By Richard Marinucci

My brother is the only person I know who does not own a cell phone. He says he doesn't want one and doesn't need one. Even though most people cite the convenience of having a cell phone, my brother looks at it as an inconvenience. He does not want to be tied to a phone or be interrupted when he is doing something else. If you want to talk to him, call his house and leave a message and he will get back to you when it is convenient. His lifestyle does not seem to be adversely affected by his decision.

Conversely, my adult children all have the latest cell phones and do not have land lines. They like the instant communications with the phone calls, texts, and e-mails. They also know if the phone rings, it is for them. They are connected 24/7 and their phones take precedence-even over in-person communications. They will interrupt a conversation with me to answer their phone or a text. Some may consider this rude, like me, but they think it is normal.

Whether or not one has a cell phone is his own personal choice, and I am not here to make any value judgments. It seems that some can't live without their phones and others won't live with them. In some ways, this is what all technology is about. Regarding fire departments, there are some that are always on the leading edge, impatient to a fault to adopt the latest and greatest device that promises to make the job easier, faster, and safer. Others continue with what has always seemed to work, either consciously making that decision or being prohibited from doing so because of budgetary issues.

Faster than Ever

There is no doubt that technological changes occur at a faster pace than ever before. As such, fire departments are inundated with information on new products that promise to make the job easier, faster, safer, and generally better. They also promise to save time. Now if they are supposed to save time, how come those who use the newer products are busier than ever? The point here is that not all new technological developments are necessarily applicable to everyone. Keeping up with the Joneses is not a reason to embrace technology. It must be evaluated based on the entire package of the benefits and disadvantages including the cost, time savings, ease of use, practicality, financial benefits, required training, and acceptance by those who will be using it.

During my career, I have met with salespeople who had new products that were essential to what I was doing many times. They always paint a rosy picture designed to tempt me. More often than not, there were some flaws with the products, although these flaws may not have affected the benefits they offered. Like all good salespeople, they try to get an "on-the-spot" decision. Rarely do I give one, either because of my instincts or the fact that what they are offering requires additional approval.

Get Help

When looking at "new and improved," consider some of the things that should help you make a decision. First and foremost, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I can recall discussions where I reached a point of disbelief and could not contain myself when dealing with an individual. This may not always be the best approach, but it was sometimes helpful at reducing return visits!

Beyond your instincts, use your network-those who have more knowledge and understanding of particular products and those who use the product. For example there are many computer advances. Some have proven to be beneficial to many. Others have been added "fluff," either not delivering what was promised or offering useless enhancements. If you have access to IT personnel, that is great, and these people are good to know. They spend all of their time learning more about these types of technological advances. They also are usually not fire service personnel. As such, they view the world differently

• FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE COMPANY awarded a $61,000 grant to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), helping the Fireman's Fund reach $30 million in grants nationwide. The Fireman's Fund grant program has donated more than $655,000 to the FDNY since the program began in 2004. The FDNY will use the grant to purchase lifesaving equipment and training and education materials. A Queens (NY) station that was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy will receive $25,000 from the grant, which it will use to purchase a forcible entry simulator, training props, and fitness equipment. The FDNY High School will receive $15,500 from the grant, while FDNY Station 50 and FDNY Fire Zone will receive the remaining $20,500 to purchase emergency medical services equipment.

• MIAMI DEPARTMENT OF FIRE RESCUE purchased the Guardian Safety and Survival Training System Simulator to train personnel in its 14 fire stations. The system replicates scenarios involving confined spaces, sewer lines, railcar leakages, window repelling or rescues, and leaking gas cylinders. The system is mobile, so it can be transported among stations and also to technical rescue stations, hazmat teams, search and rescue operations, and other special units. It is easily customizable and allows for continuous monitoring of training sessions through the system's video cameras and command center.

• HALL-MARK FIRE APPARATUS, INC. delivered an E-ONE Typhoon Pumper to Alachua County (FL) Fire Rescue (ACFR). ACFR covers more than 600 square miles, including the city of Alachua; the towns of Waldo, Archer, and Hawthorne; and all other areas in Alachua County. The Typhoon Pumper features an E-ONE Typhoon four-door cab, seating for six, a four-door cab, Navistar 350-hp engine, Whelen LED emergency lighting, ROM roll-up doors, Allison 3000 EVS transmission, Waterous 1,250-gpm two-stage pump, officer's side ladder tunnel, and UPF 780-gallon Poly water tank.

