I mentioned in last month’s column about how much better the fire service would be if there was more cross-pollination of ideas among the various fire services around the globe. This thought stemmed from my attending Interschutz 2015 in Hannover, Germany. Interschutz is the world’s largest fire expo and occurs every five years. Fifty-one countries were represented and more than 157,000 people attended-up from 123,000 in 2010. However, it is primarily a European show with a heavy German influence.

The show lasts six days and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Interschutz is not marketed strongly in the United States, and only a very small number of U.S. fire service personnel attend. Yet, those who do attend almost always return.

The show is very different in many ways than shows in the United States. There are no classroom offerings. However, there are product demonstrations. The exhibit spaces are far more elaborate than those found at U.S. trade shows. It is common for the larger exhibits to have complimentary food and beverages (especially beer) for their guests. Some even have live entertainment.

Positive-Pressure Ventilation

I was surprised to see the large number of fans or blowers. They are clearly a big part of fire suppression throughout the world. There were quite a few larger fans on display, including truck-mounted, trailer-mounted, and track-mounted. As noticeable as the number of fans was the fact that the majority had misters attached. Whether or not you are a believer in using positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) during fire attack, one of the benefits of the mister is after knockdown. When you introduce humidity into a structure after knockdown, the heat goes down faster and greatly diminishes the chances of a rekindle. The Kill-the-Flashover project has clearly illustrated this factor. Joe Starnes, who heads this project, makes a valid analogy when he says you can’t strike a match in a sauna.

Cancer Prevention

One of the areas I focused on was cancer prevention. U.S. fire departments are slowly realizing the importance of keeping personal protective equipment (PPE) clean. However, this focus has been primarily on turnout gear. There is little emphasis on helmets, masks, gloves, and boots. A few manufacturers were displaying equipment for cleaning these particular items. For example, one vendor had a machine with clamps to hold helmets or face pieces. There was a boot-cleaning station that looked like a typical footwear brush scraper but also had a handheld brush that was tethered to the scraper. In discussions about PPE decontamination, the experts are saying the most overlooked component is probably the headband of the helmet. In the United States, rarely, if ever, is the headband cleaned, and it is worn at one of the most vulnerable spots for toxins to enter the body.

PPE

Someone once told me that PPE was not “sexy” like fire apparatus when it comes to equipment displays and discussions about equipment. This is true. But, it was most noticeable that the PPE section of Interschutz had more buzz than any of the other “inside” sections. I think it is true that Europeans have more interest in their PPE than Americans.

European PPE basically looks like American PPE, except for the helmet. They use the same materials, and their patterns are basically the same. They do use lighter-weight gear with slightly less thermal protection. It was striking how an American product, PBI, has been accepted throughout the world as a premier protective material.

Many U.S. PPE manufacturers have a presence in the European and world markets. Viking Life Safety Equipment had an interesting design feature. Its coats and trousers had a series of elastic loop ba

I mentioned in last month’s column about how much better the fire service would be if there was more cross-pollination of ideas among the various fire services around the globe. This thought stemmed from my attending Interschutz 2015 in Hannover, Germany. Interschutz is the world’s largest fire expo and occurs every five years. Fifty-one countries were represented and more than 157,000 people attended-up from 123,000 in 2010. However, it is primarily a European show with a heavy German influence.

The show lasts six days and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Interschutz is not marketed strongly in the United States, and only a very small number of U.S. fire service personnel attend. Yet, those who do attend almost always return.

The show is very different in many ways than shows in the United States. There are no classroom offerings. However, there are product demonstrations. The exhibit spaces are far more elaborate than those found at U.S. trade shows. It is common for the larger exhibits to have complimentary food and beverages (especially beer) for their guests. Some even have live entertainment.

Positive-Pressure Ventilation

I was surprised to see the large number of fans or blowers. They are clearly a big part of fire suppression throughout the world. There were quite a few larger fans on display, including truck-mounted, trailer-mounted, and track-mounted. As noticeable as the number of fans was the fact that the majority had misters attached. Whether or not you are a believer in using positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) during fire attack, one of the benefits of the mister is after knockdown. When you introduce humidity into a structure after knockdown, the heat goes down faster and greatly diminishes the chances of a rekindle. The Kill-the-Flashover project has clearly illustrated this factor. Joe Starnes, who heads this project, makes a valid analogy when he says you can’t strike a match in a sauna.

Cancer Prevention

One of the areas I focused on was cancer prevention. U.S. fire departments are slowly realizing the importance of keeping personal protective equipment (PPE) clean. However, this focus has been primarily on turnout gear. There is little emphasis on helmets, masks, gloves, and boots. A few manufacturers were displaying equipment for cleaning these particular items. For example, one vendor had a machine with clamps to hold helmets or face pieces. There was a boot-cleaning station that looked like a typical footwear brush scraper but also had a handheld brush that was tethered to the scraper. In discussions about PPE decontamination, the experts are saying the most overlooked component is probably the headband of the helmet. In the United States, rarely, if ever, is the headband cleaned, and it is worn at one of the most vulnerable spots for toxins to enter the body.

PPE

Someone once told me that PPE was not “sexy” like fire apparatus when it comes to equipment displays and discussions about equipment. This is true. But, it was most noticeable that the PPE section of Interschutz had more buzz than any of the other “inside” sections. I think it is true that Europeans have more interest in their PPE than Americans.

European PPE basically looks like American PPE, except for the helmet. They use the same materials, and their patterns are basically the same. They do use lighter-weight gear with slightly less thermal protection. It was striking how an American product, PBI, has been accepted throughout the world as a premier protective material.

