Fire apparatus designers have been challenged with adapting to new engine emissions regulations every three to five years since 1991. These regulations took a major step in 2010 when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions regulations forced a reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx). To achieve these lower NOx levels, diesel engine manufacturers had to Continue reading
The most significant alterations and modifications of the centrifugal water pumps used in the fire service in the past 10 to 15 years were implemented to accommodate the envelope size of the pump necessitated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiatives. Other revisions were associated with automation and electrification. Fire departments, during this time, have continued Continue reading
The Advanced Clean Transportation Expo takes place in Long Beach California each year and is the main event highlighting emerging alternate fuels technology in medium and heavy trucks. It is an opportunity for truck builders like Paccar, Navistar, Volvo, Freightliner, and a host of specialty vehicle and component manufacturers to highlight progress in the clean Continue reading
For those of us old enough to remember, in the mid-1970s the phrase “The Information Age” was coined. For the first time in our lives, because of the rolling out of cable television, the Telex machine (precursor to the fax machine), the mobile telephone, and eventually the internet and the affordable personal computer, society no Continue reading
Over the past four decades, natural disasters have been on a significant rise–wildland fires, including significant wildland urban interface (WUI) events; hurricanes; earthquakes; flooding; tornadoes; and other natural events such as mudslides (many resulting from past wildland fires). The trend here supported by data outlined in this article is a fact that has been apparent Continue reading
More than 15 years ago, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) Governmental Affairs Committee launched “Hill Day” to support the fire service in its efforts to secure federal aid to address safety equipment shortfalls in fire departments nationwide. Held in conjunction with the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s annual fire dinner and symposium, member companies form Continue reading
The first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, for use in the fire service was introduced at the 2011 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International in Indianapolis. Thousands of drones have been sold to first responder agencies since then. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), “Public safety agencies’ (PSAs) use of UAVs has grown Continue reading
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