By Robert Tutterow

In a previous column, I shared a quote from Glen Usdin, a former magazine publisher, that states, "The fire service is a low-tech market that has zero potential for growth, and the amount of new products and services being introduced each year is very small. We keep our expensive stuff for a long time and don't really embrace much new technology." I found this comment to be humbling as it was something I have never considered or heard mentioned.

The quote continued to weigh on my mind, and I started reflecting on fire service product innovations. When I step back to my first experiences in the fire service as a kid in the late 1950s, I can easily see changes everywhere. For example, when my dad became a charter member of a local rural volunteer fire department, there were no pagers and no 911 system. To report a fire, you had to call the local funeral home. It also ran the ambulance service and was available all day. The funeral home would call Mrs. Nina Powell, who lived across the road from the fire station. Fortunately, she was almost always at home and hopefully not on the phone. Yes, there was a backup contact. Mrs. Powell would go to the fire station and activate the alarm mounted on the roof. She would remain outside the station and tell the responding firefighters the location of the fire. This kept firefighters from having to get out of their vehicles. After a few minutes, she would write the information on the chalkboard for any late-arriving firefighters and return home.

The department's engine was a 1958 Howe pumper on a six-cylinder Chevrolet chassis with a four-speed manual transmission and two-speed rear end. The tanker (water tender) was a tractor-drawn military surplus vehicle. The tractor was a 1939 Federal with "armstrong" power steering, and the tanker trailer had a 2,000-gallon capacity. The tractor was as long as the trailer, and this quickly separated the skilled drivers from the not-so-skilled when it came to backing. There were no two-way radios and no incident command system. Yet, all of this was still a huge improvement over the horse-drawn, hand-pumped, and steam-driven engines of yesteryear. Clearly, the fire service has come a long way.

Emphasis on Safety

However, it's only been in the past 25 to 30 years that there has been an emphasis on fire apparatus and equipment as it relates to firefighter safety. Almost all the innovations have come from other industries like the military and, to some degree, the space program. Many of the changes have been driven by laws, standards, and litigation-or the fear of litigation. The fire service simply has little horsepower when it comes to driving technological advances. Historically, most of what we do is low-tech, though this is beginning to change.

For apparatus, the biggest change has been in cab design-going from open cabs to fully enclosed cabs. This became a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirement in 1991. The change was prompted by a lawsuit against an apparatus manufacturer, the Peter Pirsch Company. A Brookline, Massachusetts, firefighter-Joseph Tynan-died from head injuries sustained when he fell from the apparatus during a response. A key point to the prosecution's case was the grab bar that wrapped around the back of the canopy cab. The defense was not able to determine the purpose of the grab bar other than a place to hold onto while standing during a response. The Pirsch Company was found liable for the accident and was successfully sued for $5 million. Soon thereafter, it went out of business.

Visible warning devices for apparatus have also improved with the emergence of LED lights. Electronics are now the norm in engines and transmissions. Yet, these improvements come from other industries. There have been improvements to the seating and restraint systems in fire apparatus as well as improvements in step and grab

By Alan M. Petrillo

There's been a quiet revolution in lighting on all types of fire apparatus, and light emitting diodes-better known as LEDs-are leading the charge.

LEDs have many advantages over other types of lighting devices: They draw less current, burn cooler, and last inordinately longer.

Although LED lighting fixtures are more costly up front than other types of lighting, they still are being chosen more frequently to light up fire apparatus, from scene lighting to light towers to warning lights, and interior lighting for compartment illumination.

Whelen Engineering makes a wide variety of LED lighting for fire apparatus, including its Pioneer line, such as these standard and surface mounted models. (Photo courtesy of Whelen Engineering.)

Widespread Acceptance

Andy Olson, vice president of fire, rescue, and EMS for Whelen Engineering Co., says his firm "has experienced a huge acceptance of LED lighting on fire apparatus. It is pretty much accepted across the board so that it has become the norm, a standard in the industry."

