Murray Craig

1 This photo shows the line of bearing (LOB) from a single TigerStrike once the radio signal is detected. With multiple systems, the technology can automatically triangulate a signal. (Photo courtesy of Firestorm Emergency Services, Ltd.)

What happened? Where is he?

Without a second thought, the incident commander (IC) uses the command radio to activate the rescue beacon capability of the lost firefighter's radio. He then grabs two TigerStrike® systems, positions the system operators, and searches for the unique digital ID "ping" broadcast from the firefighter's radio. With the radio "ping" located, the IC initiates a rescue operation.

Every second counts.

Firestorm Emergency Services and the TigerStrike 4100 are ready to aid rescue and recovery operators to respond as quickly and accurately as possible.

This scenario is just as likely to occur in the wilderness fighting wildfires as it is fighting a house fire. At a wildfire, the amount of land and terrain covered creates unique difficulties. If the fire changes directions or flares up, teams of firefighters can be cut off from support and unable to be located. Although resources are in place to aid firefighters in this situation, such as air tankers, these resources cannot be used properly if the location of the firefighters is unknown. Without any action required by the firefighters, the TigerStrike can assist in locating their position and enable these additional resources to provide a protective cover until the firefighters can be evacuated.

Although TigerStrike can locate the digital ID ping discussed above, it can also locate a radio when the firefighter is broadcasting. This enables the TigerStrike to be used in virtually any rescue situation.

Background

From the 1940s to the 1990s, radio direction finding (RDF) was widely used by numerous industries from the military to aviation. However, since the introduction of global positioning systems (GPSs), there have been virtually no innovations in the RDF industry until the TigerStrike. For this reason, the majority of systems available are very large and heavy and do not include advanced software.

Since 2003, I have been heavily involved in search and rescue as a member of the Civil Air Patrol and with Emerald Bay Search & Rescue, where I participated in the Columbia Space Shuttle recovery in Nacadochuse, Texas. As I helped execute numerous searches with outdated technology, I thought, "I can make something better than this." From there, TigerStrike was developed.

Instead of following the common design of previous systems, the TigerStrike removed the "brains" of the system from the hardware and moved them into the artificial-intelligence-based software application. This enabled Firestorm to develop a light, handheld antenna array, which is highly accurate and very rugged.

The TigerStrike is a Firestorm patent-pending technology originally developed for civilian search and rescue (SAR). The TigerStrike family of phased-array antennas is designed for relatively narrow and specific frequency ranges-a separate phased-array boom with antennas is designed for a given radio frequency of intere

By Alan M. Petrillo

But around the country, some fire agencies find an articulating boom aerial to be a must-have piece of apparatus. Several types of articulating boom vehicles are produced today by various manufacturers, each having features that distinguish them and their use from traditional ladders and platforms.

Articulating boom products being offered today in the United States include the following:

• The Snozzle, made by Oshkosh and Pierce Manufacturing Inc.
• The T-Rex, manufactured by Rosenbauer.
• The Bronto Skylift, distributed by E-ONE.
• The Snorkel, made by Ladder Tower Company (LTC).
• The Telstar, a Gimaex product offered by Spartan ERV.

The Snozzle

Tim Smits, senior manager of national sales and product support for Pierce Manufacturing, says that since Oshkosh, Pierce's parent company, purchased the Snozzle high-reach extendable turret (HRET) product line in April 2011, it has been made in Appleton, Wisconsin, and used on Pierce's municipal and Oshkosh's airport products.

1 The Elizabeth (NJ) Fire Department bought a 65-foot Snozzle on a Pierce Manufacturing 2013 Arrow XT chassis with a 2,000-gpm pump, 700-gallon water tank, and 300-gallon foam cell. In addition to Class B foam, the vehicle also carries a 1,000-pound Purple K system. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)

"After we bought the Snozzle, we redesigned it and improved its functionality," Smits says. He adds that the Snozzle, which is available in 50- and 65-foot lengths, appeals to those in the municipal pumper market because it's a lightweight system that can be added to a single-axle vehicle. "It allows the customer to run a true pumper and have the ability for an elevated master stream," Smits points out. "We only need 21 inches of frame space to package the Snozzle, either in front of or in back of the pump house, which keeps the compartmentation the same and the hosebed intact."

Thomas P. Carle, sales support manager for Oshkosh Airport Products, says the tip of the HRET Snozzle that Oshkosh installs on its aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles carries two discharges that can flow water or foam: an Akron fog and straight stream nozzle with a 750-gallon-per-minute (gpm) high flow rate and 375-gpm low flow rate and a piercing nozzle that flows 250 gpm. The HRET also has a tip-mounted color digital camera.

