ACAF® Systems-PFS Fire Suppression Group, LLC, a leading manufacturer of FM Approved, Automatic Compressed Air Foam (CAF) fire suppression systems for special hazard, flammable liquid fires, appointed Edward Bender as Sr. Field Sales Engineer, Western Region.

Ed has over 10 years of experience in municipal, Industrial Fire Protection, most recently establishing fire protection valve sales in the Western Region for a global manufacturer of fire protection and waterworks valves. In three years sales in this region grew substantially.  Prior to this position Ed worked as the nationwide industrial sales manager for a global manufacturer of industrial firefighting equipment.  Over his seven years with the firm, U.S. Sales grew an average of 18 percent annually.  

“We are all pleased to bring Ed on-board. He is no stranger to business development, strategic planning, forecasting, technical issues and above all, customer support,” said David B. Munroe, COO of ACAF Systems – PFS Fire Suppression Group. “Ed built strong relationships based on trust and open communications with end users, engineering firms, fire protection contractors, and municipal fire departments, and is a great match for ACAF Systems. Please join us in welcoming Ed.”

ACAF® Systems-PFS Fire Suppression Group designs and assembles compressed air foam systems (CAF) systems using its unique patented CAF mixing chamber and nozzles. In addition to their special hazard suppression systems, the group offers a complete line of wheeled and skid mounted firefighting equipment.

More: acafsystems.net

Alexis—Geneseo (IL) Fire Protection District, pumper-tanker Spartan Metro star cab and chassis.

The Board of Works opened bids from two companies vying for a contract to supply firefighters with the latest self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment.

Bids were from Douglas Safety Systems of Sandford, Mich., at a cost of $814,035 and Five Alarm Fire of Merrillville at a cost of $890,147. The bids were taken under advisement and a contract will be awarded at the board's next meeting.

Portage Assistant Fire Chief Tim Sosby said 90 percent of the funding will come from a regional grant awarded to the city through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The city received the $785,882 grant last August.

The funds will allow Portage, Chesterton, Ogden Dunes, South Haven, Burns Harbor and Porter to add the latest in SCBA technology to the department.

"All the SCBAs we are using are at least two safety units behind," said Sosby, adding the new equipment will include an accountability system. The accountability system will allow incident commanders to monitor a firefighter's oxygen level remotely and notify a firefighter when his oxygen tank is getting low.

For more information, view www.nwitimes.com

Firefighters will soon move from Oviedo Fire Station 2 to make way for the State Road 434 expansion.

However, firefighters do not know where they will work when their building is gone.

"They've got a tight time table," said Chief Lars White of Oviedo Fire Department.

In 2013, the state paid $2 million for its downtown station and the city's community center, and it set a deadline for firefighters to vacate by the end of 2015.

In the future, the firefighters from Station 2 will work out of a superstation, but it is still under construction and White said it is behind schedule.

The Florida Department of Transportation gave Oviedo fire a two-month extension to stay put until the end of next month.

Workers will then start the multi-million dollar renovation of State Road 434.

Firefighters will have to double up in one of the city's other two stations, but which one is not determined yet.

"We're strategizing right now with some response times," White said.

For more information, view www.wftv.com