Olson says that if there's a type of lighting needed on a vehicle, Whelen makes it. "Emergency warning lights, brake and tail lights, backup lights, flood lights, and scene lights-we make them all," he says. "Ninety percent or more of our products now are LEDs, which we make in a whole range of products, from standard units to top-of-the-line offerings. Halogen-based products have virtually disappeared."

The Rota-Beam introduced by Whelen Engineering is a solid state LED that mimics a rotating beacon. (Photo courtesy of Whelen Engineering.)

Olson notes that last year Whelen introduced the Rota-Beam, a solid state LED that mimics a rotating beacon. The benefits, he points out, are the longevity and brightness of LED lighting and that there are no gears or motors in the light.

Toh Meng, president of FRC, a division of ROM Corp., says his company has seen his LED products used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and dealers for about 80 percent of the vehicles they are building or selling. "Whether it is for scene, interior, compartment, or warning lighting, people love LED technology," Meng says. "They like the color of the light. It's whiter and closer to sunlight than other types of illumination; the quality of the light is better; the LEDs have a much longer life, lasting between 50,000 and 100,000 hours; and they are more reliable and trouble-free, making their cost of ownership less."

Dave Cotsmire, Will-Burt's marketing manager, points out that for the past few years, LEDs have been the majority of the lights Will-Burt has installed on its towers. "LEDs are the buzzword in the fire industry when it comes to lighting," Cotsmire says. "They use less power, don't need an onboard generator, and can plug straight into a 12-volt system. The demand is out there and is growing year by year."

