● A partnership involving the LOS ANGELES COUNTY (CA) FIRE DEPARTMENT, the LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT, and the AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION will replace the currently used four-lead EKG system with a more accurate and informative 12-lead system. The Wallis Annenberg Heart Program will help paramedics and hospital-based physicians better diagnose and treat patients to improve survival rates. The Annenberg Foundation funded the program with a $3 million grant.
Program elements for Los Angeles include conversion of more than 170 paramedic units to the 12-lead EKG; advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training and equipment for 1,450 paramedics; tracking and analysis of data collected during program implementation; and, based on the outcome of program implementation, development of a recommended national model for other major metropolitan areas.
● FIREPROGRAMS offers the Fund Rasing plug-in software that enables fire service organizations to send customized letters (perhaps asking for contributions) to everyone to whom the department has provided service, or any other persons in its database. The software also tracks contributions and send thank-you letters. In addition, the program prints custom invitations to department events and fundraisers, then tracks contributions by individuals and funds raised by each event. The Fund Raising Plug-in runs as a separate module and is available free from the FirePrograms Web site: www.FirePrograms.com/fund_raising.htm.
● E-ONE announced the following appointments: Steven P. Chiodo regional director of sales for the apparatus manufacturer’s upper Midwest territory, covering Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio; Steve Koch was appointed senior vice president of sales and distribution; John O’Donnell has been named vice president of human resources; Larry Moore was appointed vice president of purchasing and supply chain management, a newly created position. Ron Ferrill has been appointed vice president of manufacturing; Brian Cardinal has been appointed vice president of product development, responsible for developing new product offerings for the company and also assumes a lead function with product engineering; Charles Chilton was named vice president of product development and marketing; Curtis Evans has been named director of customer satisfaction, a newly created position.
● SEAGRAVE FIRE APPARATUS appointed Scott A. Mintier chief executive officer, replacing James L. Hebe. Dan Alexander was named president and chief financial officer. David Schmidt, Seagrave sales manager, has been promoted to director of sales, responsible for field and internal sales administration, advertising, marketing, and product planning.
● PIERCE MANUFACTURING INC. received an order from the Connecticut Department of Homeland Security for 34 Contender walk-in rescue trucks, valued at approximately $4.8 million. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2005. Each Contender rescue truck will be built on a four-door Freightliner M2 106 chassis with Cat C9 power plants, equipped with an 11.5-foot Contender walk-in rescue body, interior palletized storage compartments, slide-out rear loading ramp, and a pintle hitch to tow decontamination trailers.
Pierce Manufacturing won a special award as a “Wisconsin Company Supporting Homeland Security” at the 2004 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards, based on the the manufacturer’s innovations and new product introductions.
Pierce delivered the first M1142 Tactical Fire Fighting Truck (TFFT) in January for the U.S. Army Reserve 406th Engineer Fire Fighting Detachment of the 89th Regional Readiness Command. The TFFT features an all-wheel-drive Oshkosh HEMTT M977 chassis with a 450-horsepower engine, an Allison HD 4560 automatic transmission, and 62,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating. The firefighting system includes a 1,000-gallon water tank, a Husky foam system, 500-gpm room turret, and 250-gpm bumper turret. Pierce is currently under contract with the U.S. Army for 87 TFFTs.
● The CONGRESSIONAL FIRE SERVICES INSTITUTE awarded the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) at Oklahoma State University the 2005 CFSI Fire Service Organization of the Year award. The award recognizes one organization for its contributions to the CFSI mission to advance the readiness of the fire and emergency services by educating Congress on fire and life safety issues. IFSTA, a producer of training manuals, has provided CFSI guidance in marketing strategies and strategic planning. As a member of the National Advisory Committee, IFSTA has assisted in developing white papers and legislative initiatives addressing fire and life safety.
NAMESINTHENEWS
● The Chicago (IL) Fire Department (CFD) named DR. DONALD W. WALSH, Ph.D., assistant deputy fire commissioner for the Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). He will be in charge of the fire department’s EMS service within the Bureau of Operations. The EMS division is one of the nation’s largest advanced life support fire-based EMS systems. A 30-year veteran of fire-based EMS, Walsh has worked for the Chicago Fire Department’s Bureau of Operations since 1976 and is an adjunct faculty member of the National Fire Academy, a past president of the Chicago Fire Paramedics Association, past director of the Illinois Paramedics Association, past Board of Director of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and governor-appointed State of Illinois Representative for the State Emergency Medical Services Council.
● Austin (TX) Fire Department Division Chief RANDY TEMPLETON received a master of arts degree in Security Studies from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), qualifying him as a DHS-certified expert in homeland security and terrorism. Degree recipients have obtained the knowledge and skills to develop strategies, plans, and programs to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States and reduce vulnerability to terrorism; build the organizational arrangements needed to strengthen homeland security, including local/state/federal, civil-military and interagency cooperation; and help mayors and governors improve homeland security preparedness by conducting “real world,” actionable policy development work.
● The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has apponted BILL WEBB to its board of directors. Webb is executive director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI).
