The NEW YORK DISASTER COUNSELING COALITION (NYDCC) provides free confidential psychological treatment for uniformed services personnel and their families. The organization was founded in response to September 11 by a group of clinicians who wanted to help those on the front lines of the disaster. NYDCC’s clinicians network includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and clinical nurse specialists throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut who offer their services pro bono. The practitioners donate at least one session a week, with no limit on the number of sessions, to New York City uniformed services personnel (police, fire, EMS, Department of Corrections, and Port Authority employees) and their families. All treatment is confidential and offered on a no-fee basis, bypassing available health insurance, and leaving no paper trail. Patients are seen for as long as help is necessary. For more information, call (212) 582-8208.
MSA has named William M. Lambert president of MSA North America, succeeding Thomas B. Hotopp, who is retiring. Lambert will report to John T. Ryan III, chairman and CEO, and oversee the company’s Safety Products, the Safety Works Consumer Products, the Instrument Division, and Callery Chemical Co. units.
SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. consolidated its LUVERNE FIRE APPARATUS and QUALITY MANUFACTURING subsidiaries into a new company called CRIMSON FIRE. The consolidation allows Spartan to expand its dealer base, broaden its product mix, and leverage its engineering expertise. The combined companies will share the best engineering and manufacturing practices and work jointly on new product development.
The new Waupaca County, Wisconsin, 911 Center features MODULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (MODUCOM)‘s UltraCom console electronics and ergonomic workstation console furniture. Moducom also installed a building speaker system and a 32-channel logging recorder. The 911 Center had been using the Moducom DOS based UltraCom Pro system and upgraded to the UltraCom WindowsT 2000-based system, which includes complete radio/E911 integration. The Ultra-Com Radio/E911 console system is a fully digital dispatch communications console that allows dispatchers to communicate with field personnel via radio base stations and integrates administrative telephone and E911 telephone system audio, external outputs, and inputs into a central control point for the dispatcher. The dispatcher operates a console position using a touch screen monitor or mouse. The four-position system controls 28 base stations, 16 receivers, up to eight E911 trunk lines, and 12 administrative telephone lines. The ergonomic workstation furniture features sliding monitor trays, articulating task lights, adjustable foot rests, circulating air units, and radiant heaters. The 911 Center provides dispatch services for a 760-square-mile area, handling almost 7,000 E911 calls annually. It provides paging and related radio traffic for 15 fire departments, six ambulance services, and dispatching for local sheriff’s and police departments.
The NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL (NVFC) awarded James Mahoney of the Northport (NY) Volunteer Fire Department its Firefighter of the Year Award, which is sponsored by Scott Health & Safety. The NVFC awards individuals for outstanding achievements in the fire service and community. Mahoney, a 29-year veteran of the department, has served as the rescue squad captain and the fire prevention education committee chairman. He writes a local newspaper column entitled “Safety News” and created the “Meet Your Friend the Firefighter” Program for children. Mahoney is also president of the Suffolk County Firefighters Burn Center. Nominations for the 2003 NVFC Firefighter of the Year Award must be received by August 1, 2003. For more information, contact the NVFC at (888)-ASK-NVFC (275-6832). Web site: www.nvfc.org.
SAFETY COMPONENTS FABRIC TECHNOLOGIES, INC., producer of high technology fabrics for the fire service, raised more than $25,000 at its inaugural 911 First Responders Charity Golf Classic to benefit The Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation and The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The 911 First Responders Foundation provides financial assistance to first responders’ charitable causes that are endorsed by and cooperatively chosen with national and local firefighting and law enforcement agencies.The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation assist the survivors of fallen firefighters in rebuilding their lives. The Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation, associated with the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, provides assistance for burn survivors and their families.
TUMST is sponsoring the First Responder Institute (FRI), a not-for-profit organization that assists emergency personnel nationwide. TUMS will donate $.10 to the FRI for each TUMS bottle purchased (up to $200,000) to help fire departments needing new equipment to protect their firefighters and their communities. TUMS antacid is produced by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. FRI is the philanthropic arm of the Firefighter Combat Challenge, an annual series of competitive athletic events for firefighters. For more information, contact FRI at (301) 421-0096. Web site: www.FirstResponder.org.
