- WATERWAY, the oldest and largest hose testing company in the United States, will now be known as Waterway Co-operative LLC. Started in 1989 by Firefighter Ed Okinsky, the company has grown to service thousands of customers across the country. Each Waterway Co-Op is 100-percent individually owned and operated in locations including New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Last year, Waterway tested more than 13 million feet of hose. It is the only ISO-9001 Quality Management-certified company in the U.S. operating in its field, ensuring the highest standards of performance. www.waterwayinc.com. (888) 999-5838.
- HANSEN INTERNATIONAL, INC. promoted Lisa Hansen Beebe to vice president and Michael Coggins to chief operations officer. Coggins, a 24-year employee, will be responsible for manufacturing, warehousing, accounting, purchasing, engineering, and IT. Beebe, who has been with the company for 21 years, has held a variety of leadership positions prior to this promotion, including director of human resources and director of administration. Hansen International is a leading manufacturer of hardware and trim systems for commercial and industrial vehicles. Hansen offers an array of both specialized products and vehicular hardware that are backed by over 100 years of experience. www.hansenint.com.
- The DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate released the Ambulance Patient Compartment Human Factors Design Guidebook and the Research Study of Ambulance Operations and Best Practice Considerations for Emergency Medical Services Personnel, two ambulance safety resources for emergency medical services (EMS) leaders, professionals, and organizations nationwide. The documents aim to reduce the injury and fatality rate of EMS personnel. According to data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, the fatality rate of EMS professionals is three times greater than the average in any other occupation. The application of these resources at a user level and within guidelines will ensure that EMS response is safer from a design and practices standpoint. www.dhs.gov.
- ROSENBAUER AMERICA completed an expansion at the Rosenbauer South Dakota Division during the fourth quarter of 2014. This $2.5 million production project added 22,000 square feet of assembly space as well as a new top-of-the-line laser. They also expanded at the Rosenbauer Aerial Division, which was a $2 million project completed in the first quarter of 2015. It added more than 30,000 square feet of production space, an additional paint booth, and an expanded parking lot for truck testing. A third expansion is planned for the near future at the Rosenbauer Motors Division slated for late 2015 and will add approximately 30,000 square feet of chassis production space. www.rosenbaueramerica.com
- LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE awarded its 2014 National Firemark Awards to Firefighter Jordan Sullivan of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) (for Heroism) and Firefighter and Department President Lyle Dorschied of the La Farge (WI) Volunteer Fire Department (LFVFD) (for Community Service). In recognition of these firefighters, Liberty Mutual Insurance presented grants of $10,000 each to FDNY and LFVFD. The FDNY will use the funds for training purposes, while the LFVFD grant will enable the department to purchase new helmets for its firefighters. The Liberty Mutual Firemark Award is presented annually to U.S. firefighters who best represent their communities through courageous valor and who best demonstrate the firefighter’s selfless spirit. www.libertymutual.com/firemarkaward.
- AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL (AWC) Vice President of Engineering Bradford Douglas received the Award of Merit and title of Fellow from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Committee D07 on Wood. ASTM noted his leadership within the organization and many technical contributions to the development of ASTM wood engineering standards. With more than 32 years of experience in the wood products industry, Douglas joined the AWC staff in 1986. He directs a program aimed at developing state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards on structural wood products, systems, and assemblies for use by design professionals and building officials to assure safe and efficient design and use of wood. www.awc.org.
- TRANSCAER®, a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and respond to a possible hazardous materials transportation incident, announced the recipients of its 2014 National Awards Recognition Program. The TRANSCAER® Awards Program recognizes the achievements of individuals, companies, and organizations that advocate, demonstratee, and implement the principles of TRANSCAER at the national and regional levels. Henry Ward of The Chlorine Institute was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, while Scott Etzel of The Dow Chemical Company received the Chairman’s Award. View the full list of current and previous award recipients at www.transcaer.com/awards/past-award-recipients.
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- GARY RYAN was named the new chief of the Chelmsford (MA) Fire Department (CFD). Ryan replaces Michael Curren, a 39-year veteran of the department who retired at the end of June. Ryan has been a member of the CFD for more than two decades, most recently serving as deputy chief. Curren began his tenure as chief in October 2010 when former CFD Chief Jack Parow was appointed president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
- SAM GREIF SR. was announced as the new chief of the City of Plano (TX) Fire Department. Greif comes to Plano from the Fort Worth (TX) Fire Department (FWFD), where he served as assistant chief of operations since 2011. He directed and managed the operations division, which includes more than 800 people and a budget of more than $90 million. In his 30 years with FWFD, Greif has held a number of ranks and positions, serving as battalion chief, captain, lieutenant, engineer, firefighter, and paramedic. Greif’s tenure will begin August 3.
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STEVEN GALIPEAU was sworn in as the new chief of the Nashua (NH) Fire Rescue (NFR). Galipeau succeeds Brian Morrissey, who retired after 37 years with the NFR. Galipeau joined NFR in 1980 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1996, followed by captain in 2000, and as deputy chief in 2007. He has been the department’s assistant chief for the past four years. He is also a certified hazardous materials technician.