2 The Eagan (MN) Fire Department runs a 50-foot Snozzle on a 2012 Pierce Saber chassis, mounting a Waterous SD100D 1,500-gpm rear-mount pump, a 500-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon foam cell, and a Husky 12 foam system. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)

The articulating part of the Snozzle is made from two steel booms, with the second boom having an inner aluminum boom that t

Robert Tutterow

The seating is so cramped that buckling a seat belt is often difficult for average-size firefighters wearing street clothes. When wearing turnout gear, the problem worsens. If a firefighter is above average in size and wearing turnout gear, the task of buckling a seat belt can be most frustrating. To illustrate the cramped conditions, I recently had a discussion with a firefighter who was approximately six feet, three inches tall and 265 pounds with the build of a defensive end. He told me that when he drives his department's apparatus, without turnout gear, he has to keep the window down to allow room to maneuver his left elbow to safely turn the steering wheel.

Historical Perspective

Why has the fire service accepted such a bad seating arrangement for so long? It is certainly not a new problem. A small group of fire service personnel started addressing this problem more than eight years ago. This is evidenced by my September 2006 column in this publication. Several excerpts from that column are pertinent to the background of this issue:

"Seat belt usage, or the lack thereof, is definitely a 'front and center' topic in the industry. Fortunately, a few fire service organizations and key fire service leaders have decided to take action. This past April [2006], an ad-hoc group of interested persons representing the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Health & Safety Section, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA), and the Safety Task Group [now defunct] of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee on Fire Apparatus met in Indianapolis, Indiana, to explore opportunities. It was not a pleasant meeting. The manufacturing sector could not understand why the fire service, with its paramilitary organizational structure, could not mandate seat belt usage. Granted, it is hard to argue with their position. However, fire service representatives pointed out the extreme difficulty in many fire apparatus cabs to buckle up. The seats are 'shoe-horned' around the engine compartment of custom cabs, the straps are hard to reach and get tangled with the self-contained breathing apparatus straps; the straps are too short. This was getting emotional.

"Luckily, a nonemotional thought process rose to the top, and a plan of action was formed. Foremost, a firefighter anthropometric study [human body measurements] was proposed. In the following weeks, representatives from FAMA quickly developed a comprehensive study [protocol]. The study includes almost 40 measurements (including weights) of a firefighter. The weights are recorded in street clothes and with full PPE. Lap belt and shoulder strap length requirements are measured. The Los Angeles (CA) and Charlotte (NC) Fire Departments were selected to do the pilot study. These two departments reacted immediately to measure 60 firefighters for validation and finetuning of the study. The data was presented at a second meeting of the ad-hoc multiorganizational group in [July].

"Three things were apparent from the initial analysis:

1. The study is very useful.
2. More firefighters need to be measured to represent a valid sampling.
3. There is an opportunity to improve seating and seat belt/shoulder strap accessibility.

"Though the initial measurements are preliminary, it appears firefighters are larger and heavier when wearing full PPE

By Alan M. Petrillo

Spreaders, cutters, combination tools, and rams all benefit from high-capacity batteries that allow for maximum operational time and greater power where it's needed.

Hurst Jaws of Life

1 Hurst Jaws of Life reduced the eDraulic 2.0 S 700E2 cutter to 48.1 pounds, but it still retains the same performance characteristics of its predecessor. (Photo courtesy of Hurst Jaws of Life.)

Bruce R. Johnston, director of marketing and product management for Hurst Jaws of Life, says Hurst introduced the first battery tool on the market in 2011-the eDraulic-and has since improved it to a 2.0 model earlier this year that also has proven successful. "We design our tools and equipment with three priorities in mind: innovation to prepare firefighters for future challenges, power to deal with the stronger metals in vehicles, and speed for faster removal of patients," Johnston says. "Our eDraulic 2.0 tools have been elevated with better performance and portability, faster speed, and easier deployment."

Hurst offers two cutters, two spreaders, two combination tools, and one ram in the eDraulic 2.0 product line.

2 The Hurst eDraulic 2.0 Sp 300EP spreader got a new hydraulic pump that reduces weight, making it easier to handle, yet still delivers powerful performance. (Photo courtesy of Hurst Jaws of Life.)

Johnston notes that the company trimmed down the eDraulic S 700E2 cutter's weight to to 48.1 pounds (from 54.1 pounds in its initial version), and the S 311E2 cutter is three pounds lighter at 39 pounds and still delivers the same performance characteristics. Hurst was able to shed the weight on the battery-operated tools through a sleeker more compact design, Johnston says, as well as a change in some of the materials used in manufacturing.

The eDraulic SP 310E2 spreader is stronger than its predecessor and features a newly designed hydraulic pump that delivers 72,800 pounds of spreading force. The Hurst SP 300E2 spreader also got a new hydraulic pump that reduces weight but continues to maintain its performance characteristics.

3 Genesis Rescue Systems makes the eForce C236 cutter as the largest of three cutter models, classifying it as a heavy-duty unit to handle the toughest materials. (Photo courtesy of Genesis Rescue Systems.)

Both of the eDraulic combi tools in the 2.0 line are more powerful and have reduced weights, Johnston points out. The SC 357E2 combi tool is more powerful and two pounds lighter than the previous version and uses a compact, single integrated design to house