APPARATUS DELIVERIES
The Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc. (F.D. Co. 49) provides EMS, heavy rescue, and fireground services to more than 120,000 people in northern Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Chairman of the Board Wortham “Dave” Davenport explains that the squad designs each vehicle to meet the particular needs of its service area, which has a number of narrow alleys and tight spots that may not admit an engine or heavy squad. The surrounding area also requires off-road capability.
Mini Squad 49 was built by Ranger Fire Apparatus on a Ford F-350, Super Duty chassis with an “Ambulance Prep Package” and was modified by Marmon Herrington for all-wheel drive. It has a 161-inch wheelbase and a 12-foot module. It is designed for a crew of four.
Major equipment consists of a 12-kw Onan generator and four kilowatts of scene lighting, which includes four 500-watt Quik-Raze quartz lamps. They are located one at each corner of the module; the front two are telescoping, and the rear two are on tripods and can be dismounted and extended 150 feet. Among the equipment carried are Hurst Jaws, cutters, and rams; a full set of air bags; confined-space equipment; two 4.5 SCBAs; and an Arc-Air cutter.
Davenport notes that the unit has the same diversity of capability as a heavy squad, except that it carries one instead of two or more of each item. It also cost one-third of what a heavy squad would cost.
(Photo by Norman Kirk.)
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Fire departments in Jackson County, Mississippi, are operating five tanker-pumpers built by Emergency One on the GMC Topkick chassis. Jackson County is served by 11 volunteer fire departments protecting 56,000 residents. Large water tankers are necessary because most of the rural areas do not have hydrants.
County Coordinator James Moore says aluminum construction was specified to counteract the rust and corrosion common to the Gulf Coast; to reduce weight, enabling them to carry more water and equipment; and to improve off-road handling.
The vehicles are powered by a Caterpillar 3116, 250-hp, diesel engine with an Allison MT-647 automatic transmission. They have a Hale single-stage, 1,000-gpm pump; a 2,000-gallon polypropylene water tank; a 10-inch rear dump valve; high side body compartments; bumper-mounted air horns; and intersection warning lights forward of the front axle.
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The Angola (IN) Fire Department, headed by Fire Chief Michael Meek, operates this rescue truck built by Marion Body, Inc. Chief Meek says the truck was purchased because the 1976 cargo van the department had been using was 1,200 pounds over gross vehicle weight and was getting worn out and because in addition to serving the town’s population of 20,000, it also provides mutual aid to several smaller communities. The apparatus can carry eight personnel, extrication equipment, and just about anything else needed at a fire except water. The size of the vehicle makes it possible to respond on mutual aid with one or two vehicles rather than three or four (depending on the situation).
The rescue truck has an 18-foot box with seating for six. It is mounted on a Ford L-8000 chassis powered by a Ford 7.81. diesel engine with an Allison MT-653 automatic transmission. It has a 196inch wheelbase. The body has 10 exterior and four interior compartments. It mounts a Lima 15-kw diesel generator and has four 1,500-watt Extend-A-Lites, one at each corner of the body, and two 500-watt Star quartz scene lights, one on the left and one on the right side of the box. A six-ton Ramsey winch is featured in the front bumper.
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LOW-LEVEL STRAINER
Schlumberger Industries’ lightweight, lowlevel strainer features a male quick-connect coupling in four-, five-, and six-inch sizes. Designed for use with flexible suction hoses equipped with female quick-connect couplings
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DOOR SMOKE SEAL
Sealeze™ Corp.’s Therm-L-Brush II exceeds NEPA 105 standards, having been tested and approved to withstand 400°F smoke and maintain its seal. This door gasket comes in several standard and custom lengths and is available for retrofit and OEM installations.
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EAR PLUGS
Safety Supply America offers Excel’* “flexfit” foam ear plugs, which expand quickly and comfortably to the car canal for a custom fit. They fit in virtually every ear and are east’ to insert and remove.
