Chris Mc Loone

A year ago, I wrote an editorial encouraging fire departments to begin thinking about how to regulate drone usage on their firegrounds.

I also suggested checking with their municipalities to determine if there were any ordinances covering drone usage in general. Hopefully, by now you have taken some time to consider how to address unmanned aircraft operations in your jurisdictions and haven't had any issues.

Unfortunately, while we have been preparing ourselves on our end, there hasn't been a lot of education on the civilian side. As we know, any civilian hobbyist can walk into a store that sells unmanned aircraft and purchase one. And, we know that on the fire department side, for a municipality to acquire and place drones in service, operators must go through a certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We know this, but civilians do not. And, probably not many are aware of the air space rules involved with drone usage.

News and videos regarding drones abound. In California, two recent stories involve air tankers being grounded because a drone was spotted where they needed to fly. Another story out of California involves a bill that would give firefighters permission to destroy drones operating where emergency crews are working. And, still another story, this one captured on video, involves a drone capturing footage of a structure fire and firefighters on scene seemingly trying to take down the drone by shooting water at it. It's not that the public doesn't get it or doesn't care, I just think they don't know. The idea of a bill to allow firefighters to destroy drones operating at a fire scene is a bit drastic and sounds more reactionary and frustration-driven. This is where we come in.

Next month we will be visiting schools and opening up our stations to the public during Fire Prevention Week. What better time to put together some educational pieces about drone usage? It should be pretty easy to put together a pamphlet explaining a number of points. First, it should include your municipality's ordinance covering drones-if there is one. If your department has a policy, include that as well. Again, in many cases, the people using the drones don't even realize there could be a problem on a fireground. An example from my area is the use of outdoor fireplaces. Most in my municipality don't know that there is an ordinance regarding outdoor fireplaces. It's tough to explain to residents when we are called that they are not supposed to be using them. Various stores in the township sell them. So, leading off with your municipality's or department's policy regarding drone use will go a long way toward making sure residents know when and when not to use the drones.

Also include an explanation of why a policy exists. Often explaining the rationale behind something goes a long way toward understanding and acceptance vs. just telling a group of people that "this is the way it's going to be."

Don't forget to explain how useful drone coverage can be. I haven't spoken to a person yet who thinks using unmanned aircraft at a fire scene is a bad idea. The information they can gather for us as we try to operate can be invaluable, especially in areas inaccessible by firefighters. The idea is not to discourage people but to explain what they are allowed to do, why they are allowed to do it, and how drones can be very useful tools.

The "upside" for drones is too great for us to want to take them

By Alan M. Petrillo

Hazardous materials (hazmat) vehicles have been called the stepchildren of emergency vehicles, likely because they are used much more infrequently than other fire trucks in a department's fleet.

However, when they are needed, it usually is a critical situation, so most fire departments train regularly on the use of hazmat equipment, which can be carried on a truck that's sized from small to overly large.

The size of a hazmat rig often depends on a number of considerations, from budget available and the types of hazards to be handled to whether the vehicle is the property of a fire department or a municipal or regional agency. So across the country, fire departments are using a variety of vehicles as their hazmat rigs, from putting hazmat gear in coffin compartments on the top of a pumper to rescues that carry an assortment of hazmat equipment to large vehicles that are specialized decon and hazmat trucks.

Pierce Manufacturing Inc. built this three-door-cab hazmat truck for the San Diego (CA) Fire Department. The vehicle has a walk-in command area and a walk-around body. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)

Defining Services

Bill Proft, rescue program director for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., observes that a hazmat truck to one department isn't necessarily considered a hazmat vehicle by the next department. "These trucks vary from relatively small containment-style vehicles to large dual-rear-axle vehicles that have a laboratory on board," he points out. "To find the best fit, a fire department has to determine what its needs are for its fire protection area, as well as the kind of problems it might be facing."

Proft notes that gasoline tankers regularly fill up gasoline station tanks around the country, allowing for a potential hazmat situation. "Fire departments can face chemical plant hazards, airport hazards, and roadway hazards from trucks carrying hazardous materials aboard," he says. "You have to determine what type of hazmat suits you will carry, how they'll be stored on your vehicle, if you need a laboratory, and if you want or need a decontamination facility. All those decisions go into determining the size of the hazmat vehicle."

Ed Smith, director of the Emergency Vehicles Group for VT Hackney Inc., says that in past years, fire departments and emergency management agencies responded to hazmat calls, performed containment functions, and also did mitigation. "In the last five years or so, we are seeing very few responders doing mitigation," Smith says. "They are containing the spill or situation until the mitigation specialist companies arrive to clean it up."

The State of Massachusetts Fire Services purchased 10 hazmat trucks from VT Hackney, all identical to the rig shown. The units are spread around the state and s Read more 588 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Sep 10, 2015 Fire Truck Photo of the Day-Unimog 419 Read more 553 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Sep 9, 2015 Fire Truck Picture of the Day-Sutphen Aerial Read more 553 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious4474447544764477447844794480448144824483NextLast 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 3251 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