RICHARD MARINUCCI

A coordinated, planned, and prepared response to a hazmat event is a relatively new concept in the fire service.

By that, I mean that up until 25 or 30 years ago, fire departments responded to calls involving hazardous materials and did the best they could with minimal preparation. Often materials were diluted and "washed down" the drain or into a ditch. There were no "moon suits" or various levels of protection. Chemicals like mercury were just picked up and thrown in the trash. For the most part, departments did the best they could. If they realized they had something above their level of training or expertise, they contacted a private company. Thankfully, this has changed, and there is an expectation that fire departments will have the necessary knowledge to address these events in an appropriate manner.

The transition has occurred for a variety of reasons. There is much more awareness of the environment and the damage that is done when hazardous materials are not disposed of in a safe manner. Government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state government departments control the use and disposal of hazardous materials. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed standards. Responders have learned from various historical emergencies and better understand the need to study and improve their capabilities. Besides being better stewards of the environment, firefighters and those who respond as part of a special team are much safer and exposed to fewer materials that can harm them.

Contrasting Approaches

The approach to hazmat events still strikes me as being such a contrast to fire response and even emergency medical service (EMS) calls. Firefighters going to fires are definitely on the go and doing what they can to save time. Response to priority one or life-threatening calls for EMS service requires quick action to effect a positive outcome. Firefighters are conditioned to operate quickly and often take shortcuts to reduce response time from the start of the alarm through the stabilization phase. They may not completely button up their protective clothing if they believe they need to rush into action. They will take extra risks if a life is at stake to the point that they will put themselves at risk by not totally using all safety items at their disposal. This is contrary to the methodical approach taken by well-trained hazmat teams, who rarely ever appear to be rushing.

This is where the patience part comes into play. I don't think I am too different from many in the fire service in that I want to see action. I don't like sitting around when something needs to be fixed, so I think there should be some hustle to resolve problems and incidents. During a fire, there is an initial blast of activity to initiate the operation. People know their jobs and begin to take steps that are visible and done with some sense of urgency. The same can be said on the scene of a vehicle crash with injuries or a cardiac case. We are conditioned to see something happen and are impatient when people don't appear to be hustling when taking action. When we don't completely understand how an incident is being handled, we default to our knowledge and wonder why there doesn't appear to be a sense of urgency. Though I still don't have the total patience I need when on these types of emergencies, I am getting better and learning to rely on the experts who have much more training and experience in the proper way to handle hazmat incidents.

Hazmat Response Evolution

Emergency response to hazmats has evolved considerably and continues to do so. Those who are committed to the profession are looking for better ways to respond and make sure respond

By Bill Adams

"Apparatus Purchasing" last addressed access steps in October 2012. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard on Automotive Fire Apparatus (2009 ed.), was in effect then and still is today.

Nothing has changed concerning minimum sizes, slip resistance, or spacing. Requirements for handrails, access ladders, and work platforms are the same. Recent apparatus deliveries show firefighters may still be "inconvenienced" when entering and exiting some chassis cabs. Safely climbing onto a rig to access equipment is still challenging. Squaring off the back ends of pumpers and eliminating rear steps have resulted in many manufacturers providing access ladders. Others still provide fabricated and folding steps that are minimally sized just to meet NFPA 1901. When they are stacked vertically in-line above each other, climbing them is like climbing a pompier ladder. Good luck.

Unless somebody gets hurt, little attention is paid to steps. Then, finger pointing starts. Apparatus manufacturers (OEMs) are usually faulted until someone points out the fire department wrote the specifications (specs)-including the step requirements.

At recent trade shows, I saw many types of materials used for stepping surfaces. I show no preference or recommend one in lieu of another. This article addresses common NFPA-compliant stepping surfaces and how purchasing specifications sometimes fail to adequately describe them. When fire departments are not specific in detailing step sizes, materials, and locations, manufacturers are only bound to comply with NFPA 1901's minimum requirements.