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“BUTTONED-UP” TRAILER AXLES
Rockwell International Corporation’s automotive division has introduced a complete line of dressed trailer axles on which all axlerelated components of the WABCO antilock braking system—hubs, drums, brakes, automatic slack adjusters, and ABS components—are installed. Additionally, truck operators may specify from a variety of Rockwell foundation air brakes—including cam, air disk, or wedge—depending on the performance needs of their vehicles.
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MASK HOLDER
Scott-O-Vista® and similar size regulatorattached facepiece assemblies can be kept clean and dust free with the Scott mask holder, available from Ziamatic Corporation.
Constructed from high-quality vinyl-nylon, the holders have a Velcro” closure and overlapping side panels and have four 1/4inch grommets for convenient mounting on apparatus. The eightby eightby six-inch holders come in red or yellow.
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SOUND CALIBRATORS
Quest Electronics introduces two new acoustic sound calibrators, Models QC-10 and QC-20, for calibrating precision type 1 and general purpose type 2 sound level meters as well as other instrumentation with microphone input. Model QC-10 is a single frequency calibrator that generates 1,000 Hz at U4db SP1.. The QC-20 is a dualfrequency, dual-amplitude calibrator that generates four reference tones at 250 Hz— with each at 94db and ll4db. Both models are powered by a single 9-volt transistor battery. The coupler directly accepts a standard one-inch-diameter microphone.
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STATIC-RESISTANT SORBENTS
BREG International has added mats and rolls to its Oil Only SPONGE™ line of sorbents, which are specially treated for static-resistance to decrease the likelihood that dangerous sparks will ignite volatile fluids.
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FIRE BOAT
Magnum Boats has a line of industrial-grade aluminum outboard skiffs designed for use in extreme conditions. These skiffs feature a monocoque hull tough enough to stop a .32 caliber slug. Options include side consoles, small or large center consoles, box seats, windshields, cuddy cabins, and pilot houses.
All boats feature watertight double bottoms, styrofoam flotation so the boat w’ill float level if swamped, and a simplified interior to serve as a platform for small pumps and other options.
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RESCUE KNIFE
The 911 Rescue Knife from Blackjack Knives, Ltd. easily cuts through cloth, webbing, rope, nylon line, and leather. The knife features a curved, stainless steel blade with a razor-sharp edge and a blunt, surgical-scissor-type tip to prevent accidental exacerbation of injuries. Patented handle shape is designed for comfort.
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LIGHTWEIGHT, 60-MINUTE SCBA
The Bio-Pak-60 from Biomarine is a closedcircuit SCBA that recirculates the major portion of exhaled gases to provide at least 60 hill minutes of breathing protection. At 25 pounds, it is nine to 10 pounds lighter than any 60-minute open-circuit SCBA; its low-profile design is two to four inches smaller than any 60-minute open circuit SCBA.
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LOCATOR SYSTEM
The 911 Locator System was designed by 911 Locator Systems Inc. to eliminate emergency vehicle “pass-by.” It features a highintensity flashing blue strobe light that is automatically activated when 911 is dialed. The light is designed to attract emergency vehicle attention when placed in a streetfacing window. In addition, the 911 Locator System activates a dialing sequence when 911 is dialed, making contact with doctors, relatives, and/or neighbors through a local communications officer.
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TACTILE SIGNAGE
New tactile signage from Kroy Sign Systems meets the requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The sign series complies with ADA codes for tactile letters, Grade 2 Braille, pictograms, and contrasting colors. Each piece consists of a thin metal plate with a ‘Ar-inch raised-image relief area that can be combined with any Kroy standard sign frame to achieve the desired facility design.
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CPR PROTECTION
The CPR Microshield from Rockford Medical and Safety Company consists of a clear, flexible barrier and a positive one-way valve incorporated into a unique breathing tube designed to maintain an open airway during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while preventing physical contact with the victim’s face and reducing the risk of cross-contamination. The package also includes a belt holster and a pair of latex gloves.
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