Chris Mc Loone

On a trip to KME's headquarters in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, John Kovatch III agreed to sit down and answer a few questions about KME and the fire industry in general. I also sat down with Phil Gerace, director of sales and marketing, who guided me through the history of the company from the time John Kovatch Jr. came back from army service and started a small auto repair shop, which has grown into the KME we know today. In 1946, Kovatch Jr. started the service center and over time bought car dealerships, which grew into a company that remanufactured and eventually built a wide range of specialty vehicles. Over time, Kovatch Jr. bought two car dealerships, a company that built refuelers, and a tank company.

Known for its fire apparatus, which makes up most of its business today, KME also builds refueling trucks for the military and tankers for oil home delivery trucks and is very involved in green energy initiatives.

Among recent highlights, according to Gerace, is KME's certification to ISO:9001. It was a process the company is very proud of, and which led me to ask the "bonus question" below, "What's next for KME?"

CM: Talk about KME's newest offering.

JK: KME has a very broad product line, and we're constantly innovating configurations, cabs, and body options. However, one of the biggest projects we've been successful with is the updating of our AerialCat™ models. We recently completed our 79- to 123-foot rear-mount ladders. In the redesign, we added strength to what were already the strongest devices in the fire service, removed weight, and engineered in a fire service best rating in six performance categories. Now we're doing similar work on the rear-mount platforms.

CM: KME has several large orders right now, with two of the most recent being Boston and the FDNY. What about KME's portfolio has helped it secure these orders?

JK: Many of KME's successes, whether with a small or large department, have been the result of our continued reinvestments during even tough economic times. We've continued to invest in our facility, employees, distribution network, product testing, and quality systems.

CM: What do you think is the most important innovation in the fire service during the past five years?

JK: One of the most important has been the heavy emphasis on fire cab strength and safety options to protect the occupants. Crash testing, roof strength testing, rollover protection, and frontal impact protection are many of the areas where we've seen a tremendous jump in safety for the firefighter. KME is also now offering numerous new safety options regarding pump panels, ladder storage, and hosebeds as well.

CM: What current issues in the fire service trouble you the most?

JK: One of the most troubling is the underfunding of the fire service. Funding for the United States Fire Administration and the Fire Act grants is critical in helping our first responders be ready for the wide range of scenarios for which they're called on a daily basis.

CM: What keeps you up at night?

JK: My two-year-old grandson, John V, when he spends the weekend! Seriously, the kinds of things that keep every business owner up at night: how to balance rising taxes and costs, continue to offer competitive wages and benefits for our employees, and still provide high-quality products and service every day.

CM: What's next for KME?

JK: KME will continue to grow because we've embraced a continual improvement process. We'll expand on the products we offer within our core markets, grow our customer base both domestically and internationally, and continue to grow our already expanded customer service division to provide a fu

By Raul A. Angulo

My favorite tool is the pickhead ax not only because it can cause major damage but because, along with the fire helmet, it's the most recognized iconic symbol of our profession. However, after 35 years on the job, whether I'm on an engine or a ladder company, if I had to choose between grabbing the ax or a D-handle pike pole, I'd choose the pike pole. I'm not saying this is the only tool we need, but I am saying if you're on an engine or a truck, someone on your crew should have a pike pole as part of the tool complement they're carrying in and here's the reason: In addition to the hoseline and the thermal imaging camera, the crew usually carries the irons (a halligan tool and a flathead ax), an A tool, or a pickhead ax. All these tools are fine and may even be necessary, but after forcible entry is made, they lack the reach that's provided by the pike pole. Once your crew is inside the structure, there are numerous scenarios that require extra reach that are difficult to accomplish with regular forcible entry tools.

(1) During a vertical ventilation operation, it is essential that the team has a pike pole of sufficient reach to punch through the ceiling below. Even during this drill on an acquired structure, the pike pole is too short to punch through the ceiling. Notice how the firefighter's face and torso are directly over the vent hole. His entire arm is reaching through the attic space to reach the ceiling. This is a very dangerous position. When hot fire gases and smoke flash during vertical ventilation, it happens with lightning speed. There would be no time for this firefighter to react. He would be engulfed in smoke, heat, and flame. Having a 12-foot pike pole would allow the firefighter to stand windward, away from the vent hole, and still accomplish the objective. (Photos by author.)

The pike pole is a simple design-it's just a pointed hook at the end of a stick-but it's uniquely versatile for the many tasks crews may have to perform on the fireground. Let's look at the general sequence of some realistic fire attack scenarios where the pike pole is invaluable. All references will imply using a D-handle pike pole.

Forcible Entry

First is access and forcible entry. Say you come across any variety of wooden fences. A pike pole can easily pull slats from the stringers or maybe even pull down an entire section of fence. I've done it. The D-handle can also be used to punch the slats away from the horizontal cross members, creating a passageway through the fence.

(2) Leader-North America's telescopic pike pole weighs six and a half pounds. Retracted, it measures seven feet, two inches. Fully extended, it measures 12 feet, three inches. It has a carbon steel head and insulates up to 20,000 volts of electricity, a comforting safety feature. The black center easy-twist mechanism locks the pike pole at the desired length.

