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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

New DNRC Fire Boss Prepares for Tough Season

Posted: Mar 8, 2016

New DNRC Fire Boss Prepares for Tough Season

We used to think wildland firefighters hibernated like bears after chasing smoke all summer. If so, Mike DeGrosky would like to know why his Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation firefighters have already responded to 38 wildfires by the first week of March.

Replacing fire-wrecked supplies like that hose and repairing fire equipment is how DRNC fire workers spend their off-season days. DeGrosky said changing climate conditions and growing human encroachment into fire-prone areas has cut into that down-time.

“They’re already expecting to have a terrible time around the Great Lakes and the Northern Plains states,” he said of the national fire forecasts. “And Billings set a temperature record over the weekend. Now, it could start to rain in June and make everything different. But right now, the call is for significant warmth and continued drought, especially in central and southeast Montana.”

Fires in that part of the state differ from the blazes western Montanans are used to. They often strike grasslands and prairies where a stiff wind can char thousands of acres in an afternoon. That puts huge focus on the fire’s early stages, which in turn highlights one of DeGrosky’s strategic challenges.

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Posted: Mar 8, 2016

Keystone Fire Apparatus Joins KME’s Sales Team

Nesquehoning, PA—KME has announced the addition of Keystone Fire Apparatus, Inc., to the KME sales team. Keystone Fire Apparatus’s sales and service facility is located in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania, in the shadows of the City of Pittsburgh. Keystone Fire Apparatus, which will represent KME in 19 Western Pennsylvania counties, has been providing quality sales and major service capabilities for their customers since 1994, when it was founded by owners Tom and Paula Ball.

After many years working for an apparatus factory service center, Tom and his wife, Paula, took that experience and started Keystone Fire Apparatus Inc. Their dedication to quality work enabled them to quickly establish themselves with local fire departments for all their service needs. They soon expanded their business to include loose equipment sales.

Keystone Fire Apparatus operates out of a recently expanded 18,000-square-foot facility, with on-site pump testing capability. Keystone Fire Apparatus also provides:

Bumper-to-bumper preventive maintenance
Non-destructive testing
Collision and body repair
Pump service and repairs
Tank repair or replacement
Hydraulic repairs
AC/DC lighting and wiring
Full fabrication capability

Responding quickly to customer needs and providing prompt, professional service are hallmarks of Keystone Fire Apparatus. To meet those expectations Keystone Fire Apparatus stocks a large inventory of frequently needed parts to get apparatus back in service as soon as possible.

Keystone Fire Apparatus also represents many of the leading names in firefighting tools, and protective equipment.

With KME’s extensive product offerings and Keystone Fire Apparatus’ customer relationships and services, KME excited about increasing both sales and customer satisfaction in Western Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit fire.kovatch.com.

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Posted: Mar 8, 2016

Fire Truck Photo of the Day-David Cook/Kenworth Pumper

The rig was refurbished in 2015 and is built on a 2007 Kenworth cab and chassis.

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Fond du Lac Buys 25 Bullet-Proof Vests, Helmets

Posted: Mar 7, 2016

Fond du Lac Buys 25 Bullet-Proof Vests, Helmets

Firefighters used to bring only firefighting equipment on calls, and paramedics used to bring only medical equipment and supplies. But for many fire departments and emergency medical services, that has changed. Given the rise in America of shooting incidents, firefighters and paramedics are more at risk to gunfire while on scene.

That's why the Fond du Lac Fire Department recently purchased 25 bullet-proof vests and helmets.

Each vest weighs about 25 pounds, said Assistant Chief Todd Janquart. Though the vests hinder mobility, the added safety outweighs the inconvenience of wearing them, he said.

"The vests are worn at the discretion of the firefighter or chief based on the level of danger encountered. The vests will be kept in the trucks and used on an as-needed basis," Janquart said.

The vests consist of a plate of metal in the front and back made to withstand rounds shot from a high-powered rifle. The shoulder and waistline plates are slightly thinner but tough enough to withstand handgun rounds.

In recent years, first responders have encountered their share of violence.

In January, an Arkansas firefighter was shot and killed while responding to a call of a person having a seizure, and in 2012, four Webster, N.Y., firefighters were shot, two of them fatally, after a man set his house on fire and ambushed them as they approached.