The First Fire Pump

November 16th, 2007

The history of the modern Fire Service is well documented, but did you know that the fire pump is actually a *re-invention* of an idea from ancient times?

The first force-pump mentioned in recorded history is a pump designed by Ctesibius of Alexandria who died in 222BC. Unfortunately, all of this great inventor’s work was destroyed when the great library of Alexandria burned (there’s an irony for you) and we only know about Ctesibius through the surviving works of Vitruvius, Athenaeus, and Philo of Byzantium.
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New Products: BrytteDay

November 16th, 2007

Every scene is not always curb side. Lighting that is no longer tethered to the vehicle. Just grab it and go where-ever and when-ever you need it. The high intensity OPTIMUM style lamphead is available with a 70 or 150 watt HID (High Intensity Discharge) bulb.
The Tripod is available in three different sizes to fit your needs.

Power Pack
The Power Pack rechargeable battery is housed in a rugged case with a built-in charger. ON/OFF switch, charge level, operating LED indicators, and easy to follow directions located on top of the battery/charger unit.

Download the BrytteDay Literature Sheet [PDF]

Air pollution is not a new problem

November 7th, 2007

Air pollution is not a new problem for many large cities. At the turn of the nineteenth century over 100,000 horses lived in New York city at any given time. The normal city horse produced about twenty-five pounds of manure a day. The manure was everywhere, along the roadway, heaped in piles, or dried and blown about by the wind. The horse was creating the very same problems that today are attributed to the automobile: air contaminants harmful to health, noxious odors, and noise.

What was Aerofoam?

November 5th, 2007

In the 1940s, Percy Julian developed an improved type of foam called Aerofoam. By using mechanical action, a liquid protein-based concentrate, made from natural animal protein, was mixed with water in either a proportioning system or an aerating nozzle to form air bubbles with a free flowing action. Its expansion ratio and its ease of handling made it very popular.

Unbelievable! Or is it?

November 5th, 2007

By Robert Tutterow
Health & Safety Officer
Charlotte Fire Department

Through May of this year, unofficially, this country has lost 43 firefighters in the line of duty. 16 of these firefighters lost their lives responding to calls while 8 lost their lives at the scene of an incident (excluding medical LODD’s). Heart attacks and strokes aside, more than twice as many firefighters have lost their live responding to incidents than actually working at the incidents! That’s UNBELIEVABLE–OR IS IT? It’s certainly absurd and totally unacceptable. To the general public, that statistic would probably be very surprising because they think we get killed bringing people out of burning structures. At least that’s what we tell them.
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