New Use for Strobe

New Use for Strobe

The Blue Ash Fire Department of Cincinnati, Ohio, has a new use for the strobe light on its apparatus.

Through the efforts of Assistant Chief Aulicino, a green strobe was mounted on the rear of the truck. It is activated by a switch mounted on the pump panel. When the pump operator is ready for water from the hydrant, he turns the strobe on. The man on the hydrant then knows he is ready to have the line charged. When he turns the light off, the operator indicates that he wants the hydrant turned off.

This also is said to work well with truck to truck relays. In relay, the pump operator supplies the second truck with water when the second truck turns its green strobe on. He will stop the relay when the second truck turns its green strobe off. In mutual aid relays when departments are on different radio frequencies, this will be a standard operating procedure. It will also help command officers know which trucks have water supplies, and will also reduce radio traffic between officers and the trucks.

R. Menke and S. Whitt were primarily responsible for most of the electrical work on the strobe installation.

Paul Dansbach and Glenn Corbett

Buildings That Front on Two Streets

Paul Dansbach and Glenn Corbett consider buildings that front on two streets, share basements, or might otherwise challenge firefighters.

Fire Burns Through PA Aerospace Supplier

A large fire broke out Monday night at SPS Technologies, an aerospace supplier in Abington Township.