Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
Read more

Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
Read more

Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
Read more

Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

Read more

Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
Read more

Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
Read more

Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
Read more

Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

Read more
RSS

Theme picker

2020 CAR SHOW