Materials

The terms treadplate, tread bright, diamond plate, grip strut, bustin insert, open grating, and perforated steps are often used generically for materials similar to trademarked products. As an example, Grip Strut® is a trademarked product of B-Line Products by Cooper Industries. Bustin Industrial Products manufactures open steel and aluminum grating-both commonly called bustin inserts. McNichols manufactures Diamondback® stepping surfaces and Perf-O Grip®, which, according to the company, is a "grating with a unique surface of large debossed holes and perforated buttons to provide slip resistance." Industrial Metal Supply's Web site says aluminum treadplate comes in two alloys and three styles. Spec writers should check its informative site.

Jim Kirvida, of CustomFIRE, says, "Today's NFPA-compliant four-way Treadplate, called 3003H22 TB FTQ (3003 alloy/H-22 temper/Tread Brite/Fire Truck Quality), is nothing more than the original C-104 pattern aluminum treadplate. But instead of the raised diamonds having sharp top ridges, the tops are flattened and are left with very slight cross-sectional gashes." Unless otherwise noted, all materials referenced herein are NFPA 1901 compliant for slip resistance. Technocrats and safety gurus desiring comprehensive data should refer to NFPA 1901; any of the aforementioned metal suppliers; and the "Firefighter Tread Plate Slip Resistance Study" done by William Marletta, PhD, CSP, in 1999 for the NFPA Committee on Fire Apparatus.

Historically, running boards were made of wood (photo 1). Steel treadplate followed with progressive manufacturers such as Young Fire Apparatus using perforated mild steel called Morton Cass in the early 1970s (photo 2). Aluminum treadplate be

By Lisa Barwick

Every year, Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA) member companies show their products at a broad range of conferences, expositions, and trade shows throughout the United States and Canada.

From the massive FDIC International in Indianapolis to smaller state and regional shows, the opportunities to interact and work with domestic customers happens every year. In Europe, however, the big show, Interschutz, comes only once every five years. More than 30 FAMA member companies had booths this year at Interschutz, and many more attended to keep track of trends on the global scene.

Interschutz 2015 attendees experienced many "world firsts" from the apparatus manufacturers, including the world's first composite aerial. (Photo by author.)

Hannover, Germany, was host to Interschutz 2015-the world's largest show dedicated to fire prevention, disaster relief, and rescue services. From June 8-13, Interschutz 2015 drew a record number of exhibitors and visitors. Interschutz 2015 was the biggest and most well-attended Interschutz ever.

The statistics are staggering:

• 157,000 visitors from around the world
• Up from 123,000 in 2010
• 1,500 exhibitors from 51 countries
• Top three countries

1. China: 121 exhibitors
2. Italy: 90 exhibitors
3. USA/Canada: 90 exhibitors

• 1,141,000 square feet of exhibition space

Since Interschutz takes place every five years, many exhibitors use this venue to unveil their latest product innovations and new rescue service technologies.

With 1,500 exhibitors, it is extremely difficult to provide an overview of the vast range of new products, technologies, and services. However, apparatus manufacturers had a huge presence at Interschutz 2015. Many manufacturers showcased dozens of vehicles in their booths. Themes common with the apparatus configurations on display were rear-mount pumpers, large industrial pumpers, aerial platforms and ladders, as well as aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. Attendees also experienced many "world firsts" from the apparatus manufacturers. There were aerial platforms and ladders extending to new record heights, the world's first composite aerial, and extreme vehicles including the world's largest fire pump on a fire truck, just to name a few. From drones to firefighting robots to gigantic monitors, the innovations were abundant.

Interschutz 2015 not only provided the forum for the future of fire and emergency innovations and technologies, but it also provided attendees with the opportunity to participate in demonstrations and competitions. Depending on your interests and expertise, competitions ranged from vehicle extrication to firefighter strength and stamina competitions. The Holmatro Rescue Experience afforded extrication teams from around the world an opportunity to compete and show their skills in vehicle extrication scenarios.

The "Toughest Firefighter

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