The patented system exceeds all established permissible exposure limits set by NIOSH and OSHA, and can be retrofitted to apparatus within 48 hours, according to the manufacturer...More
Four adjustable stickmen are invertible for drying special ops gear upside down; each optional boot tree dries four pairs of boots in 90 minutes; and 12 drying ports quickly dry gloves, helmets and balaclavas....More
The decision to renovate a 70-year-old facility into a state-of-the-art fire headquarters was not made lightly. But it was a decision that resulted in a 2012 Station Style gold award in the renovation category from the Niskayuna (N.Y.) Fire District No. 1/Grand Boulevard Fire Company....More
The modern fire station is a very specialized facility, not just a garage in which to keep big trucks. And a specialized facility requires a designer who specializes in that building type. Departments will benefit greatly by including an architect with extensive expertise in station design on the project team. This realization has resulted in a category of station designers who can provide the entire design package for your project, or who can assist the local design team that may lack this type of experience....More
VFIS's Ryan Pietzsch said that many agencies do not consider safety and security during the fire station design phase. Instead, they wait until after construction is completed and accidents or losses begin to occur....More
Christopher Kehde of LeMay Erickson Willcox discusses the benefits of using building information modeling, which helps architects and their fire station design clients plan, collaborate, and predict performance before breaking ground....More
Steven Harms of Fire Facilities discusses where chiefs should locate training facilities, what materials they should use, and what grants and financing are available to pay for them....More
Whenever someone is hurt, our nation’s first responders are compelled to rush in to help. I love that about this industry. However, self-deployed first responders also put themselves and the operation at risk unknowingly....More
With a vote declaring this sacred loss of trust, there is no turning back. What’s done is done and, regardless of the justifications or excuses, the fabric of command and control has been torn forever....More
By Mike Metro -- The last time I wrote, I discussed the concept of sending the right person, at the right time, with the right equipment and the right training, in the right vehicle. Last month, we focused on the right person. For this article, I want to focus on the right equipment....More
VFIS's Ryan Pietzsch said that many agencies do not consider safety and security during the fire station design phase. Instead, they wait until after construction is completed and accidents or losses begin to occur....More
By Daniel B.C. Gardiner--Hundreds of pieces of fire apparatus will be blasting their way down different Main Streets this Memorial Day, giving nearby spectators as well as the firefighters in the line of march, a good dose of acoustic trauma....More