MCKINNON-LAND-MORAN, LLC (MLM), parent of BASOFIL FIBERS, LLC, received the California Fire Chiefs Association’s (CFCA) Award for Innovation in Fire Protection for its flame-resistant barrier technologies for upholstered furniture. At the CFCA’s 2002 Technology Showcase, MLM demonstrated how its AlessandraT woven FR barrier and BasofilT fiber FR highloft nonwoven barrier technologies work by using flame-resistant fibers to prevent flame from penetrating the polyurethane foam, a major fuel source inside upholstered furniture, while reducing the amount of smoke and heat released. The barriers replaced nonflame-resistant materials to produce a chair that successfully passed all criteria of the stringent California Test Bulletin 133 furniture fire safety standard. This was the first Technology Showcase at the CFCA annual meeting. Only companies with truly new and innovative technologies were asked to participate. The CFCA selected awardees whose unique technologies could make a significant impact on fire safety.
Massachusetts has purchased 10 additional TVI CORPORATION rapid-deploy decontamination systems as part of its homeland defense/antiterrorist initiatives, augmenting 28 systems purchased earlier to protect citizens from nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons of mass destruction. Maine has purchased an additional 40 TVI mass casualty decontamination systems to augment the 16 systems purchased previously. These systems will further equip the State Civil Support Teams, recently formed to respond to any nuclear, biological, or chemical threats within the state. To respond to the increasing demand for its products, TVI has leased additional adjacent manufacturing space, tripling its capacity.
To help raise funds for the families of the three firefighters who died on July 4 in Gloucester City, New Jersey, the NAPLES BANK NOTE COMPANY has issued and donated specially designed and commemorative Banknote Art pieces and Banknotables that include the logo dedicated to the fallen firefighters. “Our Everyday Heroes” by Christopher Mc-Cauley measures 11 by 14 inches and is double-matted and suitable for framing. McCauley included a multitude of firefighting facts and figures in his design. Richard Baratz, who has designed numerous U.S. postage stamps, engraved the work. For more information, visit www.banknotables.com or contact Robert Bednar at (941) 594-8228.
BULLARD named Roger “Rock” Vance as a thermal imaging training specialist with the Bullard Thermal Imaging Training Team. Vance will work with other team members to train Bullard sales force members and distributors in the United States and teach thermal imaging classes in fire departments and schools nationwide. He recently retired from the Lexington (KY) Fire Department, where he served for 20 years, most recently as lieutenant.
EMERGENCY ONE, INC. announced that all five of its Ocala, Florida, operating facilities have been certified to the latest revision of ISO 9001, the international quality standard. International Management Systems, Inc, an independent ISO quality registrar, conducted the lengthy audit and certification process.
San Diego Fire and Life Safety Services will add at least 15 PIERCE Dash fire apparatus to its fleet in the first stage of an equipment contract. The initial order includes 12 Dash pumpers and three Dash 105-foot heavy-duty ladder aerial units. The units feature Pierce Command Zone advanced electronics for maintenance and troubleshooting. One aerial unit has All Steer electronic all-wheel steering system for maneuverability and the engines feature Class A foam systems.
SEAGRAVE FIRE APPARATUS received an order for 40 custom pumpers and three Aerialscope chassis for 75-foot tower ladders from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). The pumpers will feature specialized pump operator’s stands, 1,000-gpm Waterous pumps, and 500-gallon water tanks. The custom body includes lower compartments with interchangeable doors for easier maintenance and reduced parts inventory and a six-seat cab with recessed handrails. Seagrave received a $2.5 million order from Washington (DC) Fire Department for eight Marauder pumpers. The units will include an ultra low 54-inch hosebeds, 1,250-gpm Hale pumps, and 500-gallon water tanks, and a six-seat tilt cab with a cab access door compartment.
A Seagrave 100-foot, rear-mounted aerial fire apparatus was delivered to FDNY, the last of 54 units built to replace those lost on 9-11. The manufacture and delivery of all replacement fire apparatus was completed within 14 months of receiving the orders.
