Chris McLoone

In this column I often espouse embracing technology when it will help us be more efficient on the fireground and at the station.

As I write this, we are in the beginning stages of mourning the loss of two Boston (MA) Fire Department members, and technology has played a big part in media coverage of the incident.

Like many, I followed the incident as it unfolded via the Worldwide Web. I visited different social media outlets I know are usually on top of these types of incidents. I also went straight to the source, checking the Web sites for Boston's two major newspapers.

Since I was still at work at the time of the fire, I refrained from listening to the many live audio outlets available via the Internet. So, I relied on different news outlets. From the fire service side of things, there was a tremendous amount of coverage. News of a Mayday being called with two firefighters trapped in the basement spread quickly-especially with the fire quickly escalating to five alarms and ultimately going to nine alarms.

The beauty of the Internet is it connects us all together and allows a story out of Boston to reach the West Coast as well as overseas. The fire service has always been one big family, but online news outlets really help all of us support a department at tragic times. However, this technology, as great as it is, has a very serious downfall.

I would never decry online live audio of these incidents. These feeds are no different than programming a portable scanner to listen to the police or fire. I use live audio feeds all the time when I'm out on business travel to listen to what's going on back home. The difference is that once I turn off the app, I'm not going to hear that audio again-unless it has been recorded and uploaded so anyone can listen to it online.

There are two instances I can think of involving audio that should not have been recorded and uploaded. The first is an incident in Pennsylvania, where a lieutenant was severely burned at a fire when he and another firefighter were searching a dwelling with reported entrapment and were caught in a flashover. I indulged and listened to the audio and had to stop when I heard the trapped lieutenant's screams over the radio. They weren't screams for help. They were screams of what sounded like pure agony to me.

The second fire is the Boston nine-alarmer. Again, I admittedly indulged when I saw a link to audio. I also indulged in January when we lost two Toledo (OH) firefighters. I listen more as a training tool. I listen to the incident commanders and try to take teaching points from the fires back to my own crew. I don't do this to comment on what went wrong or what crews did wrong. I listen to see how command reacts and deploys resources. And to my crew, I reiterate things like the importance of knowing where you are at all times to communicate it to command.

But, the Boston audio is troubling. It includes what may be the last transmission the trapped crew made. It includes audio of a dispatcher working very hard to relay communications from the trapped to command and to reassure the trapped firefighters. This audio is not something to be recorded and made available to millions of people worldwide.

Technology, when used properly and with great thought, is a wonderful thing and has benefitted the fire service in more ways than I can mention. However, as with anything, there is a time and place for its use. A few weeks ago, the use of drones to record video at the scene of an explosion and fire was called into question. To my way of thinking, we ought to be cracking down on uploaded audio of tragic events vs. someone using a drone for video. We should be calling into question the rationale of posting video of firefighters doing chest compressions to revive a down firefighter, which occurred at the Boston fire. These are powerful images; the audio was powerful as well. B

By Chris Mc Loone

Thermal imaging cameras (TICs) have progressed from being large, helmet-mounted units to the handheld devices the fire service uses today. Along the way, the amount of data these devices can capture during a fire has increased, and manufacturers have added more capabilities as the actual TICs have become smaller. Besides always adding new features, the one constant for TICs has been size reduction. The logical progression would be for firefighters to not carry a TIC at all but still have access to the information it provides. HUDstar Systems, Inc., in West Palm Beach, Florida, is one company that has been working on such a product. In this case, the company is developing a TIC that allows a firefighter to see the unit's image inside his face piece.

HUDstar Systems

Serving the fire service since 2001, HUDstar presently manufactures a complete suite of firefighter electronic modules, including pressure transducers, PASS devices, voice amplification systems, push-to-talk communication systems, telemetry systems, and black box dataloggers. Additionally, the company employs certified technicians who handle all warranty service in Florida for two brands of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

In 2007, HUDstar was awarded a patent for a digital/graphic heads-up display (HUD) mounted inside a firefighter's face piece. This HUD can display information including SCBA bottle remaining pressure, air time remaining, PASS prealarm and alarm status, evacuation commands from an incident commander, and automated personnel accountability report requests. The first fire departments to use face pieces equipped with these HUDs took delivery in 2009.

Since 2009, HUDstar has continued to develop its HUD technology with a high-resolution display and improved optics. As TIC technology has advanced, the company began to look at integrating TIC functions into its HUD technology. Reduced camera size and weight for TICs have made a face-piece-mountable TIC feasible, but the problem has been how to integrate a screen in such a way that firefighters can see the image.

