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- David Petty on An Inside Look at Pump Testing
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Archive for the ‘commentary articles’ Category
Cab “Stuff”
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
by Robert Tutterow
A considerable amount has been spoken and written about seat belt usage and the lack thereof. However, loose bodies inside the cab of a fire apparatus in the midst of a collision or rollover are only part of the problem. All the other “stuff” inside the cab will become projectiles unless they are securely fastened.
Maybe you have seen the graphic footage from a video camera mounted inside a cab during a rollover at one of the crash test facilities. The good folks at CAPE (Center for Advanced Product Evaluation), a brand of IMMI (Indiana Mills and Manufacturing, Inc.), just outside of Indianapolis have made such videos for fire apparatus cabs. One of the most “wow” moments if viewing their videos is to watch the unbelted firefighter slam against the belted firefighter. It’s the body blow blitzing linebackers can only dream about.
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commentary articlesNFPA releases new Apparatus Maintenance and Testing Standard
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
by Tom Stalnaker
What’s new in fire apparatus standards? There are over 200 committees of volunteers that help the NFPA develop standards for many subjects relating to fire safety. One of those committees deals with standards for Fire Department Apparatus. Almost 10 years ago this committee realized that the existing standards for pump testing (NFPA 1911), aerial testing (NFPA 1914) and preventative maintenance (NFPA 1915) did not comprehensively cover all the issues related to testing and maintenance of in-service apparatus. We began a process to pull together the existing standards with new material developed to cover the gaps, in order to create a new standard. Out of this process came NFPA 1911 Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus 2007 Edition which is now available.
Thunder Road
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
by David White
Imagine a remake of the 1958 classic “Thunder Road” in which Robert Mitchum sped around in a souped-up hot rod complete with a custom tank for transporting illegal moonshine. Today, the Mitchum character might be tempted to pour that moonshine in the gas tank instead.
Ethanol is known by many names. To chemists, it is ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, made by fermenting almost any material that contains starch or sugar. Most ethanol today comes from corn, wheat or switchgrass. Connoisseurs of mountain-made bootleg liquor will know ethanol best as moonshine, white lightning, fire water or old stump hole. At 190 proof, ethanol packs quite a wallop.
Law officers destroying a moonshine still, Gordon County, GA 1922 (Image courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia collection, gor115)
Specifying and Purchasing Fire Apparatus
Friday, December 5th, 2008
by Bill Peters
Specifying and purchasing fire apparatus can be a very difficult process, especially for the fire chief or truck committee who is unfamiliar with the procedures involved. Due to the infrequency of this process, few chiefs have the opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of apparatus purchasing. The common method utilized by many purchasers, is to rely solely on the advice and guidance of an apparatus sales person. This can add to the anxiety and apprehension of the chief who is concerned with obtaining suitable apparatus, at a reasonable price, for his community.
Preparing specifications and purchasing fire apparatus are major responsibilities that represent a sizable, long term investment of community funds.
If there is only one thing that I learned over the many years that I have been involved in purchasing fire apparatus for my department, as well as for private consulting clients is “Organization is the key to success.” Whether you are planning a vacation, establishing a training program or purchasing a piece of fire apparatus, get organized!
HID Scene Lighting
Saturday, November 17th, 2007
For most of the years since Thomas Edison successfully patented the carbon-filament light bulb in 1889, lighting technology has changed very little. Of course, there have been improvements of the art, but at the heart, most lighting technology has relied on one key: an electrical current passing through a thin filament creating the light. This has been particularly true for automotive lighting such as those found on emergency vehicles. With the exception of strobe lighting, the state-of-the-art in vehicle lighting for most of those years relied on the same basic concept demonstrated by Edison’s patent.
Not anymore.
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