The METROPOLITAN FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION announced its 2008-2009 officers and board members. The new officers are: Chief William Bryson, Miami (FL) Department of Fire-Rescue, president; Chief Robert Hendricks, Lexington (KY) Division of Fire and Emergency Services, vice president; Chief Greg Frederick, Louisville (KY) Division of Fire, secretary; and Chief Douglas Barry of the Los Angeles (CA) City Fire Department, treasurer. The new board members are: Chief Jim Kay, Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department, board member; Chief (retired) William McCammon, Alameda County (CA) Fire Department, senior board member; Chief Ned Pettus Jr., Columbus (OH) Division of Fire, alternate board member; and Chief William Stewart, Toronto (Ontario, Canada) Fire Services, immediate past president. www.nfpa.org.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (ISU) researchers Young-A Lee and Jessica Barker teamed with physiological conditioning and kinesiology professors Warren Franke and Rick Sharp on “Personal Protective Technologies for Current and Emerging Occupational Hazards,” a research project designed to improve firefighter gear effectiveness. ISU, one of eight universities participating in the research, is part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s multistate research project. ISU’s team is funded by a College of Human Sciences intramural seed grant. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, the ISU researchers are collecting data from local firefighters about not only the fit and function of their current gear, but also how the body and surrounding gear respond in high temperatures. www.iastate.edu.
The OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA)will issue an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking and convene related stakeholder meetings to evaluate possible regulatory methods and request data and comments on combustible dust issues such as hazard recognition, assessment, communication, and definition. Since 1980, more than 130 workers have been killed and more than 780 injured in combustible dust explosions. Combustible dusts are solids ground into fine particles, fibers, chips, chunks, or flakes that can cause a fire or explosion when suspended in air under certain conditions. Dust types include metal (aluminum and magnesium), wood, plastic or rubber, coal, flour, and sugar. www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/index.html.
The RACOR DIVISION of PARKER HANNIFIN CORPORATIONnew Moisture/Ember Separators (MES) Bulletin #7760 provides valuable information for selecting the appropriate MES unit for firefighting vehicles. The bulletin highlights the advantages of Racor’s MES over air cleaner filters with flame-retardant media. It also provides a guide with part numbers and dimensions to choose the right unit for your vehicle. www.parker.com.
PANASONIC COMPUTER SOLUTIONS COMPANY’s Toughbook U1 received the Frost & Sullivan 2009 Global Market Engineering Award for Product Innovation. The award is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within their industry. The Toughbook U1 is a 2.3-pound mobile computer with a 5.6-inch daylight-viewable touch screen display, and twin hot-swappable batteries that offer nine hours of battery life. Its fanless, all-weather design reduces noise and weight and eliminates points of failure. www.panasonic.com/toughbook.
ELKHART BRASS is consolidating all handline nozzle manufacturing to the expanded facility at its corporate headquarters in Elkhart, Indiana. Approximately 30 percent of handline nozzle production took place at Elkhart Brass’ satellite facility in Shreve, Ohio, because of capacity constraints did not allow both facilities to use technology upgrades. Over the past five years the firm has upgraded its Elkhart manufacturing capacity with state-of-the-art equipment and modern processes. Some enhancements include a 10,000-square-foot indoor test facility, conversion to a work stream optimization software, and the purchase of more than a dozen new multiturret machining centers. www.elkhartbrass.com. (800) 346-0250.
The FIRE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION has released a portable fire extinguisher training video on the importance of balanced fire protection, a design that uses multiple safeguards to save lives and protect property. The two-minute video, designed for both professional and lay audiences, guides viewers through the process of assessing a potential fire situation and using a portable fire extinguisher in an emergency. Incorporating a balanced fire protection design in commercial buildings helps minimize safety risks by providing multiple channels for fire notification and protection. To view the training video, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLjoWjCrDqg.
WATEROUS delivered 160 new PB18 Series portable pumps used in firefighting vehicles sold to Civil Protection of Algeria (CPA), which encompasses numerous fire stations throughout the country. All fire trucks delivered to Algeria are equipped with Waterous’ PB18-G2015 portable pumps. Produced by French manufacturer Camiva, 95 of the 160 vehicles delivered to CPA will combat forest, rural, and wildland fires. www.waterousco.com. (651) 450-5000.
ASHBURN HILL CORP. launched a new Web site to coincide with the debut of the company’s TECGEN XTREMETM protective apparel, which provides a single-layer alternative to turnout gear for many firefighting responses. TECGEN XTREMETM is a dual-certified product that meets the National Fire Protection Association’s specifications for wildland firefighting (NFPA 1977-2005) and technical rescue ensemble (NFPA 1951-2007). www.tecgenxtreme.com.
