Chris Mc Loone

Back in the mid 1990s when I was starting my career in publishing, there was a lot of talk about how different Generation Xers were from baby boomers.

Every new generation arrives on the job scene with its own views; its own ideals; and its own approaches to life in general, careers, and families. These days, the talk is about how different Millennials are from Generation X or Generation Y groups. And, it’s a little odd for me because I have always been the young kid on the staff almost wherever I’ve gone. So, it’s an adjustment to be working with more people younger than me than older, at times.

Millennials are known for a lot of different things-some good, some bad. But, one characteristic of this group is how it uses today’s technology. Smartphones, touch screens, apps, social media-these are the things these kids know and know well. And, their comfort levels with such things mean that the firefighters coming up through the ranks are much better at using these technologies than the GenX and GenY people for whom they work.

It’s happening to me at the firehouse already. We took delivery of a pumper in 2010 that features a pressure governor. But, I’m much more a fan of putting it in the rpm setting and adjusting the throttle myself. Somewhat to my surprise, the chief engineer at the time of delivery, who is about 25 years my elder, looked at me when I asked him how to switch from pressure to rpm and said, “Why would you want to?”

There have been electronics on fire trucks for years. Rewinding back to 1996, the twin pumpers we purchased both had electronic valves on them. New to us, some apparatus operators embraced them while some scoffed at them. We didn’t spec them with the pumpers to jump on board with the newest gadgets available. It was more out of necessity to maintain the size pump panel we were after. Those aren’t the types of electronics I’m talking about though. I think we are on the cusp of a fundamental shift in how we control fire apparatus on the scene of a fire. And, it is coming in the way of tablets and smartphones and the people who are most comfortable using them.

Getting back to the Millennials, their comfort level working with smartphones and tablets means that these technologies are more rapidly finding their way onto fire apparatus. Products entering the market with this technology are nothing new, but adoption is occurring at a more rapid pace.

Just about all of us are comfortable taking out our smartphone and checking our e-mail or recent calls or Facebook. But, using them to control apparatus is something a little new. True, many of us are now accustomed to electronically operated valves at the pump panel or remote control monitors or controlling a master stream at the end of an aerial from the ground. But, there’s so much more already here and on the way. Get used to using a tablet in the cab or 20 feet away from a pumper to charge lines, open valves, and aim a deck gun. Get used to being able to monitor an apparatus on scene as an incident commander at the command post by calling the pumper up on your smartphone or tablet. Get used to touch screens at the pump panel to view your gauges. These technologies are already here and are making their way into apparatus design. But as you design your future trucks, start thinking about the firefighters who will be staffing them. We’re so used to planning for equipment purchases we may make in the 15 or more years a truck is in front-line service, but how often do we think of the “kid

By Chris Mc Loone

As we near the end of 2015, it is natural to take a look at the future and wonder what 2016 will bring.

2015 brought with it proof that as futurists we are sometimes dead on but are also way off the mark. We arrived at October 21, 2015-the date Michael J. Fox traveled to from 1985 in “Back to the Future, Part II.” Video teleconferencing and phone calls? Yup, the movie got that right. Hover boards? Well, there are some who like to think we have them, but they are definitely not of the same ilk as the film. Self-tying sneakers? Not quite yet. And, flying cars? Nope. Although, it would be really cool to pull through the bay door and take off to respond to a fire call. It’s a little scary to me that many of our current firefighters weren’t alive in 1985, but it was fun to watch everyone, young and old, embrace October 21, 2015, as “Back to the Future Day.”

So, what did 2015 bring to the fire service, and where are we headed in 2016? Looking back, it’s not easy to organize everything that has gone on this year into one category. If there is one word to sum it all up, “global” might fit the bill. Fire service industry manufacturers from all over the world took to the international trade show stage at Interschutz 2015. But as much of a focus as this show was, it didn’t stop our domestic apparatus and equipment suppliers from introducing big things. We now have pumps capable of flowing 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi), a 107-foot aerial built on a single axle, and an almost worldwide embrace of electronics that can control apparatus. Later in this issue, author Al Petrillo covers the fire truck of the future, and in many ways that fire truck exists now. Although electronic controls have been around for many years, what’s going on right now in terms of wireless control, touch screen control, and Internet connectivity for monitoring apparatus in the field is exploding. And, the right group of personnel (the Millennials) is embracing it all. I’ll let Al handle the fire truck of the future (page 12). But, from a fire industry perspective, where have we been and where are we going? We discussed these points with various industry representatives from different segments to help give you an idea of where our suppliers stand.

