COMPANY/ASSOCIATION NEWS

LACROSSE FOOTWEAR, INC. was awarded a $1.25 million direct contract to produce the Phoenix Bunker Boot for the Chicago (IL) Fire Department. The contract for the National Fire Protection Association 1971-certified boot is expected to be fulfilled by January 1, 2007. The boot is built with breathable, fire- and chemical-resistant 7.5 oz. struck-through leather and CROSSTECH® protective fabric lining and features a puncture-resistant shin guard, a steel ladder shank, a stable stitchdown construction base to reduce foot fatigue, reinforced stitched and riveted pull straps, an antimicrobial and moisture-wicking footbed, and a nonslip fire-resistant Vibram® outsole; protective steel toe and puncture-resistant steel midsole that meets and exceeds ASTM/ANSI specifications.

CRAMER DECKER MEDICAL, INC., of Santa Ana, California, has launched a new products division that focuses on developing emergency medical equipment for first responders.

The new MERET™ brand (Medical Emergency Rescue Equipment and Technology) focuses strictly on providing first responder products designed around ease of transport and easy access to ALS and BLS supplies. The company is experienced in designing and manufacturing products for the scuba diving, compressed gas, and medical markets, and is a leader in home-care respiratory technology.

MERET™ offers emergency medical equipment ranging from portable lightweight composite oxygen systems to a full line of first responder bags and cases, to complete scuba rescue systems. For more information visit the MERET™ Web site, www.MeretUSA.com.

FERRARA FIRE APPARATUS named Lester F. Alexander III president of the company. Before joining Ferrara, Alexander was a managing director of investment with Howard Weil, Inc., in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. He also established and is president of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.

3M donated $25,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), presented on behalf of 3M’s Visibility and Insulation Solutions business as part of its ongoing Firefighter Appreciation Program. Scotchlite reflective material launched a Firefighter Appreciation Program. For every proof of purchase on a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-compliant set of turnout gear with Scotchlite reflective material fire coat trim, 3M donated a percentage of the proceeds to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. 3M had raised the amount by the program’s culmination in August and will extend this program into next year.

• Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) recently took delivery of a new E-ONE mobile command center (photo); an evacuation drill tested the new unit’s capabilities. More than 3,000 workers in Chicago’s financial district evacuated the city as part of a massive disaster response drill, as the new, state-of-the-art apparatus monitored participants and executed drills of its own.


With one of the most advanced 911 facilities in the nation, the new E-ONE mobile command center will allow the city to safely coordinate and centralize rescue efforts if the OEMC building is unusable.

Chicago looked to events such as 9/11, the London subway bombings, and Hurricane Katrina in designing the mobile command center; which includes numerous cameras; satellites; computers; radios; and a low-noise, high-power generator.

• Calgary EMS (CEMS), in Alberta, Canada, the largest EMS provider in the province, has purchased RescueNet™ TabletPCR field data collection and management software from ZOLL DATA SYSTEMS, INC. to improve operational efficiencies.

CEMS selected RescueNet TabletPCR because it integrated into the organization’s existing systems. Since CEMS handles more than 100,000 calls per year, a new patient care reporting system has to be robust, intuitive, flexible, and easy to learn to use.

Data mining, another important element for CEMS, required that the RescueNet TabletPCR reports lead to better clinical care for its patients; the agency also needed to produce reports required by its provincial EMS office. ZOLL Data built an interface to allow data to flow directly into the CEMS billing system to improve efficiency. The interface’s flexibility with the Calgary hospitals and its ability to evolve to an electronic version were also key elements.

One of the most important things CEMS needed was the ability to capture the continuity of care in a single patient care report. CEMS delivers prehospital care in numerous ways-single paramedic response units, ALS transport ambulances, bicycle medics, tactical medics, and air medical crews. This single-patient care record is crucial since it allows each group to document its contribution all the way through the process.

NJ Apartment Building Fire Displaces 41, Sends One to Hospital

A fire tore through the top floor of an apartment building on Palisade Avenue in Bogota on Sunday.

Providence (RI) Firefighter Pinned by Sliding Fire Truck During Snowstorm

A Providence firefighter was pinned between a fire engine and a parked car early Sunday morning when the truck got stuck and slid into the…