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The purpose of the Fire Mechanics Section is to promote standardization of fire apparatus and equipment preventative maintenance, improve safety standards and practices, promote workshops, conferences, and seminars related to the purposes of this Section, and to promote cost savings through standardization of building and equipment purchasing and maintenance.

RECENT FIRE MECHANIC NEWS

Posted: Oct 17, 2022

Electric Propulsion Comes to ARFF in the Form of the Striker Volterra

By Alan M. Petrillo

Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) firefighters now have an electric option in an ARFF truck with the introduction of the Oshkosh Striker® Volterra™.

It’s a close cousin to Pierce Manufacturing’s Volterra Type 1 pumper but with a Scania engine; onboard batteries; and an electro-mechanical transmission that deliver a lot more zip to the vehicle’s acceleration capabilities, even while negotiating 90 degree turns on taxiways to get to the location of an incident quickly and safely.

Jack Bermingham, business unit director of airport products for Oshkosh Airport Products LLC, says Oshkosh developed the Striker Volterra hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) ARFF truck, which is being offered on Oshkosh’s 4×4 and 6×6 chassis platforms, as a vehicle that’s engineered to channel mechanical power and battery power to maximize driving and pumping performance while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Oshkosh Airport Products ‘Road Rally’ to Bring Striker Volterra ARFF Hybrid Electric Vehicle to Locations in North America

Electric Apparatus Make Their Way into the Fire Service

ARFF Archives

ARFF Units at Airports Vary in Size Depending on Aircraft and Airports Being Protected

ARFF Leaders: Are We Training Them for Failure?

Small-Size ARFF Trucks Often Protect Smaller and Midsize Airfields

ARFF Service: a Relationship Business

New and Refined ARFF Truck Designs

Oshkosh Airport Products LLC has developed the Striker Volterra hybrid electric vehicle ARFF truck, shown here in a 6×6 version.(Photos courtesy of Oshkosh Airport Products LLC.)

Pumping operations on the Striker Volterra 6×6 are done through a 2,000-gpm water pump, powered by a Scania diesel engine.

“Users will still enjoy legacy features found on the Striker ARFF vehicle while gaining the benefits of the Striker Volterra technology,” he points out. “Operation of the vehicle is consistent with current Striker ARFF models, so no additional training is necessary, which eases operations and fleet integration.”

Bermingham

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Posted: Oct 17, 2022

Toronto and Brampton (Canada) Will Soon be Fighting Fire with Electricity

Residents of Toronto and Brampton (Canada) will soon see a fire engine passing them on the street without the heavy roar of a diesel engine. That is because the fire services for both cities will soon have fully battery-electric pumper trucks in their fleets, Wheels.ca reported.

In late August, Toronto Fire Services announced that two all-electric Vector fire trucks have been ordered from Spartan Emergency Response, a U.S.-based designer and manufacturer of specialty vehicles, the report said.

Toronto will be one of the first fire departments in Canada to operate the Vector pumpers, which will be powered by 327 kilowatt-hours worth of automotive-grade batteries, according to the report.

While Toronto’s decision to go with an electric pumper was big news, it is not the first fire service in the province to do so. That honor goes to the Brampton Fire and Emergency services, which ordered an electric pumper truck in June 2021, the report said.

It has opted to purchase a Rosenbauer RTX, a unit designed by Rosenbauer America. The pumper has 132-kilowatt-hours of power but is smaller and different in overall appearance from a traditional fire truck, the report said. 

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Posted: Oct 17, 2022

Cantankerous Wisdom: What’s the Best Comfort Height?

By Bill Adams

Over morning coffee, the Raisin Squad was addressing the day’s major problems – inflation, threat of war, rising school taxes, re-paving the streets in town and what’s for lunch at the senior center. One vertically challenged geezer started moaning and groaning – again – about the chair heights at the kitchen table. We pay him little attention.

Bill Adams

But he was on a roll – not even coming up for air: “I looked in the cab of that new rig but the damn step was too high to get in.”  We told him only active members belong in the cabs. He kept complaining “I pulled myself up on the rear step but them folding steps are so far apart I couldn’t get higher.” One white hair told him to sue his parents for giving him short legs. “I can’t – they passed years ago.” We said he shouldn’t be climbing that high or he’d get a nosebleed. “There’s actives in here shorter than me. They gotta have a hard time too.” 

Then out-of-the-clear came this: “Yesterday I used the handicap facility at the center. My legs were dangling in the air. It was higher than them damn fold down seats in the that pumper you sold us 30 years ago.”  I said I didn’t sell it. “It don’t matter; you were on the committee. Why can’t you people build fire trucks for short people?” I left.

NFPA 1901

Stumpy (his new nickname) made a couple good points. The first is the step heights on fire trucks and the second is the seat height in the crew cabs. The National Fire Protection Association NFPA 1901 for Standard Automotive Fire Apparatus says under 15.7.1.1 “The maximum stepping height shall not exceed 18 in. (460 mm), with the exception of the ground to first step, which shall not exceed 24 in. (610 mm) when the vehicle is loaded to its estimated in-service weight.” 

Those are maximum distances. How did the NFPA come up with those figures? What’s the best comfort height for climbing access steps on a fire truck? Can a purchaser specify steps less than 18-inches apart and the first one less than 24-inches from the ground? 

Risers

A step riser is the height from one stepping surface to the another. Researching them on the web shows numerous regulatory, or recommended, or industry accepted standards including some from OSHA, the NFPA, and the International Building Code. They address workplace stairs, commercial stairs, steps for the fire service and general public, homes, step ladders, and you name it. 

Nothing says if their requirements have to be are in synch. One OSHA requirement says step risers should be no less than 6 inches in height and no more than 7.5 inches; another says 4-inches to 7-inches. The step risers in most houses are around 7½-inches.

NFPA 1931 and Common Sense

NFPA 1931 Standard for Manufacturer’s Design of Fire Department Ground Ladders under 4.1.3.6* states: “Rungs shall be uniformly spaced ±3 mm (±1∕8 in.) on centers that are between 305 mm and 356 mm (12 in. and 14 in.).” 

I venture the NFPA assumes firefighters in full protective clothing will be climbing up and down ladders as well as climbing

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Posted: Oct 17, 2022

Photo Apparatus of the Day: October 17, 2022

HME Ahrens-Fox—Ogdensburg (NJ) Fire Department pumper. HME 1871-W MFDxl cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax 2,000-gpm pump; 500-gallon polypropylene water tank. Dealer: Sean Desjardins, Emergency Equipment Sales, Ewing, NJ.

PREVIOUS PHOTO OF THE DAY >>

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Fire Mechanics Section Board

Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Chair

Elliot Courage
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue
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Vice Chair

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Vice Chair

Mike Smith 
Pierce County Fire District #5
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Secretary

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Secretary

Greg Bach
South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue
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Director #1

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #1

Doug Jones
South Kitsap Fire & Rescue
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Director #2

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #2

Paul Spencer 
Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC
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Director #3

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #3

Jim Morris
Mountain View Fire Department
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Director #4

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #4

Arnie Kuchta

Clark County Fire District 6

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Director #6

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #6

Brett Annear
Kitsap County Fire District 18
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Director #5

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Director #5

Jay Jacks
Camano Island Fire & Rescue
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Legislative Representative

Posted: Oct 21, 2015

Legislative Representative

TBD
TBD
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Immediate Past Chair

Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Immediate Past Chair

Brian Fortner
Graham Fire & Rescue

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