Looking At 2015

Across the board, respondents were very positive about this year. “2015 was another strong year for the Scott Safety business in the fire services as we continue to see growing demand for our Air-Pak X3 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) platform and have seen great market acceptance of our broadened thermal imaging portfolio since our acquisition of ISG Infrasys in late 2014,” says Jeff Emery, fire services marketing manager, Scott Safety. “These results have helped to offset some soft demand in other markets, especially in our oil and gas segment.”

Positive results from 2014 investments also impacted other industry segments. “For Smeal, our business has been on a significant growth trajectory,” says Jeff Wegner, senior vice president of global sales at Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. “In 2014, we made a strong push to expand our product offering to serve customers better with the acquisitions of Ladder Tower Company and US Tanker Company and expanded our distribution and service nationally. In 2015, that has culminated in strong, double-digit growth. I think that’s a reflection of the value proposition that Smeal offers. More departments are taking a look at us and liking what they see.”

At Pierce Manufacturing, 2015 was also a strong year “in both the number of trucks built and the number of trucks sold through our dealer network,” says Matthew McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing at Pierce Manufacturing. “We had several large opportunities, such as

By Chris Mc Loone

As we near the end of 2015, it is natural to take a look at the future and wonder what 2016 will bring.

2015 brought with it proof that as futurists we are sometimes dead on but are also way off the mark. We arrived at October 21, 2015-the date Michael J. Fox traveled to from 1985 in “Back to the Future, Part II.” Video teleconferencing and phone calls? Yup, the movie got that right. Hover boards? Well, there are some who like to think we have them, but they are definitely not of the same ilk as the film. Self-tying sneakers? Not quite yet. And, flying cars? Nope. Although, it would be really cool to pull through the bay door and take off to respond to a fire call. It’s a little scary to me that many of our current firefighters weren’t alive in 1985, but it was fun to watch everyone, young and old, embrace October 21, 2015, as “Back to the Future Day.”

So, what did 2015 bring to the fire service, and where are we headed in 2016? Looking back, it’s not easy to organize everything that has gone on this year into one category. If there is one word to sum it all up, “global” might fit the bill. Fire service industry manufacturers from all over the world took to the international trade show stage at Interschutz 2015. But as much of a focus as this show was, it didn’t stop our domestic apparatus and equipment suppliers from introducing big things. We now have pumps capable of flowing 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi), a 107-foot aerial built on a single axle, and an almost worldwide embrace of electronics that can control apparatus. Later in this issue, author Al Petrillo covers the fire truck of the future, and in many ways that fire truck exists now. Although electronic controls have been around for many years, what’s going on right now in terms of wireless control, touch screen control, and Internet connectivity for monitoring apparatus in the field is exploding. And, the right group of personnel (the Millennials) is embracing it all. I’ll let Al handle the fire truck of the future (page 12). But, from a fire industry perspective, where have we been and where are we going? We discussed these points with various industry representatives from different segments to help give you an idea of where our suppliers stand.

Looking At 2015

Across the board, respondents were very positive about this year. “2015 was another strong year for the Scott Safety business in the fire services as we continue to see growing demand for our Air-Pak X3 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) platform and have seen great market acceptance of our broadened thermal imaging portfolio since our acquisition of ISG Infrasys in late 2014,” says Jeff Emery, fire services marketing manager, Scott Safety. “These results have helped to offset some soft demand in other markets, especially in our oil and gas segment.”

Positive results from 2014 investments also impacted other industry segments. “For Smeal, our business has been on a significant growth trajectory,” says Jeff Wegner, senior vice president of global sales at Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. “In 2014, we made a strong push to expand our product offering to serve customers better with the acquisitions of Ladder Tower Company and US Tanker Company and expanded our distribution and service nationally. In 2015, that has culminated in strong, double-digit growth. I think that’s a reflection of the value proposition that Smeal offers. More departments are taking a look at us and liking what they see.”

At Pierce Manufacturing, 2015 was also a strong year “in both the number of trucks built and the number of trucks sold through our dealer network,” says Matthew McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing at Pierce Manufacturing. “We had several large opportunities, such as