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The Finest Supporting the Bravest!

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: Sep 19, 2022

Montpelier (OH) Fire Truck Gets Upgraded

A Montpelier fire truck received an upgrade when it was in the shop recently for repairs, BryanTimes.com reported.

Montpelier Fire Department’s pumper tanker, known as 67, got a new frame and tandem axle, the report said.

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Posted: Sep 19, 2022

North Raleigh (NC) Holds Open House for New $9 Million Fire Station

Raleigh Fire Station 22 hosted an open house Saturday for its new $9 million, 15,000 square foot facility, 11ABC.com reported.

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Posted: Sep 19, 2022

NFPA’s Recognition of Encapsulating Agents Is a Real Game Changer

To the Rescue

Those of us who have actively been in the American fire service for more than a few years have all shaken our heads at one time or another over the practical applicability (or lack thereof) of various National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
Carl j. Haddon

Please allow me to validate the applicability of the new 2022 version of NFPA 18A, Standard on Water Additives for Fire Control and Vapor Mitigation, which covers encapsulator agents in particular.

Many of you know that I have extensively used and been a proponent of encapsulator agent technology since the mid to late 1990s when I first encountered it while working for Penske Motorsports and NASCAR.

For those who may be unfamiliar with “true” encapsulator agents, these products are often confused with Class A and Class B foams, of which an encapsulator agent is neither. “Foams” are just what their names imply. When they come out of the end of a specialized “foam” nozzle, Class B foams produce a blanket of foam bubbles designed to smother a single-dimensional, flowing fuel fire, by NFPA 11, Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam.

Often misunderstood, NFPA 11 states that foams are contraindicated for use on multi-dimensional (i.e., vertical surfaces) fires, as the foam blanket is challenged by gravity on any surface other than flat, horizontal ones. Most of our current fire apparatus are equipped with traditional foam systems that hold foam concentrate and, when employed, introduce foam concentrate into the apparatus or foam trailer’s water stream, typically at a solution of 1 to 6%, to achieve the desired foam blanket for the application.

Figure 1: A basic spherical micelle. (Illustrations courtesy of author.)

Figure 2: Thermal conveyance allows the agent to get much closer to the seat of the

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Posted: Sep 19, 2022

Photo Apparatus of the Day: September 19, 2022

KME—San Bernadino County (CA) Fire Department 4×4 pumper. KME SSX LFD cab and chassis; Cummins X12 500-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump; 500-gallon polypropylene water tank; 30-gallon foam cell; FoamPro 2001 single-agent foam system; ASA Voyager dual camera system; Zico single-arm ladder rack; external EMS compartment with internal access. Dealer: Brandon Gomez, REV Fire Group, Jurupa Valley, CA.

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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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