Carl J. Haddon

Fast forward to 2014. Many rescue tools on the market today still at least struggle with the metal components found in the XC90. After having performed dozens of them on these vehicles provided by the manufacturer, I personally maintain that a dash displacement on these Volvo SUVs is one of the biggest challenges you will face in modern vehicle extrication. Believe it or not, the difficulty experienced in the XC90 dash displacement is second only to that of the C70 convertible. Yes, I said convertible.

Fasten your seat belts and call your rescue tool rep because Volvo's been very busy, and it's just released the totally redesigned 2016 XC90. Cutting to the chase, this vehicle boasts "five times the amount of boron steel" than that of the aforementioned XC90 that's given us the challenges that I've spoken about over the years.

1 Rescues involving vehicles loaded with ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) are going to take longer. Rescuers will see reinforcements in most structural components including in the UHSS-/boron-infused passenger seat frames. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

New Steel

Built on its all new "scalable product architecture," Volvo will be able to produce the new XC90s on the same production line as its other models. So, how is that relevant to the fire and rescue tool industries? The simple answer to that question is that these new vehicles will all have similar or identical base components and employ the same or similar amounts of ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) in their construction. In other words, the construction materials and design challenges that we encounter in the XC90 will no longer be an anomaly in our world of extrication.

Other vehicle manufacturers, such as Volkswagon, are in the process of a similar type of vehicle construction, and I imagine the domestic automakers shouldn't be too far behind because this new car-making technology continues to develop and become more popular.

I believe that this means good things and greater challenges for us and our rescue tool manufacturers. On the good side, this technology will eventually level off, and we will find equilibrium once again. In the meantime, vehicle rescues involving these types of vehicles loaded with the UHSS are going to take longer. Rescuers will see reinforcements in most structural components up to and including UHSS-/boron-infused passenger seat frames.

As is the way of the tide, just when it seemed like the technology of our rescue tools was starting to come into some sort of sync with automakers' technology, automotive innovation deals us another hand of challenges.

Dealing with UHSS

Regardless of the brand or the rescue tool model used, there are a couple of basics to remember when dealing with these new vehicles made with "monster metals" that can keep our crews and our patients safe during extrication operations.

First and foremost, remember that if the metal needing to be cu

By Bill Adams

Three outsourced body manufacturers had their start in the fire service industry by fabricating nonmetallic booster tanks. They do not manufacture complete fire apparatus. They are United Plastic Fabricators (UPF), in North Andover, Massachusetts; PolyBilt Body Company, in Ocala, Florida; and APR Plastic Fabricating, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. All three manufacture tanks and bodies of thermoplastic materials. Andrew Lingel is vice president of operations for UPF, Chad Falls is sales manager for APR, and Tim Dean is president of PolyBilt Body Company. All three have provided information for this article.

1 This heavy-duty wrecker features a UPF Poly Body. UPF states that thermoplastics are highly resistant to ultraviolet rays and harsh elements when left outside 24/7. (Photo courtesy of UPF.)

Disclaimer

Simply put, trademarks and patents are legal and exclusive "rights" to recognizable symbols and inventions. Holders of patents and trademarks are fiercely protective of those rights-especially when a patent or trademark is used generically. As an example, while the term poly tank is commonly used, it must be pointed out that "Poly Tank" is a registered trademark of UPF. Similarly, the term poly body is generically used for fire apparatus bodies manufactured of thermoplastic materials. "Poly-Body" is also a trademark owned by UPF for "service and utility bodies mounted on trucks equipped with firefighting equipment for use as firefighting trucks." PolyBilt trademarked its name "PolyBilt" for "truck bodies made of polymer-based materials with integrated compartments for commercial use." In this article, a body manufactured by any of the three aforementioned manufacturers is referred to as a thermoplastic body regardless of molecular component or trademarked name.

Materials

2 3 These photos depict commercial thermoplastic bodies. The upper portion of the body in photo 2 is slanted inward, and the body is designed to be mounted on a chassis. The body in photo 3 is designed to slide into the rear of a utility vehicle. (Photos courtesy of PolyBilt.)

UPF advertises that its bodies are made of a high-impact copolymer polypropylene. APR advertises that its bodies are fabricated of high-impact-resistant copolymer polypropylene, which it calls CPP. PolyBilt calls its bodies a blend of monomers: propylene and ethylene monomers combined. Each manufacturer has detailed specifications with precise descriptions of materials used.

Although body materials and welding procedures may be analogous, the actual methods of fabrication and adjoining one piece of thermoplastic to another can vary. Each body manufacturer advocates its particular method of construction and the sometimes unique nomenclature it uses to describe it. In this article, any wel

Paul Newton

In addition to lighting the scene, line voltage (AC electricity) on an apparatus can be used for powering communications, extrication, and ventilation equipment and anything else that requires a 110- or 220-VAC source. Many departments choose to specify cord reels with line voltage outlets as well as outlets in the cab and around the body. Although each location will have an individual current rating, the total amount of power you will be able to draw will depend on the power source's capacity. Proper power source specification is critical to ensuring that your apparatus will live up to your expectations. Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA) member companies can provide a variety of solutions.

