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By Alan M. Petrillo

Tenders (tankers) do the work of hydrants in rural areas and towns where water isn't accessible through pressurized water mains. So when the Richfield (WI) Volunteer Fire Company needed to replace a tanker it had purchased 27 years previously, it turned again to the company that built that earlier vehicle, U.S. Tanker Co.

Richfield's fire protection area for fire, rescue and emergency medical services (EMS) covers 36 square miles of primarily residential occupancies in the incorporated village of Richfield, eight square miles of the town of Erin, and three square miles of the town of Polk, for a total population of more than 11,000 residents. The department operates out of two stations with two paid full-time and one paid part time firefighter, along with 62 volunteer firefighters. There are no hydrants in the district, with the exception of an industrial park with its own pressurized water system and at city hall.

John Schmitz, Richfield's deputy chief, says streams, ponds, lakes, and the pressurized water system at city hall are the places where the department's rigs can fill up with water. "There also are some industrial and commercial facilities that have enough water storage for their needs that can give us a supply when needed," Schmitz says.

The specs that Richfield wrote for its new fire truck were pretty straightforward, Schmitz observes, and resulted in the contract for the vehicle being awarded to U.S. Tanker. "We built them a 3,000-gallon tanker on a Kenworth T800 chassis with a 500-horsepower diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission," John Woltman, president of U.S. Tanker, says. "We also put on a Hale HP400 portable pump plumbed to the tank that will deliver 400 gallons per minute (gpm)."

Schmitz points out that Richfield also included a one-inch booster reel with 300 feet of forestry hose on it in its specs. "We intended to use it when we have to get off on the side of a highway or in a ditch line alongside a road so we can do pump and roll and take care of grass fires," he says.

The tanker also carries a 3,000-gallon portable water tank in a Zico electric tank rack; two E.J. Metals 10-inch round dump valves behind the rear axle, one on each side of the truck; and a 10-inch square Newton dump

Oneonta (NY) Fire Rescue Department, 100-foot midmount platform quint. 

RealWheels stainless steel simulators for steel wheels save departments money now and in the future because of reduced maintenance costs resulting from the RealWheels lifetime mirror-shine finish. All the simulators are made from heavy-gauge 304L stainless steel. They have more universal features and require fewer part numbers to fit a variety of wheel sizes.

They all have patented, over-the-lug style mounting, which does not require removing lug nuts. All parts can be ordered individually, and 22.5- and 24.5-inch rear simulators come standard with the company’s stainless steel braided valve extensions for easy air pressure monitoring and access. RealWheels offers a variety of sizes and styles to fit almost every commercial vehicle on the road. www.realwheels.com, 800-982-1180

Blauer four-inch STRIKE shoe is now in stock and available. The shoe builds on Blauer’s line of footwear for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) professionals, heeding their call for a lower-ankle option for everyday use. The STRIKE has been engineered to take the best features of tactical boots and distill them down into a high-comfort option for those looking for EMS shoes, station footwear, or everyday use in law enforcement outside of full-height police boots.

Blauer’s use of the patented BOA® lacing system ensures a custom fit every day, throughout the day, no matter what work entails. Breathable upper material is used in key locations to reduce overheating, and a flexible but durable sole allows the wearer full range of motion while still ensuring stability and grip in a variety of conditions. www.blauer.com/strike, 800-225-6715

LEADER Mix autonomous and automatic foam proportioner is a compromise between conventional venturi inductors and traditional automatic systems because of the wide range of flow rates and injection ratios available. Totally autonomous, it does not require a power supply. Thanks to a simple mechanical design, its maintenance is greatly reduced.

The LEADER Mix has a wide range of flow rates (60 to 250 gpm) and a wide operating pressure range (from 75 to 230 psi), permitting it to replace four conventional injectors (60, 90, 125, and 250 gpm). The LEADER Mix allows users to precisely adjust the foam concentrate injected from 0.5 to six percent (metering accuracy meets EN16712 standard) and adapts to the selected rate of the nozzle. The LEADER Mix instantly injects the foam concentrate, isn’t affected by pressure variations, and works at less than 150 psi. www.leadernorthamerica.com

MSA Bluetooth-enabled G1 SCBA is an SCBA-to-two-way-radio voice communication system using Bluetooth technology. Users can now pair MSA G1 SCBA with a Bluetooth-enabled Motorola APX Series radio. Using dual microphones within the MSA G1 regulator, users can transmit clear communication while eliminating background noise, ensuring that voice is the only sound received by incident command.

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