The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) announced that the legendary Alan Brunacini will be the new keynote speaker for the Safety Forum. Brunacini will present No Brainer Management on Friday, January 22^nd, 2016, replacing Billy Goldfeder who is unable to participate because of a family illness.

Alan Brunacini is one of the most highly respected figures in the fire industry. For 28 years he served as fire chief of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department. He was original chair of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health program and the first active fire service member to hold the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of the NFPA. He writes a monthly column, "Bruno 'Unplugged'", for Fire Engineering magazine, and his impact on the fire industry is widespread. Brunacini has authored or co-authored a total of nine books, including Fire Command, which explains precise procedures for approaching and diminishing a hazardous situation.

Well-known for his laid-back, commonsense approach to fire service operations, management and customer service, Brunacini believes in a gentle-hearted approach that takes into account the trauma of victims. In five words, his guiding principles are: "Prevent harm. Survive. Be nice.”

Brunacini joins two other popular fire service presenters, James (Jim) Juneau and Gordon Graham, who will be featured keynotes during the Apparatus Maintenance Symposium and the Safety Forum, being held concurrently January 18-22, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

James J. Juneau, Juneau, Boll, Stacy & Ucherek, Dallas, Texas, will kick off the Apparatus Symposium on Monday, January 18^th.  Juneau, a nationally recognized legal authority on issues relating to fire apparatus and emergency vehicle design and operational safety, will talk about fire apparatus and the law.

Gordon Graham, Graham Research Consultants, Long Beach, California, will wrap up the Apparatus Symposium and kick-off the Safety Forum conference, with his comprehensive program, “What real risk management is all about”. Graham, a police/fire service risk management expert and attorney, divides his time between study, research, writing, speaking, and consulting in the discipline of risk management. He will focus on what informed fire departments, informed firefighters, mechanics, and safety officers need to know about risk management and how to reduce the injuries and deaths through the specification, acquisition, bidding, transport, and the training process.

Alan Brunacini’s presentation, No Brainer Management, will wrap-up the Safety Forum conference on Friday, January 22, 2016.

The IAFC’s Safety Health & Survival Section is partnering with the FDSOA to host the Safety Forum and bring safety education to fire chiefs, chief officers, safety officers, and fire personnel across North America.

The FDSOA 28^th Annual Apparatus Specification and Maintenance Symposium will be held January 18-20, while the 2

COLUMBUS, IN-Cummins Inc. announced that it received certification for its complete lineup of on-highway diesel and natural gas engines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meeting both the current EPA regulations and the second step in greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuel-efficiency standards which take effect in January 2017. Fuel efficiency is improved across the commercial vehicle engine lineup from 5.0 liters to 15 liters.

"Cummins is committed to providing customer-focused innovation as soon as it is ready," says Amy Boerger, vice president, sales and support. "For example, efficiency improvements implemented in the 2016 ISX15 400- to 475-hp ratings will provide customers with fuel economy gains over the 2013 ISX15, ranging from 2.5 percent on the base engine up to 7.5 percent with a SmartAdvantage™ Powertrain with ADEPT™ (SmartCoast™) features."

Throughout 2014 and 2015, Cummins implemented efficiency enhancements that enable its engines to meet EPA 2016 and GHG 2017 requirements. On-board diagnostics requirements are met with enhanced monitors, ensuring that exhaust tailpipe emissions stay within the EPA limits. A particulate matter (PM) sensor has been implemented, and electronic controls have been enhanced to interact with the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) quality sensor implemented by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on DEF tanks. With a focus on continuous improvement, Cummins plans to incorporate further product enhancements to improve performance, reliability and efficiency throughout 2016.

Customers can count on Cummins Care for information about all diesel and natural gas engines, available free of charge. As part of the total value that Cummins offers customers, coupled with its strong commitment to customer support, Cummins Care provides a trusted source of information for questions regarding the latest engine and product technology. For more information, visit www.cumminsengines.com.

By Bill Adams

* Most pumpers carry 100-foot lengths of large-diameter hose (LDH) in the main hosebed and usually a couple of short 25- and 50-foot curb jumpers in compartments the EMS-oriented people desperately want to use for more band aids, splints, and stuff. Why don’t they use more 50-foot lengths? If hydrants are spaced closely and the average lay is, say, only a few hundred feet, wouldn’t it be easier and more versatile to have the first 400 or 500 feet of LDH coming off the bed in 50-foot lengths? Then, just carry one or two 25-foot curb jumpers. A 50-foot length of five-inch LDH is kind of heavy for white hairs to pick up. Don’t whine about space in the hosebed and the room couplings take up. Spec the bed bigger. Is the bed too full on existing rigs? Buy a couple over “over-height” hosebed dividers. The objective is to be more efficient on the fireground.

* Speaking of LDH, how come LDH discharges and suctions are not at the back of the bus? That’s where you keep the hose and is where you break it after you lay it. I haven’t seen too much LDH supply line packed in crosslays. “Oh, it’s too expensive to pipe them way back there. It might take up precious compartment space.” Agreed. You certainly don’t want to make life too easy for the troops or you might get more people to join or even stay in the fire department.

* Talking about compartment space, why do fire departments mount a booster reel or a generator or something else that never comes off the rig—in the lowest, largest, and easiest accessible compartment on the rig?

* Have you ever weighed your new fire truck with and without water in the booster tank? Aren’t you curious to see if the tank really holds what you were told it does? Not important? Well, how come some people require a short pump test upon delivery?

* Why are there always two discharges on each side of a midship pump house? It’s not an NFPA 1901 requirement. It might work if all your non-preconnected hose is carried in crosslays. Good grief—what a stupid idea it is to pipe hose connections to where the hose is kept.

* NFPA 1901 requires downturn elbows on discharges located more than 42 inches from ground level, but not on inlets located that high. Maybe water only kinks hose on the way out and not on the way in. Supposedly the concern was or is about the friction loss in the device as well as inhibiting drafting out of portable ponds or over guard rails or something like that. If that’s so darn important how come NFPA 1901 says you can carry either hard suction or soft suction? I guess drafting isn’t that important—all the time. Besides, if you are going to draft and, for example, you have a piston intake relief valve on your steamer, what difference is it if you have to remove a blind cap off the steamer or remove the valve off the steamer?

* How come fire departments demand truss-style ground ladders for ladder trucks yet purchase solid-beam ladders for pumpers? At the minimum, pumper roof ladders should be truss construction. They’re easier to handle on a pitched roof especially in inclement weather. Maybe pumper crews have longer fingers and more dexterous hands than the truckers.

* How come many of today’s Read more

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