FIRE ENGINEERING
December 1986
Volume 139 No. 12
DEPARTMENTS
EDITORIAL 6
VOLUNTEERS CORNER 8
How are decisions made?
TRAINING NOTEBOOK 10
Apparatus accidents: focus on intersection safety
DISPATCHES 16
Rose Parade float to salute firefighters? Sprinkler legislation passed in Maryland Plane fire standards upgraded More accurate placarding
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 12
MANUFACTURERS’ LITERATURE 53
EQUIPMENT DIGEST 54
APPARATUS DELIVERIES 55
COURSES/COMING EVENTS 56
TRAINING AIDS 57
NAMES IN THE NEWS 57
CLASSIFIEDS 58
READER SERVICE CARDS 59
FEATURES
ETHYLENE OXIDE 18
Ethylene oxide, a sweet-smelling, clear liquid, whose odor is somewhat ether-like, is a suspected carcinogenic. When mitigating an incident, emergency responders must also remember that ethylene oxide may act as its own oxidizing agent. BY FRANK L. FIRE
THE MEDEVAC HELICOPTER 24
Since the Korean War, the helicopter has provided safe, rapid transportation for the sick and injured. In recent years, the helicopter has evolved into a sophisticated airborne ambulance. BY TOM JEFFERS
PROFESSIONAL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE 28
The fire service’s delivery system must be maintained at a level of excellence. There is no excuse for failure of a fire vehicle to respond to or perform at an emergency because of poor maintenance.
BY HANK A. HOWARD
INEXPENSIVE CHARGING SYSTEM 34
A simple double throw relay system has been devised by the University of Maine at Orono Fire Department to eliminate concerns about dead batteries and the danger of driving away with the battery charger still plugged in. BY EDWIN P. DEWS
CONSTRUCT YOUR OWN MOBILE AIR UNIT 38
A 1967 Army Dodge 500 chassis formed the basis of a mobile air unit constructed by the Ware County Fire Department. BY JIMMY BROWN
LET’S STOP RUNAWAYS 40
To eliminate the problem of runaways—those instances when your 17-ton apparatus is moving down the street, out of control and on a ram-page—the author suggests eliminating the mechanical system that allows the runaway situation to occur. BY HOWARD MOON
TASK FORCE CONCEPT 42
The Los Angeles City Fire Department’s task force concept is proving its worth in hazardous materials incident management applications.
BY JACK BENNETT
EDITORIAL INDEX 46
The 1986 index of authors and articles are listed and cross referenced alphabetically and categorically.