Many U.S. PPE manufacturers have a presence in the European and world markets. Viking Life Safety Equipment had an interesting design feature. Its coats and trousers had a series of elastic loop ba

By Alan M. Petrillo

Fire departments are faced with a number of challenges when getting aerial devices to a fire scene and sometimes even placing the vehicle at the scene.

Low bridges, narrow streets and alleys, tight cul-de-sacs, and limited access to the front of tall buildings are only some of the issues facing aerial apparatus operators. Aerial manufacturers have responded to these issues by designing or redesigning aerial apparatus that can get into tight spots and do the job they were made for.

Reduced Travel Height

Joe Hedges, product manager for chassis and aerials at E-ONE, says E-ONE launched its Metro 100 rear-mount aerial ladder in response to calls from fire departments for a vehicle with a reduced travel height that was designed to get into tight spots more easily. “Our Metro 100 is a 100-foot extruded aluminum aerial ladder built on a 220-inch wheelbase single-axle chassis,” Hedges says. “It’s designed with a lighter gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 20,000 pounds on the front axle and 33,000 pounds on the rear axle and uses an integral box chassis as its foundation.”

Hedges points out that the Metro 100 features a jack spread of 11 feet, only 1½ feet wider than the truck’s body. “The truck can get into tight spots, be set up, and be fully functional with no short jacking in the 11-foot spread because it has four underslung criss-cross outriggers,” he notes. “It sets up in 45 seconds and has no operational restrictions or envelope control because it doesn’t need them. It’s designed to be fully stable with no limiting of the aerial environment.”

The E-ONE Metro 100 aerial ladder is designed with a jack spread of 11 feet using four underslung criss-cross outriggers that allow it to be set up in tight spaces. (Photo courtesy of E-ONE.)

Other elements designed into the Metro 100 to allow it to function well in congested environments, Hedges says, include a 45-degree cramp angle that results in a turning radius of 36 feet, “approximately six to eight feet less than larger tandem axle units on the market today,” he says, along with a slightly raised body at the rear for an improved departure angle. “It’s available in a 96-inch body width, which is good for congested areas,” Hedges adds, “and can be built on our Cyclone low-travel-height aerial cab.”

Jason Witmier, product manager for aerials at KME, says travel heights often are a concern for fire departments, so KME offers both a standard and low travel height in its aerials. “Our standard is 136 inches for a rear-mount aerial, and our typical low travel height is 134 inches,” he says, “although we have gone down to 128 inches on a rear-mount. On a midmount aerial, we are able to get down to a 119-inch travel height.”

Pierce Manufacturing Inc. makes the Ascendant 107-foot aerial ladder on a single rear axle with a 39-foot overall length and a wheelbase of 224 inches, which allow it to function in Read more 678 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Dec 2, 2015 Designing Aerials to Get into Tight Spots By Alan M. Petrillo Fire departments are faced with a number of challenges when getting aerial devices to a fire scene and sometimes even placing the vehicle at the scene. Low bridges, narrow streets and alleys, tight cul-de-sacs, and limited access to the front of tall buildings are only some of the issues facing aerial apparatus operators. Aerial manufacturers have responded to these issues by designing or redesigning aerial apparatus that can get into tight spots and do the job they were made for. Reduced Travel Height Joe Hedges, product manager for chassis and aerials at E-ONE, says E-ONE launched its Metro 100 rear-mount aerial ladder in response to calls from fire departments for a vehicle with a reduced travel height that was designed to get into tight spots more easily. “Our Metro 100 is a 100-foot extruded aluminum aerial ladder built on a 220-inch wheelbase single-axle chassis,” Hedges says. “It’s designed with a lighter gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 20,000 pounds on the front axle and 33,000 pounds on the rear axle and uses an integral box chassis as its foundation.” Hedges points out that the Metro 100 features a jack spread of 11 feet, only 1½ feet wider than the truck’s body. “The truck can get into tight spots, be set up, and be fully functional with no short jacking in the 11-foot spread because it has four underslung criss-cross outriggers,” he notes. “It sets up in 45 seconds and has no operational restrictions or envelope control because it doesn’t need them. It’s designed to be fully stable with no limiting of the aerial environment.” The E-ONE Metro 100 aerial ladder is designed with a jack spread of 11 feet using four underslung criss-cross outriggers that allow it to be set up in tight spaces. (Photo courtesy of E-ONE.) Other elements designed into the Metro 100 to allow it to function well in congested environments, Hedges says, include a 45-degree cramp angle that results in a turning radius of 36 feet, “approximately six to eight feet less than larger tandem axle units on the market today,” he says, along with a slightly raised body at the rear for an improved departure angle. “It’s available in a 96-inch body width, which is good for congested areas,” Hedges adds, “and can be built on our Cyclone low-travel-height aerial cab.” Jason Witmier, product manager for aerials at KME, says travel heights often are a concern for fire departments, so KME offers both a standard and low travel height in its aerials. “Our standard is 136 inches for a rear-mount aerial, and our typical low travel height is 134 inches,” he says, “although we have gone down to 128 inches on a rear-mount. On a midmount aerial, we are able to get down to a 119-inch travel height.” Pierce Manufacturing Inc. makes the Ascendant 107-foot aerial ladder on a single rear axle with a 39-foot overall length and a wheelbase of 224 inches, which allow it to function in Read more 607 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious4510451145124513451445154516451745184519NextLast 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 3350 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