NEWS IN BRIEF
Amertek recalls vehicle
Amertek, Inc. is recalling its Model CF4000L aircraft rescue firefighting truck. The model has a defect in the rear wheel-mounting stud. According to the company, all of the 1991/1992 models—118 vehicles in all—are affected.
The design of the rear wheelmounting assembly causes a high sensitivity to the lug stud nut, torque loss, and subsequently leads to stud failure through bending fatigue, according to The National Institute of Emergency Vehicle Safety. If not corrected, the rear wheel-mounting stud could bend or break and—should all five lug studs fail—cause the wheel to detach from the axle. For more information, contact Amertek at (519) 539-7475.
NAFI adopts NFPA 921 and 907
The National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) has approved and adopted NFPA 921, The Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, and NFPA 907, The Manual for the Determination of Electrical Fire Causes, which are part of the National Fire Codes.
The supporting resolutions were presented at the 1992 NAFI general membership meeting by Patrick M. Kennedy, CFEI, chairman of the board of the NAFI. Kennedy served as the principal NAFI representative to the NFPA Fire Investigation Committee. The adoption of NFPA 921 and 907, according to Kennedy, “marks a milestone in the achievement of the goal to improve and promote the technical training and education of professional fire investigators.”
The NAFI has modified its national certification board examination to be in compliance with the precepts of the NFPA standards. For more information, contact the NAFI, P.O. Box 957257, Hoffman Estates, IL 601957257; (312) 427-6320.
USFA offers free on-sfte technical assistance
The U.S. Fire Administration has announced that nine fire investigation units from local, county, and state jurisdictions will be selected to receive free on-site technical assistance aimed at improving arson-fighting strategies.
Eligible units must certify that a serious arson problem exists in their jurisdictions and that they need assistance in the area of controlling arson. The units also must demonstrate that they have the capability and are willing to implement the computerized Arson Information Management Systems (AIMS). A copy of the program will be given to the unit. The units also must host a half-day AIMS training workshop, be willing to work closely with the project team, and assist in organizing the site visit.
California department wins i-One truck
Six-year-old Karen Chandler, a first grader, and Sebastopol (CA) Fire Department Chief John Zanzi are shown with the Town and Country Classic Pumper Karen won for the department. The pumper, mounted on an International 4900 four-door, crew-cab chassis, has a retail value of more than SI50,000. The winning entry was chosen at random from among the more than 316,000 entries submitted by children, 12 years of age or younger, who entered the “W in This Fabulous Firetruck for Your Town” contest, sponsored by Emergency One (E-One) and Navistar International Transportation Corporation (International Trucks). Chandler presented the truck to Zanzi at the 1992 International Association of Fire Chiefs Conference in Anaheim in September. She also won an all-expenses-paid trip to Anaheim, California, and a day at Disneyland.
The USFA project will provide the following assistance for the nine selected units: an on-site visit lasting several days by a two-member team of fire investigation and management specialists who will interview key fire, police, and prosecution officials; review records and reports; confer with investigators; and prepare preliminary findings. The nine units selected would provide in advance of the team’s arrival copies of data reports, standard operating procedures, and other materials to TriData, selected by the USFA to screen candidate sites and provide comprehensive fire investigation management assistance. A final field report covering the unit’s positive features, problem areas, and recommendations for improvement will be prepared for each site.
Units may apply for one of the nine open slots in the program by contacting Hollis Stambaugh, project manager, TriData Corporation, 1500 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209, (703) 351-8300 before December 31, 1992.
Sprinklers saved property in L.A. riots
Nearly 2.5 million square feet of building floor area were saved by automatic fire sprinkler systems that activated during the civil disturbance that occurred in Los Angeles from April 29 to May 3, reports the Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board of Southern California (FSABSC).
Using a construction cost figure of S75 per square foot, the FSABSC estimates that the sprinklers saved approximately S 187.5 million in construction/repair costs. With few exceptions, the FSABSC adds, buildings equipped with automatic fire sprinkler systems have resumed normal business activities.
For a copy of the report containing this and other information relative to the disturbance, contact the FSABSC, 18000 Studebaker Road, Suite 310, Cerritos, CA 90701-3681; fax: (310) 860-2250.
EMS public education kit
The Make the Right Call public education campaign, sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Flighway Traffic Safety Administration, focuses on how the public can use emergency medical services most efficiently.
A kit for program organizers is available in English or Spanish. Among its contents are public service announcements for the print medium; radio PSA scripts; an informational pamphlet on EMS; an EMS resource guide; workshop guidelines; multiplechoice, tear-out quizzes for children; and fill-in-the-blank charts for local emergency and frequently used nonemergency phone numbers.
Order by writing to EMS Campaign, 1901 I. Street, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
Design a fire truck contest underway
What will a fire truck look like in the year 2000? What features will it have? These are some of the questions being asked in the “Fire Truck of the Future” contest, which will end January 5, 1993 (entries must be postmarked by this date). A grand prize of S 1,000 will be awarded to the entrant whose truck design is chosen as the most innovative by the judges, a panel of Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association (FAMA) members and fire service experts. Five additional prizes totaling SI, 100 also will be awarded. FAMA and Firehouse® magazine are cosponsoring the contest.
Contestants must submit a sketch or drawing(s) and a description not to exceed 750 words of the proposed truck’s primary features. All entries become the property of FAMA; none will be returned.
For additional details, contact Robert Barraclough, FAMA president, at (214) 423-5.320.
