Those of us who have been around for a while remember the days when a semi-tractor would idle all night long at the truck stop, keeping the cab warm for the driver as he slept. Fuel was cheap, and the diesel engine could idle happily forever. All this changed in 2007 with the introduction of Continue reading
Calling all firefighters, industry experts, and apparatus manufacturers! Have you ever worked on the spec for a fire truck and bumped up against something in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards that limited or expanded the scope of your project? Have you ever wished there were some way you could “change the rules” to allow Continue reading
The buzz in the industry has been “clean cab initiatives” and ways to reduce carcinogens and contaminants that promote bacteriological and virological disease in fire apparatus and ambulances. As more fire departments have been called to assist on medical responses during the raging COVID-19 virus pandemic, biosafety in emergency vehicles has become as serious a Continue reading
The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) is comprised of fire apparatus manufacturers and apparatus component manufacturers continually striving to build safer apparatus for our mutual customers, the fire and emergency services heroes. FAMA promotes safety and education for our first responders through many avenues. As technology continues to evolve and new threats to the safety Continue reading
The COVID pandemic has transitioned the multistep process of purchasing and building a firetruck and an ambulance–from preconstruction and factory visits, all the way through to final inspection and training–to a predominantly “live” and party-to-party experience to one that is almost completely virtual. This has been a challenge since most customers feel a need to Continue reading
As new technologies continue to expand apparatus safety features, Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) member companies must stay informed and constantly adapt. Part of FAMA’s work is to ensure that new technologies are shared and explored with member companies so they can understand the opportunities, considerations, and potential value of new options as they emerge. Continue reading
Each year, along with Fall comes the cold and flu season and for 2020 specifically a second wave of COVID-19. It is always difficult to project the future for the fire service, but we can reflect on the past to help give us some clues. The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) has been collecting data Continue reading
There’s a whole lot more to marker lights than you might think! Here are some key points to consider. The topic may seem trivial, but those five little amber lights on the front of your apparatus cab are extremely important. Coupled with the other marker lights on your apparatus, they’re designed to keep you and Continue reading
Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. The Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) has been promoting firefighter ergonomics for decades through its own firefighter survey and in cooperation with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). One application of ergonomics in apparatus design involves the configuration of hose storage Continue reading
A previous FAMA Forum article focused on air disc brake maintenance and the industry trend towards converting conventional drums to disc brake systems. This article will focus on the vehicles with conventional drum brake systems in service today and stress the importance of regular maintenance on these brake systems to ensure long-term safety and performance. Continue reading