Los Angeles County (CA) firefighters load hose in a pickup truck lit Read more 759 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Mar 4, 2014 Letters to the Editor Reconsider Your Photos I have a comment regarding the photo by Michael J. Coppola that appears on the cover of the January 2014 issue of Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment. I would ask that you and your staff pay closer attention to detail before using a picture like this as a moniker for some apparatus manufacturer. I have always found many of the articles in your publication both educational and useful. I am using this photo as a training session at our department on what not to do at a structure fire! Both Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and, I am sure, state or department rules are violated over, and over, and over. The photo depicts active fire in the center of the picture. There is one firefighter shown on the second-story roof to the left without helmet or gloves on. Really? He appears to be yelling some type of communication to the guy on the ladder. What, they have never heard of radios? The next firefighter is seen on the ground ladder without a helmet, gloves, or structure coat. He must be the hero firefighter since he doesn't believe he has to wear his mandatory OSHA-required gear on the fireground. So when he falls off the ladder or it slides out from underneath him, what do you tell the widow when he dies? And finally, the superhero on the aerial with his designer shades and his bottle of water looks like a nice pose for some friend-no gear whatsoever! They call this professional firefighting? These actions are why every single month the fire service is burying firefighters or reporting another "close call." I understand this fireground scene had absolutely nothing to do with your magazine or your staff. But please, show some professional responsibility and do not publish photos that are so completely offensive to the men and women of the fire service who do it right every day. This truly is an insult. If you do not have a professional staff level fire officer to review photos such as this prior to publication, I would gladly submit my name. Dennis D. Fouchia Chief Lenox Township (MI) Fire Department Associate Editor Chris Mc Loone responds: Whenever a nonstaged photo is considered for a cover, there is a possibility that those in the image could be captured in a less than flattering light. With that in mind, the photos we choose focus on the apparatus operating at the scene of a fire. However, the advantage of using such images means that personnel are depicted in real-world environments. We encourage all readers to take cover photos and use them for teaching purposes. Read more 744 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Mar 4, 2014 In The News AMERICAN LaFRANCE unexpectedly closed its doors on January 17, 2014. Shortly after the news spread, the company issued this statement: "American LaFrance, LLC, the manufacturer of fire, rescue, and vocational vehicles, announced the closing of its warehouse, production, and service facilities in Monks Corner, South Carolina, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and Los Angeles, California. "The company is advising its customers that they will be able to continue obtaining replacement parts and service for vehicles manufactured by American LaFrance from a new third party vendor. American LaFrance will contact customers with information about where they can obtain parts and service for their vehicles in the near future. "Unfortunately, the company's unexpected current financial condition requires the discontinuation of operations in these locations at this time and these facilities are not expected to reopen." FERRARA FIRE APPARATUS, INC., announced that America's Bravest Equipment Company is its new dealer in Central and Eastern Kentucky. America's Bravest is led by company president Dave Goldsmith. Chris Ferrara, Ferrara Fire Apparatus president and CEO, says, "We've been aggressively growing our dealer network over the past year. In doing so, we are seeking out companies established in the fire service with a good customer base and a first-rate reputation. America's Bravest is a 12-year-old company with a loyal following and a long track record of success with their equipment lines. They also have an excellent sales and service team that is extremely excited about selling fire trucks." Dave Goldsmith, America's Bravest Equipment Company owner, adds, "America's Bravest Equipment Company has the same high standards as Ferrara. Our company is very selective on who works for us, and what products we offer our customers. We took a very hard look at which fire apparatus manufacturer we represented, and Ferrara exceeded our expectations. The sales team at America's Bravest is very excited in being able to offer our customers a quality fire apparatus." Following its November 2013 Product Safety Alert for firefighter turnout gear, W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES has worked with fire departments, dealers, and manufacturers throughout North America to assess and reseal, as necessary, the seams of turnouts with Gore moisture barriers. In the first two months since the alert, Gore has successfully remediated both stored and worn gear for metropolitan and volunteer departments that enrolled in the remediation program early. Industry response has been positive to Gore's remediation program, and Gore will continue to collaborate with all responding departments on potentially affected gear. In conjunction with the remediation program, Gore has developed a new GORE-SEAM® tape. This new tape is unaffected by storage interactions, and it eliminates the need for new gear to be stored in open air. Turnout gear manufacturers are working to rapidly incorporate the new tape into their products using Gore moisture barriers. HARRISON has announced that Tim Allaband has been added to Harrison Hydraulic Solutions as the northeastern region manager. In this position, Allaband will be responsible for the forecasting, marketing, training, and sales of Harrison products into all the business segments that Harrison serves in the northeastern region. He will also be responsible for integrating Harrison Products and Services into new markets outside of the traditional fire and emergency segment. Allaband most recently served as vice president of Redstorm Fire & Rescue Apparatus, in Gainesville, Virginia, where he was responsible for overall sales and service to five states, focusing on both Read more 777 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious4652465346544655465646574658465946604661NextLast Theme picker Section Quick Links   Fire Mechanics Documents EVT Discussion Forum Fire Mechanic Photo Gallery Training & Testing 2019 Scholarship Logo Wear Store Upcoming Events Theme picker Sponsors Fire Mechanics Section Board Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Chair Elliot Courage North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Vice Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Vice Chair Mike Smith  Pierce County Fire District #5 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Secretary Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Secretary Greg Bach South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #1 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #1 Doug Jones South Kitsap Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #2 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #2 Paul Spencer  Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #3 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #3 Jim Morris Mountain View Fire Department Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #4 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #4 Arnie Kuchta Clark County Fire District 6 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #6 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #6 Brett Annear Kitsap County Fire District 18 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #5 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #5 Jay Jacks Camano Island Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Legislative Representative Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Legislative Representative TBD TBD Read more 3345 0 Article rating: No rating Immediate Past Chair Posted: Oct 20, 2015 Immediate Past Chair Brian Fortner Graham Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating RSS Theme picker 2020 CAR SHOW Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement - Copyright 2024 by Washington Fire Chiefs Home Members About Us News Calendar Resources Documents Sections County Fire Chiefs FRWC WSAFM