Richard Marinucci

Technical rescue teams are organized in basically two ways: within a single department or as regional teams.

Obviously a single department needs to be large enough to support the team both financially and with personnel. Organizations that typically do not have the resources to initiate and sustain an appropriately trained response unit use a regional approach. This type of cooperation is advantageous for various reasons and is a viable option for communities to establish resources for incidents that are infrequent but potentially very significant.

Challenges

There are challenges to establishing and maintaining a functional and well-trained team. First, adequate funding must be provided-the startup costs can be significant. The other challenge to consider is personnel recruitment and retention for the team. Not all firefighters are cut out for this assignment. There are different skill sets required, and a certain mindset and mental approach may not be exactly the same as required for traditional fire service activities. Further, the infrequency of the events can make it difficult to maintain motivation and interest. There is a lot of training and infrequent opportunities to use that training during an emergency. While this is a good thing overall, it can create turnover issues for team members.

There needs to be an established budget. For single-department teams, this is done as part of a municipality’s regular budgeting process. For regional teams, there are slight variations, but those in charge need to develop a spending plan. This will include needed apparatus and equipment. There may be a need to pursue alternative funding programs such as grants-particularly for one-time expenses to get the team started. Once a team is functioning, there needs to be realistic budgeting to maintain and improve team operations. Also understand that much of this is an expensive endeavor, so know what funding is really needed.

Team Selection

Attract and choose the best candidates possible. This should be no different from any other position in the fire service. There needs to be a baseline of essential requirements based on the job skills required of the work. This needs to be established by the leadership of the technical rescue team-not necessarily by any individual departments. Of course, the final decision will reside with each member department, but there must be minimum standards established so the team begins with highly qualified individuals who have the best chance to perform at a high level.

Obviously, one of the most important considerations is a strong interest from candidates to be part of an elite team and operation. Passion can serve as a great motivator to do the things necessary to prepare for these types of incidents. But, a desire to be on the team cannot be the only criteria. Even those with the best intentions may not have what it takes over the long haul. And, the long haul has to be part of the discussion. It can get quite expensive dealing with turnover issues such as basic training, continual education, and equipment familiarization. Regardless, members selected for the team must be physically and mentally capable. They must also be ready to commit to many years as members of the team. This is important, as it does take some time to become competent and comfortable with the job responsibilities.

Even when the right people join for the right reasons, team leadership should expect turnover. This will occur because of age, f

Richard Marinucci

Technical rescue teams are organized in basically two ways: within a single department or as regional teams.

Obviously a single department needs to be large enough to support the team both financially and with personnel. Organizations that typically do not have the resources to initiate and sustain an appropriately trained response unit use a regional approach. This type of cooperation is advantageous for various reasons and is a viable option for communities to establish resources for incidents that are infrequent but potentially very significant.

Challenges

There are challenges to establishing and maintaining a functional and well-trained team. First, adequate funding must be provided-the startup costs can be significant. The other challenge to consider is personnel recruitment and retention for the team. Not all firefighters are cut out for this assignment. There are different skill sets required, and a certain mindset and mental approach may not be exactly the same as required for traditional fire service activities. Further, the infrequency of the events can make it difficult to maintain motivation and interest. There is a lot of training and infrequent opportunities to use that training during an emergency. While this is a good thing overall, it can create turnover issues for team members.

There needs to be an established budget. For single-department teams, this is done as part of a municipality’s regular budgeting process. For regional teams, there are slight variations, but those in charge need to develop a spending plan. This will include needed apparatus and equipment. There may be a need to pursue alternative funding programs such as grants-particularly for one-time expenses to get the team started. Once a team is functioning, there needs to be realistic budgeting to maintain and improve team operations. Also understand that much of this is an expensive endeavor, so know what funding is really needed.

Team Selection

Attract and choose the best candidates possible. This should be no different from any other position in the fire service. There needs to be a baseline of essential requirements based on the job skills required of the work. This needs to be established by the leadership of the technical rescue team-not necessarily by any individual departments. Of course, the final decision will reside with each member department, but there must be minimum standards established so the team begins with highly qualified individuals who have the best chance to perform at a high level.

Obviously, one of the most important considerations is a strong interest from candidates to be part of an elite team and operation. Passion can serve as a great motivator to do the things necessary to prepare for these types of incidents. But, a desire to be on the team cannot be the only criteria. Even those with the best intentions may not have what it takes over the long haul. And, the long haul has to be part of the discussion. It can get quite expensive dealing with turnover issues such as basic training, continual education, and equipment familiarization. Regardless, members selected for the team must be physically and mentally capable. They must also be ready to commit to many years as members of the team. This is important, as it does take some time to become competent and comfortable with the job responsibilities.

Even when the right people join for the right reasons, team leadership should expect turnover. This will occur because of age, f

By Alan M. Petrillo

Cleaning turnout gear to rid it of contaminants and toxins has become a regular facet of the firehouse routine.

