NEWS
Prototype for Fire Stations
Blending into Miami, Florida’s “Little Havana” section, Fire Rescue Station No. 7 has proven so efficient that the City of Miami Fire Department is considering it as a prototype for future fire stations.
In service since November 1981, the station houses a rescue squad, a 103-foot aerial, a 1000 gpm pumper, as well as the district fire chief’s car. A second pumper is expected to be added this )une.
Like all Miami station houses, Station No. 7 is equipped with a computerized incident reporting system, which automatically prints out the address of an emergency incident, the type of fire, the location of the nearest hydrant, special hazards, etc. The system is also installed in all Miami fire trucks so stations are in constant contact with the alarm office.
Station No. 7 includes an enclosed 40foot hose drying tower with fans to draw the moisture out of the lines. The second-floor dormitory provides private cubicles for the fire fighters, bathroom facilities and a training room complete with a physical fittness machine. Rooms for the fire chief, captain and lieutenants are on the ground floor along with quarters for the rescue squad.
The bui.ding is also designed to utilize solar energy in addition to its regular electrical system.
Respirator Warning
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) advises to discontinue the use of the Robertshaw RAM-5 combination 5-minute emergency escape self-contained breathing apparatus and supplied-air respirator (MSHA/NIOSH approval number TC-13F-64).
During audit testing of two RAM-5 respirators, NIOSH found a defect in each respirator, a defective hose in one and a free-flowing regulator in the other. Each problem resulted in shortened service time of the self-contained air supply. In view of the critical nature of these failures, this respirator should not be used until the necessary actions have been taken by the manufacturers to correct the problems.
Robertshaw and Life Support have agreed to discontinue sales and distribution until the causes of the failures have been determined and any defective respirators have been recalled, retrofitted, and returned to the users in accordance with a NIOSH-approval plan.
All owners of Robertshaw RAM-5 respirators should contact Robertshaw Controls Company (Norman Deaman, 333 North Euclid Way, Anaheim, CA 92803, 714-535-8151) for further information.
Regional Center
Mine Safety Appliances Company has opened its seventh regional repair and service center, thus completing a two-year drive to regionalize its service network.
The center joins a network of new repair facilities located in Houston, Charleston, W. Virginia, Salt Lake City, St. Louis and Philadelphia, MSA’s original Pittsburgh service center functions as the headquarters for the six new regional repair and service centers.
Initially, the regional centers handled repairs on pumps, portable gas detection instruments, and communications equipment, but now service includes all personal protection products manufactured by MSA.