Power Sources

An inverter or generator produces AC electricity on an apparatus. Inverters are small-capacity units that convert 12-VDC battery power to 110-VAC power. These units may be adequate for communications equipment or other low-current applications. But for most serious uses, you will need a generator.

Power Needs

Before considering the type of generator you want, you must first determine the amount of power you will need. Take inventory of all the AC devices you will have on the apparatus or that you will be powering from the apparatus, and list the power requirement for each in kW. Think about which devices you will be running at the same time, and come up with the configuration that will require the greatest total power. Add a safety factor of 15 percent or some other value you feel comfortable with, and use this value to size your generator.

Generator Types

When we refer to generators, we are referring to the entire system of parts that make up the power-producing unit. The system may consist of many parts such as motors, belts, shafts, engines, and reservoirs. However, all generators include an alternator. When the alternator spins, it produces power. How we spin that alternator is where the difference in generators appears. There are four main generator types, each with its own pros and cons.

Gasoline

Gas generators typically come in sizes from three to 10 kW. They are the least expensive but also the least capable of the generator options. Since nearly all modern apparatus are diesel-powered, your gas generator will require its own source of fuel. Power will be available anytime the generator is running, whether the apparatus is mobile or stationary. Apparatus design will need to include an additional exhaust system as well as a means of keeping the generator cool during operation. Gas generators can be a good choice for low-power, intermittent use and when the budget is tight.

Diesel

Diesel generators have most of the same installation considerations as gasoline generators-a good location for an exhaust pipe and accommodations to keep the generators cool. Since they run on the same fuel as the apparatus, they do not require an extra fuel tank. Available in sizes from 10 to 50 kW, diesel generators are a good choice for continuous use for high-power applications.

Hydraulic

Hydraulic generators don't need their own power source because they use mechanical power from the main apparatus engine. A power take-off (PTO) on the transmission transfers power, which turns a hydraulic pump. This pump creates pressure in the hydraulic fluid that flows through a hose to drive a hydraulic motor directly attached to the alternator. The alternator and cooling system can be located anywhere on the apparatus and will provide power with the apparatus either stationary or on the move. Hydraulic generators are a great choice for heavy-duty or continuous operation-up to 50 kW-where space is at

Chris Mc Loone

The University of Arizona College of Public Health is set to receive $1 million to study fire apparatus accidents.

The university plans to examine four fire departments and is using the Tucson (AZ) Fire Department as its control because of its very low accident rate. Researchers plan to suggest the most cost-effective ways to reduce accidents involving fire apparatus after learning what is causing them.

On one hand, this is great news. An independent entity has taken a leadership role in helping to reduce injuries and line-of-duty deaths caused by accidents occurring during emergency responses. On the other hand, is this study going to conclude with anything that the fire service doesn't already know?

During 2014, we have seen accidents involving rollovers, civilians running into staged fire apparatus, and just recently an apparatus crossed a bridge that gave way underneath it. Is that infrastructure or an operator forgetting to check the weight rating of the bridge before crossing it? Some accidents have involved fire apparatus beginning to leave the roadway and the operator overcompensating to get back on the road, resulting in loss of control. The causes of the accidents are more often than not clear, and the actions that could have been taken to avoid them are also clear. So, what will this study do for the fire service?

According to Arizona University representatives, the study will look at four "major" fire departments. But, is this really where we need researchers to be looking?

Speed, training, and age seem to be three major issues when apparatus accidents occur. If the men and women "riding the seat" are unafraid to tell the driver to slow down, then it should be pretty easy for us to correct speed problems. However, training and age are two areas where looking at "major" fire departments is not going to yield the best data.

We have a crisis in the fire service in our rural fire departments. Often apparatus is up to 30 years old or even older. Personnel are hard to come by. So out of necessity, it is more than likely that the average age of apparatus operators in these areas is going to much younger than in "major" fire departments. It is impossible for anyone to say with a blanket statement that our apparatus operators need to be older. It is inevitable that a 19- or 20-year-old "kid" is going to be behind the wheel at times. Maturity levels will vary, and so will the speed at which 19- or 20-year-olds drive. Often these members have only driven their personal vehicles for two or maybe three years before they start driving million-dollar apparatus weighing in excess of 20 tons. The answer is not so easy for these departments.

Rural roads not built for 96-inch-wide, 20-foot-long vehicles are where many accidents occur. Training to drive these vehicles often is on the job. There aren't resources available to send drivers through full-blown EVOC classes where drivers in training get to drive in controlled environments to truly learn the feel of these vehicles and how they react at certain times. So, training or lack of it is not something that will be easily fixed.

A Tucson Fire Department spokesperson wisely mentions that we also must look at the public. Their distractions have gone from changing a radio station to texting, dialing phone numbers, and then talking on the phone. They just aren't watching out for us. Sometimes it isn't even these distractions. Civilians operate vehicles at too great a speed as well at times. Their vehicles are built to keep out the ambient noise around them. Because of these facts, there are simply times