A pike pole can be used to help pry and lift up a garage door or a roll-up door. It can also be used to wedge such a door in the up position, preventing it from accidentally closing on the entry team or compressing the charged hoseline. This situation has trapped and killed more than one firefighter. Once the door is opened and the hook is in place, consider placing a vise grip onto the track rail or even replace your hook with a small A-frame ladder to hold the door open so you still have your tool for firefighting activities. Consider the height adva

Bill Adams

This is the first in a series profiling individual fire apparatus dealers-the people who sell fire trucks. Although some apparatus are sold factory direct, the majority of sales are through an agent or a broker-an intermediary between purchaser and manufacturer. An agent can also be called a dealer, a dealership, or a sales representative. For the sake of simplicity, this article defines a dealer as an entity that customarily enters into a contractual agreement with a manufacturer to sell product in a given geographical territory. I define a dealership as a dealer who has a physical workplace-a place of business similar to a showroom or service facility. A sales representative, the person fire departments deal with on a face-to-face basis, can be a factory employee, a dealer's employee, or the dealer principal himself.

The intent is not to judge a dealer because of size, longevity, or capability. The objective here is to give the purchaser an understanding of who some fire apparatus dealers are, their business philosophies, and how they got where they are today.

(1) These four aerial devices are being "flown" behind Greenwood's Sales & Administration building for its 2012 open house. (Photos by author.)

Beginning

In the late 1970s, three friends in Southern Massachusetts-Mark France, a retired captain with the Attleboro (MA) Fire Department; Robert Allard, a mechanic with the same department; and Tim O'Neill-contemplated going into the automotive business together. Allard suggested a shop large enough to accommodate his expertise-repairing fire apparatus. They did and formed Greenwood Motors in 1979. Emergency One (E-ONE), based in Ocala, Florida, which had just started in 1974, was expanding its dealer network, and Greenwood signed on as E-ONE's New England dealer in May 1979. It has experienced steady, planned growth ever since. E-ONE's Web site shows Greenwood being its second oldest dealer-surpassed by one who signed on just three months earlier. Dealer longevity with a single fire apparatus manufacturer is an anomaly in today's marketplace.

I had the opportunity to interview Greenwood's principals at their sales and administration office and later observe their employees interacting with customers and vendors during their September 2012 open house. Commenting on Greenwood, Alan Hollister, E-ONE's northeast region sales director, says, "Greenwood is considered by E-ONE to be one of our premier dealers. A truly professional organization, their strength lies in a firm commitment to customer satisfaction and unmatched customer service." O'Neill is president and owner. Executive vice president is Dennis Carvalho, and Mark MacDonald is vice president of sales.

(2) The product mix at the 2012 open house included a mini pumper, a stainless steel bodied pumper, straight aerials, quints, a tower ladder, a heavy rescue, numerous extruded aluminum pumpers on both custom and commercial chassis, many styles of ambulances, and an aerial that was refurbished in Greenwood's shops.

Growth

In 1979, the business opened a sales and service facility in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and the business incorporated as Greenwood Motors. A larger building followed in 1984, and the name changed to Greenwood Fire Apparatus. The company built a separate sales and administration

By Robert Tutterow

Last Christmas Eve's Webster, New York, firefighter ambush that killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others once again brought the subject of violence against firefighters to the forefront. This incident was one of a growing number of acts of violence against firefighters. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics reveal that, on average, there are three firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) annually from assaults. It is estimated that there are well over a million assaults against firefighters and EMS personnel annually in the United States. Anecdotal evidence also indicates that more than 90 percent of firefighters have been verbally or physically assaulted.

If you are a firefighter reading this column, you can probably recount one (maybe several) assaults. Violence against firefighters is not a new thing.

Thirty years ago, I responded with my volunteer fire department to a reported vehicle fire at an auction barn in rural North Carolina. It was an early Saturday evening, and an auction had just started. On our arrival, the fire had been extinguished. However, people were running out of the auction barn screaming, "He has a gun!" The owner/auctioneer came out of the barn and threatened all of us volunteer firefighters. We stood still, remained silent, let him vent, and then it was all over.

This situation was perhaps unique in that we all knew the owner/auctioneer. He was known as "Dud," and he liked alcohol and women. Apparently, he had a little too much of at least one of his two life pleasures that evening. I don't think any of us felt his threats were sincere, for he had a generous side. Dud was a well-known character who always carried a lot of money-and a gun. He never hesitated to peel off a few bills from the roll of cash he carried during fire department fundraisers. Nonetheless, this incident gave me pause to think how a similar situation in a different setting could have a bad outcome.

The fire service collectively acknowledged violent acts against firefighters in 2004 when the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) issued its 16 Life Safety Initiatives. Initiative #12 states, "National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed." The issue is also addressed in NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program. Chapter 8, "Emergency Operations," has a section titled "Scenes of Violence, Civil Unrest, or Terrorism."

Acts of Violence

Acts of violence can occur in many ways. The Webster ambush was staged by the assailant setting his house on fire. In 2004, the Lexington (KY) Fire Department lost a firefighter when she was shot during a domestic dispute. Firefighter/EMT Brenda Denise Cowan was in the yard providing aid to the wife of the assailant, whom he shot. She was also the first black female to die in the line of duty in the United States.

In 2008, a Maplewood, Missouri, firefighter was shot and killed at the scene of a vehicle fire by an awaiting sniper. Twenty-two-year-old Ryan Hummert, son of the former mayor, was on his first fire call. The sniper also shot and wounded two police officers.

In the Aurora, Colorado, theater mass shooting in July 2012, the shooter had booby-trapped his apartment to kill emergency responders through an array of ignition systems, chemicals, and a trip wire.

Some of you may recall that many of the tillered aerials in Los Angeles had to be removed from service during the riots following the Rodney King trial in 1992. It was apparent that the tiller person was a sitting duck for rioters.

And, violence against firefighters can occur at places other than an emergency scene. Seventeen years ago, a Jackson, Mississippi, firefighter shot and killed his wife and then went to the central fire station, where he opened f