FE Volume 144 Issue 11

The idea of a combination fire helmet, liner, and hood developed out of my search for a faster and easier method of donning fire retardant hoods when used with the helmet and SCBA mask. The hood is incorporated into the helmet liner and secured by fastening sewn into both sides of the hood’s neck, which had been split.

The change agent is a key player in every functional organization. The position of change officer in a fire department may reside by design or good fortune with the chief officer or any other official. In many places, the change officer is a nonelected, nonappointed line officer or firefighter who is well-read and understands the need for intelligent change. The successful change officer employs two basic methods of organizational change: seedplanting and transplanting. For several years after joining our small volunteer fire department, I served unwittingly as the change agent.

Two recent fires in high-rise buildpings—One Meridian Plaza in Philadelphia and the First Interstate Bank in Los Angeles—have presented the fire service with the unthinkable problem of a multifloor raging fire in an unsprinklered high-rise building. It is reasonable to assume that there will be other such fires.

The main objective of the Mobile Equipment bureau is to ensure that all vehicle repairs are completed satisfactorily and in a timely manner. The bureau also handles a variety of other tasks such as repairing handheld radios and pagers, installing vehicle radios, and stripping reusable material.