By Alan M. Petrillo

Battery-powered hydraulic rescue tools have taken the rescue world by storm, giving traditional hosed hydraulic rescue tools a run for their money. The attraction of battery-powered tools, say many departments, is in their maneuverability, ease of use and storage, and ability to be taken to locations that a hosed tool couldn’t reach.

Michael Canon, director of rescue sales for IDEX Fire and Safety’s HURST™ Jaws of Life®, believes smart battery technology has changed so much that it allows firefighters greater abilities in battery life and cycling limits but also in the versatility offered in use of the tools.

• Battery-Operated Hydraulic Tools Make Big Inroads on Rescue Trucks and Rescue-Pumpers
• Hillsborough County (FL) Fire Rescue Turns to Holmatro for Large Order of Hydraulic Rescue Tools
• Rescue-Pumpers Continue in Popularity Among Many Suburban, Rural Fire Departments
• Power, Speed, and Weight Are Factors in Extrication Tool Design

“The updates in batteries have changed the equation when it comes to run time for battery-powered tools,” Canon observes. He says that the most common demand from fire departments is for HURST’s SP 555 28-inch spreader, which is very popular in use on heavy rescue units. “We also have the SP 777 spreader with a 32-inch spread that gives firefighters more versatility,” he adds.

Canon points out that a big change in the auto industry has been an increase in the tensile strength of cars. “The lower profiles of the A and B posts are getting wider, and automakers are adding wider and more layers of high-strength steel,” he says. “It’s getting very difficult to remove the B post without the cutters swinging into the patient.” Canon s

Gulfport is getting a new fire truck, but it might be a year or more before it’s delivered, TheGabber.com reported.

The city council voted September 6 to approve the $835,160 purchase using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) coronavirus recovery funds, the report said. A city official said this kind of equipment takes about 18 months or more. So the city will get a 2024 truck that likely will not arrive before late 2023 at the earliest.

According to officials, the Gulfport Fire Department’s current Engine 17, a 2012 model, has recently cracked the 100,000-mile mark. Maintenance and upkeep has increased over the years due to its age and the number of calls it runs daily, officials said.

Lexington (KY) Fire Department recently donated retired Engine 5, a 1986 fire truck, to students at Fayette County Public Schools in the Fire Service Pathway Program through Eastside Technical School, FoxLexington.com reported.

The truck served the community for 36 years, now it will help train young firefighters.

Eastside Technical Center is training 79 students to become firefighters.

The Lexington Fire Department is hopeful they will see students who graduate from Eastside Technical Center join their ranks.

Students are eligible to enroll in the Fire Service Pathway as first-years, and those who complete the two-year program will earn certifications in basic life support, bleeding control, CPR and AED, and multiple FEMA certifications.

By Bill Adams

Numerous articles written about ground monitors (aka “attack” monitors) and their advantages on the fireground include Purchasing Ground Monitors (Part 1) and Purchasing Ground Monitors (Part 2).  Essentially, they flow twice as much as a 2½-inch handline but less than a master stream as defined by the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. 

There is no questioning ground monitors’ effectiveness or operational characteristics. Nor is there any debate about the types of nozzles used. Let the monitor manufacturers (Elkhart Brass, Akron Brass and Task Force Tips) promote their own specifics. What purchasers may be interested in is the various locations they are carried on the apparatus and whether or not they are preconnected. Those decisions are the sole responsibility of each fire department and also are not questioned.

At a recent regional trade show, there were a number of monitors mounted on various manufacturers’ rigs that have been in service or will soon be.  My observations are strictly from the standpoint of me being the firefighter sent to retrieve the device and put it into service.   Other comments are personal opinions about the rig’s layout.    

1. This E-One’s rear panel mounted monitor appears reachable from ground level. It is preconnected with 3-inch hose; looks easy to deploy.

[There’re four other rear preconnects; a 2½-inch next to the 3-inch and three 1¾-inch on the right side.  The two on the far right are connected to a leader line wye just visible behind the hose.  There’s a decent size rear work platform but no handy spanners.]

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