The TIC-HUD system consists of two components: a TIC module that is mounted on the side of a face piece and a HUD module that is inside the mask (shown). (Photos courtesy of HUDstar Systems, Inc.)

TIC in a Face Piece

According to Tom Kuutti, president of HUDstar Systems, the company solved the problem of how firefighters would see the TIC image by integrating a postage-stamp-size wireless transceiver into a face-piece-mounted TIC module and wirelessly coupling it with HUDstar's high-resolution HUD module inside the mask. The company has United States and international patents pending for the design.

The product is called TIC-HUD. The system consists of two components: a TIC module that is mounted on the side of a face piece and a HUD module that is inside the mask. Among the system's advantages are an always-clear TIC display, since it is inside the face piece, and freeing up firefighters' hands to perform other tasks.

Developing the product has not been without challenges. "Since the TIC module is mounted on the side of the firefighter's face mask, it is important for the design to be small and compact," says Kuutti. "Designing the optics to achieve good image resolution and visibility, size and weight reduction, battery life, and keeping the cost down have been the primary challenges."

According to Kuutti, the TIC module consumes the same amount of power as a firefighter's radio, so a rechargeable battery provides the best tradeoff between weight reduction and battery life. He adds that HUDstar is also devel

Internal corrosion of a fire pump can result in costly repair to the pipes, major components, and other pump related accessories on your fire apparatus. This is sometimes described as electrolysis; however, this process is actually galvanic corrosion. Combating galvanic corrosion and its harmful damage to your components can be done by following a few simple steps and recommended procedures.

When dissimilar metals are placed in water and electrically connected, ion migration will occur. One metal will act as an anode and the other as a cathode and these ions will then transfer from the anode to the cathode. In a fire pump, the cast iron body most often becomes the anode and the other parts of the pump become the cathode. The casting will begin to wear away in an attempt to migrate to the other components causing the parts to literally disappear and form pits or holes over time. When a device with a third composition is added intentionally to combat this process it becomes a sacrificial anode. Materials commonly used as sacrificial anodes include, Magnesium, Zinc, and various Aluminum alloys. When these metals are connected physically or electrically, the ion migration will shift from the pump to the weaker sacrificial anode and provide cathodic protection of that fire pump...

Ziamatic Corp.'s QUIC-MOUNT DOUBLE EXTRICATION TOOL HOLDER, MODEL QM-ETD-1, is an adjustable upright extrication tool mounting solution for two extrication tools. The heavy-duty, aluminum QM-ETD-1 boasts independently adjustable components including tilt angle, enabling it to safely and securely accommodate many popular makes and models of cutter, spreader, and combination tool upright in the compartment. Mounting to nearly any flat surface, the QM-ETD-1 eliminates the need for expensive, custom fabricated mounting boxes. Ideal for hydraulic and battery-powered tools. www.ziamatic.com, 800-711-FIRE

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LEADER Smoke 2 and 4 smoke generators produce dense and realistic smoke to create favorable circumstances for training in optimal safety conditions. It meets the training needs to fill small to very large areas of smoke in a few minutes. Thanks to its permanent heating system, the two machines in the series generate smoke continuously, for a dense smoke diffusion to avoid operation interruptions during the programmed period. They use a smoke fluid composed of water and glycol, which ensures the smoke is totally safe. The flow of smoke is adjustable, for light or dense smoke. Units are equipped with removable and rugged remote controls, allowing multipurpose use for triggering smoke emissions at a distance. www.leader-group.eu, 33 (0) 2 76 84 01 59

Hannay Reels standard F Series reel for booster hose is dependable and rugged. It is made to handle harsh conditions on-site. The "Super Booster," which features durable aluminum construction, weighs up to 30 percent less than standard booster reels and accommodates ¾- or one-inch I.D. hose. Stainless steel construction is also available. A gear-driven crank rewind is standard, or a chain and sprocket drive powered by electric, hydraulic, or compressed air motor can be specified. www.hannay.com, 877-467-3357

Streamlight®, Inc. PolyTac® and PolyTac® HP polymer flashlights offer updated brightness and designs. Each light features a power LED that delivers up to 275 lumens and an improved grip, as well as a programmable switch that gives users the choice of three operating modes. Both lights now offer three settings (high, low, and strobe) and include TEN-TAP® programming that allows users to select three different programs: high/