• NAVISTAR launched its heavy-duty International WorkStar vocational truck, equipped with a 13-liter engine with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. The International WorkStar truck is designed for heavy loads and includes two variations: the 7600 set-back axle and the 7600 set-forward axle. Both models have a 113-inch bumper to back-of-cab, huck-bolted frame, crossmember system, panoramic windshield, and Diamond Logic® electrical system. Available features include a high-visibility hood, various axle configurations, and engine options.

• PL CUSTOM EMERGENCY VEHICLES of Manasquan, New Jersey, and DPC Emergency Equipment of Marydel, Delaware, announced a multiyear contract to supply ambulances to the Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department EMS. PL Custom will provide medium duty Titan ambulances on Freightliner extended cab M2 chassis. Each vehicle includes PL Custom's "Medic in Mind" layout that allows attendants to remain safely seated during patient care while they access equipment, supplies, and function switches. The vehicles' customized features include PL Custom's centrally-ducted climate control system, a V-MUX multiplex electrical system, a left-side squad bench, and a Stryker PowerLIFT cot system.

• PIERCE MANUFACTURING opened its doors to the Appleton, Wisconsin, community on July 13, 2013, for its first ever open house in the company's 100-year history. According to Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing, the company was embracing the community that has embraced Pierce for 100 years.

Alan M. Petrillo

The city of Washington, North Carolina, had a 1982 beverage-style truck that had been refurbished into a medium rescue a number of years ago, but the vehicle was showing its age and needed replacement. Fortunately, the city was able to secure a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to replace the unit and set about performing a needs assessment to determine the amount and kinds of equipment it should carry and developing specifications for the rig.

Robbie Rose, chief of Washington (NC) Fire-Rescue-EMS, says he and his truck committee of five, led by Captain R.M. Flowers, along with the city's purchasing agent had a number of rescue truck manufacturers make presentations to them about their vehicles and what might be done for the department. But in the end, Rose says the contract for the medium rescue it wanted to purchase went to VT Hackney, the company that not only refurbished the former beverage truck but also has its production facilities a mile down the road from the department's main station. "Hackney was the low bidder on the rescue truck and they started building it in August of last year," he says. "We took delivery on December 13, 2012."

(1) The medium rescue that Hackney built for Washington (NC) Fire-Rescue- EMS is on a Kenworth T370 chassis with two-person cab and an all- aluminum body with compartments protected by roll-up doors. (Photos courtesy of Hackney.)

Copious Amounts of Space

Jonathan Hardin, a lieutenant who served on the truck committee, says the most compelling element of the Hackney rescue truck is the amount of space it offers. "Hackney uses a drop-pinch frame that allows for a lot more space in the body area," he says. "And, they also added more features on their rescue when compared to the other bidders."

Rose points out that the rescue's serviceability was another main concern for the department. "We made it a part of our bid package that we wanted a service center within a one-hour drive of our area," Rose says. "Hackney certainly fulfilled that requirement, and the truck is very user-friendly with easy accessibility to all the equipment. That drop-pinch frame design drops the truck low enough so we can reach everything in the compartments."

Eddie L. Smith, director of Hackney's emergency vehicles group, says, "Our claim to fame is our drop-pinch frame that increases storage capacity on a vehicle. In this case, we were able to get 25 percent more storage space on the truck than if we had used a standard frame."

(2) The Hackney-built medium rescue has a cribbing compartment at the left rear of the truck, protected by restraint doors inside of a roll-up door to prevent damage caused by cribbing shifting during a tight turn.

Smith says that the compartment space on the Washington Fire rescue is 42 inches deep, compared with the average 24- or 25-inch-deep compartments on a typical rescue using a standard frame. "Also, with our frame, we were able to make this a much longer vehicle and still keep it on a single axle," he adds.

The Washington Fire rescue has a wheelbase of 239¼ inches, an overall length of 34 feet 3¾ inches, and an overall height of 10 feet, six inches.

Multiresponse Unit

Smith notes that Washin