Some departments have specialized machines in their stations designed to wash turnouts and remove contaminants. Departments that don’t clean their gear in-station send turnouts out to independent service providers who inspect, clean, and repair personal protective equipment (PPE) to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

Gear Cleaning Equipment

Gary Gauthier, regional sales manager for Milnor Laundry Systems, Pellerin Milnor Corp., says his company makes industrial-grade washer-extractors that are preprogrammed for washing turnout gear to meet NFPA 1851. “We make 40-pound, 45-pound, 60-pound, and 80-pound Gear Guardian washer-extractors for washing turnout gear,” Gauthier says. “The 80-pound model will wash about six to seven garments at a time, the 60-pound will do four to five, the 45-pound about three, and the 40-pound about two to three.”

Gauthier says the various models have 30 programmable wash formulas, including 10 preprogrammed for decontaminating firefighter gear; have solid industrial bearings inside the machines so the equipment will last a long time if properly maintained; and are easy to use by pressing a couple of buttons to do a wash load. “Most fire stations have solid foundation requirements that allow lower-cost, rigid-mount machines to be used,” he adds, “which is more desirable than a soft-mount washer that can reach high G-force extracts.”

1 Milnor Laundry Systems makes industrial-grade washer-extractors capable of handling loads from 25 to 160 pounds. Shown is the model 30015 T6X washer-extractor that has a capacity of 40 pounds. (Photo courtesy of Milnor Laundry Systems.)

Milnor’s washer-extractors use a low agitation speed during the wash process, Gauthier points out, with water temperature not exceeding 100°F. Milnor uses a low extract speed, Gauthier says, “to eliminate the potential of hydro bursting the fabric of the garment. Water can get soaked in the garment after the wash process, and if you spin out the water too fast or use too much G force during extraction, you can damage the garment’s fabric and make it unsafe to use for the next time it needs to be employed to fight a fire.” Milnor also makes a dryer cabinet to dry the garments after extraction. The cabinet hangs a couple of turnouts and uses warm air to dry them, not exceeding 100°F.

Another maker of washer-extractors used in the fire service is UniMac®. Bill Brooks, UniMac’s North American sales manager, says UniMac’s most common model used in the fire service is the UW design, which is an industrial-strength washer. Brooks says the UW has an “overbuilt frame and heavier bearing and shaft design, giving it increased strength.” That’s important, he adds, because “the distribution of weight inside a washer for a load of turnout gear is not perfectly balanced and requires extra strength to assure a very long machine life.”

Read more 708 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Feb 11, 2016 Turnout Gear Cleaning and Decon Done Both in Station and by Outside Service Providers By Alan M. Petrillo Cleaning turnout gear to rid it of contaminants and toxins has become a regular facet of the firehouse routine. Some departments have specialized machines in their stations designed to wash turnouts and remove contaminants. Departments that don’t clean their gear in-station send turnouts out to independent service providers who inspect, clean, and repair personal protective equipment (PPE) to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. Gear Cleaning Equipment Gary Gauthier, regional sales manager for Milnor Laundry Systems, Pellerin Milnor Corp., says his company makes industrial-grade washer-extractors that are preprogrammed for washing turnout gear to meet NFPA 1851. “We make 40-pound, 45-pound, 60-pound, and 80-pound Gear Guardian washer-extractors for washing turnout gear,” Gauthier says. “The 80-pound model will wash about six to seven garments at a time, the 60-pound will do four to five, the 45-pound about three, and the 40-pound about two to three.” Gauthier says the various models have 30 programmable wash formulas, including 10 preprogrammed for decontaminating firefighter gear; have solid industrial bearings inside the machines so the equipment will last a long time if properly maintained; and are easy to use by pressing a couple of buttons to do a wash load. “Most fire stations have solid foundation requirements that allow lower-cost, rigid-mount machines to be used,” he adds, “which is more desirable than a soft-mount washer that can reach high G-force extracts.” 1 Milnor Laundry Systems makes industrial-grade washer-extractors capable of handling loads from 25 to 160 pounds. Shown is the model 30015 T6X washer-extractor that has a capacity of 40 pounds. (Photo courtesy of Milnor Laundry Systems.) Milnor’s washer-extractors use a low agitation speed during the wash process, Gauthier points out, with water temperature not exceeding 100°F. Milnor uses a low extract speed, Gauthier says, “to eliminate the potential of hydro bursting the fabric of the garment. Water can get soaked in the garment after the wash process, and if you spin out the water too fast or use too much G force during extraction, you can damage the garment’s fabric and make it unsafe to use for the next time it needs to be employed to fight a fire.” Milnor also makes a dryer cabinet to dry the garments after extraction. The cabinet hangs a couple of turnouts and uses warm air to dry them, not exceeding 100°F. Another maker of washer-extractors used in the fire service is UniMac®. Bill Brooks, UniMac’s North American sales manager, says UniMac’s most common model used in the fire service is the UW design, which is an industrial-strength washer. Brooks says the UW has an “overbuilt frame and heavier bearing and shaft design, giving it increased strength.” That’s important, he adds, because “the distribution of weight inside a washer for a load of turnout gear is not perfectly balanced and requires extra strength to assure a very long machine life.” Read more 713 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious4407440844094410441144124413441444154416NextLast 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 3352 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