FDNY’s replacement apparatus included 17 rearmount aerial trucks, five tractor-drawn aerial trucks, four high-pressure pumpers, three squads, 19 pumpers, and six Seagrave custom chassis that were shipped to Aerialscope for installation of the body and aerial device. All Seagrave replacement units built for FDNY carry a custom Seagrave-designed bronze-cast medallion mounted to the cab front. The medallion depicts the Statue of Liberty with New York City in the background and the inscription: “Dedicated To New York’s Bravest – 9-11-01.”
In addition, Seagrave management announced at the beginning of the year that the company, on behalf of their employees, would donate a complete custom pumper to the FDNY.
SAFETY VISION, LP, manufacturer of Rear Vision and onboard video surveillance systems, has acquired REPAIR ALL ELECTRONICS, which specializes in electronics service and repair.
WILL-BURT, manufacturer of pneumatic telescoping masts and light towers, purchased a Ford F-550 Super Duty truck to serve as a demonstration vehicle for the company’s products. The vehicle includes a 20,000-watt generator and is outfitted with the Night Scan 5-20, 6-25, 15-foot, Profiler, Chief, and Featherlite models. The truck will be used for trade shows, training and maintenance seminars, company open houses, and customer appreciation days,
The UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA’s RENO FIRE SCIENCE ACADEMY in Carlin now has a total enrollment of more than 1,000 students; 37 percent of the year’s enrollment projection of 2,700. Recently, more than 60 students and instructors including Phillips Petroleum Corporate Fire Team employees from Louisiana and New Jersey; Portland (OR) Gas and Electric employees attended training sessions on campus. The academy has also hosted more than 90 students from Shell Oil Products US, and the Tesoros Golden Eagle refinery, near Martinez, California. In addition to daytime live fire training, the teams participated in night burn exercises. For the first time since classes resumed in May, the academy had most of its one million square feet of burnable props ablaze at the same time. The academy provides state-of-the-art training in fire protection, crisis management, rescue, hazardous materials and instructor training. and has earned an international reputation for its training and consulting services. For more information, contact the academy at (775) 754-6003 or 1-800-233-8928. Web site: fireacademy. unr.edu.
The HOUSTON (TX) FIRE DEPARTMENT’s (HFD) fire suppression services ISO rating has been upgraded from a Public Protection Classification (PPC) Class 2 to Class 1. The HFD’s one-year program to improve its PPC rating, according to ISO figures, will result in significantly lower dollar losses related to fire in commercial and residential properties by 29 percent and 12 percent respectively. A Class 1 rating requires a minimum score of 90 to 100 on ISO’s grading schedule; Houston scored a 97.01, the highest grade achieved by any city, making it the largest Class 1 municipality in the world. The unincorporated county areas the Houston Fire Department serves also received the Class 1 rating, an improvement from a Class 9, representing a significant savings in property insurance costs for commercial and residential properties.
The PUBLIC SAFETY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA (PSFA) announced the opening of its 2003 grant application cycle. Established by the ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC-SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICIALS (APCO INTERNATIONAL), PSFA was created to support and expedite the implementation of enhanced 9-1-1 services throughout the United States. United States-based public safety and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for PSFA grants. Eligible applicants should consider the following PSFA funding priorities when applying: planning and coordination proposals to determine how to best implement wireless 9-1-1 location technology for a single PSAP or a county, region, or state; PSAP equipment and technology upgrades to make the PSAP capable of receiving and using information on wireless Phase II calls; strategic deployment initiatives for programs to address implementation challenges; and education proposals to educate public safety agencies and other stakeholder groups about the importance of implementing wireless location technologies. For information on the PSFA and to obtain a grant application online, visit www.psfa.us.
The FELLOWS CLUB VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE SERVICE in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, owns a rare 1882 Remington horse-operated circular pump fire engine, one of only two in the United States. The second one is displayed at the Hall of Flames Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The fire engine’s a Howe three-piston, sweep pump was operated by teams of horses hitched to two long poles attached to the turntable on the pump. The teams walked around the fire engine to operate the pistons. In lieu of horse, men could operate the pump. The 3,000-pound engine is constructed of iron except for inside the pistons, which are made out of leather. On one trial of the fire engine, water was pushed from a 31/2-inch suction hose in a pond through 350 feet of 21/2-inch hose forcing a stream of water reaching 80 feet over a flagpole in the town The Remington fire engine was operated up until a motorized fire engine was purchased in the 1920s.
