● LACROSSE FOOTWEAR, INC. donated $6,624 to the Fire Engineering Courage & Valor Foundation, which recognizes firefighters who exemplify courage every day. PennWell Corporation, parent company of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) and Fire Engineering magazine, created the foundation to remember all those lost on September 11 and the legacy of Deputy Chief Ray Downey of the Fire Department of New York, and to recognize other firefighters who demonstrate that same courage and valor. At the annual FDIC show, the foundation awards the Ray Downey Courage & Valor Award to the firefighter who has demonstrated exemplary courage and valor in a rescue operation during the preceding year.
● WARN INDUSTRIES awarded the City of Fairfax (VA) Fire Department the grand prize in the company’s Fire/Search and Rescue Contest for the most dramatic real-life rescue story in which a winch was an integral part of the operation.
On April 6, 2006, a pickup truck struck the cast iron handrail on a bridge; the handrail ran through the grill, the engine compartment, firewall, the driver’s thigh, and into the fuel tank. The truck was hanging on the side of the bridge supported only by the guardrail. Rescuers used a Warn 15,000-pound winch mounted on the front of the fire apparatus along with a snatch block to secure the vehicle from falling sideways off the bridge. In addition, personnel used a Warn 9,000-pound portable winch to secure the vehicle from falling forward off the bridge. The victim was removed from the vehicle after it was secured and survived the incident. The winches were the primary means of preventing the vehicle from falling off the bridge.
As the grand prize winner, the Fairfax Fire Department will receive a Warn® 9.5ti multimount winch system, a Necky® search and rescue kayak, and a Humminbird® side imaging GPS system.
● WATEROUS COMPANY’s new Mobile Demonstration Unit (MDU) Program is up and running. The MDU program offers compressed air foam system (CAFS) demonstrations and fire pump maintenance and operation instruction capabilities. Each unit in the program is responsible for covering an area within the United States and Canada. Subjects covered during the demonstrations include the fire pump, the foam proportioner, the compressor, and accessory operation and maintenance. Single- and two-stage pumps, PTO pumps, pressure control systems, foam proportioning systems, compressed air foam systems, pump shift mechanisms, priming systems, intake and discharge valves, and drain valves. Although demonstrations deal specifically with Waterous products and accessories, much of the material on operation and maintenance is applicable to other products, regardless of manufacturer. Trained Waterous representatives and firefighters conduct demonstrations. For more information on specific MDU courses or to schedule a demonstration in your area, contact Kelly Holmes at (651) 450-5028 by e-mail at kjholmes@waterousco.com.
● FERRARA FIRE APPARATUS, INC. recently delivered two Strong Arm firefighting vehicles to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in Istanbul, Turkey. These units supplement another Strong Arm unit which has been in service since January with the Istanbul Fire Brigade. These apparatus feature Ferrara’s Inferno medium four-door custom fire chassis with independent front suspensions, Cummins ISL-400 HP diesel engines, Hale Q-Max 2,000-gpm pumps, Foam-Pro’s 2001 foam systems, Ferrara’s trademark heavy-duty extruded aluminum bodies, all-LED lighting, and Ferrara’s CAPS complete airbag protection system protecting all outboard seating positions.
Suited for roof, window, and wall ventilation applications, the units feature a 1,100-pound ultra-heavy duty stainless-steel piercing nozzle and a fortified hardened piercing tool at the tip for accuracy combined with compelling force for safe, effective roof or wall ventilation, controlled demolition, or other specialized fireground firefighting operations. The Instanbul Metropolitan Municipality also contracted an additional 10 all-wheel-drive Strong Arm firefighting vehicles.
● The Chicago (IL) Fire Department (CFD) awarded a $10 million TotalCare® contract for the supply and maintenance of firefighter protective clothing and equipment to LION APPAREL. The contract will begin with an initial order of 4,700 turnout coats and 9,400 turnout pants and is expected to run through 2008. The new turnouts, fully certified to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1971, replace aging gear in the field and help accumulate reserve inventory for CFD. Additionally, the contract provides for a comprehensive care program that helps CFD meet the requirements of NFPA 1851. Lion Apparel’s TotalCare® portion of the contract includes scheduled cleanings, inspections, repairs, and full accountability tracking of the equipment over the life of the contract.
CFD selected Lion Apparel after thorough consideration of offerings and competitive bids from multiple manufacturers. Evaluations included supplier care and maintenance capabilities, in addition to site visits, overall cost, and in-depth technical product assessments of comfort, fit, and construction.
For the first time, turnout pants will be standard issue for this department that has a long-standing history wearing long coats and three-quarter “day boots” for structural firefighting.
CFD selected Lion Apparel’s Janesville® Super-Deluxe coats and pants featuring Lion’s exclusive isodri® Protective Systems. Each layer is engineered to reduce water intake and heat storage capacity.
