Scuttlebutt 6/19

REV Group Announces Tribute to First Responders

REV Group, Inc. has teamed up with Road America to pay tribute to first responders at the NTT IndyCar Series REV Group Grand Prix in Elkhart Lake, WI, June 20–23, 2019. As part of the tribute, all active-duty first responders will receive free entry to the REV Group Grand Prix during the entire weekend of activities including the NTT IndyCar Series race on June 23.

The apparatus included in Pierce’s Road Rally include:

• Arrow XT 100 -foot Ascendant Heavy-Duty Aerial Tower
• Enforcer 107-foot Ascendant Heavy-Duty Single Axle Aerial Ladder with PUC Pump
• Enforcer 107-foot Ascendant Heavy-Duty Tandem Axle Aerial Ladder
• Impel 110-foot Ascendant Heavy-Duty Single Axle Aerial Platform
• Enforcer 75-foot Aluminum Aerial Ladder
• Velocity 100-foot Heavy-Duty Aerial Platform
• Enforcer PUC Pumper
• Saber Pumper with Ford Power Stroke Turbo Diesel Power Train

Visitor experiences will include educational Q&A sessions with Pierce product experts and Pierce dealer representatives. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take part in hands-on operation of apparatus, test-drive all apparatus featured in the Road Rally, and learn more about the extensive customizations available on Pierce fire trucks from chassis to pump panels, electrical systems to TAK-4 suspension, and more.

Pierce’s Road Rally will stop in locations including fire departments, fire training centers, Pierce dealerships and service centers, and other locations across the U.S. throughout summer 2019. Those interested in attending are encouraged to work with a local Pierce dealer to register for an event in the desired location. 

For more information, visit piercemfg.com/road-rally.

Photo courtesy Pierce Mfg.

This Month in Fire History

June 5, 1973, Chicago, IL—LaSalle Hotel fire kills 61

June 14, 2017, London—Grenfell Tower fire kills 71.

June 15, 1904, New York, NY—SS General Slocum steamship fire kills 1,030

June 17, 1972, Boston, MA—Hotel Vendome fire kills 9 firefighters

June 17, 2001, New York, NY—Father’s Day fire kills 3 firefighters

June 18, 2007, Charleston, SC—Sofa Super Store fire claims the lives of 9 firefighters

June 24, 1973, New Orleans, LA—Upstairs Lounge fire kills 32

June 26, 1977, Columbia, TN—Maury County Jail fire kills 42

June 30, 2013, Yarnell, AZ—19 Granite Mountain Hotshots died while battling a massive wildland fire

Courtesy NFPA

Registration Open for Pierce 9/11 Stair Climb at Lambeau Field

Registration is now open for the seventh annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb taking place at historic Lambeau Field on Sept. 7, 2019. Co-sponsored by Pierce Manufacturing Inc. and the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, the event is not just for first responders but anyone who  wants to take part in honoring the 343 fallen firefighters of Sept. 11, 2001. Last year’s record attendance included 2,700 residents, firefighters, and representatives from local businesses, who together raised more than $135,000 to directly benefit theNational Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF).

“Many watched in disbelief as we saw the events unfold on September 11, 2001, and in the months following our nation demonstrated fortitude and perseverance,” said Chief David W. Litton of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department. “The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb not only gives us the chance to honor the fallen heroes of that day, but also memorializes fallen heroes nationwide, and raises critical funds to establish benefits, programs, grief support, and more for the families of brave men and women who have devoted their lives to fire service.”

The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is not a timed race, but a way for firefighters and the community to honor and remember the New York firefighters who selflessly gave their lives on that fateful day. All are welcome to participate regardless of age or fitness level. Participants are invited to ascend the equivalent of 110 stories—the height of the fallen World Trade Center Towers—on the steps of Lambeau Field. Each climber is given a badge with the name and photograph to symbolically complete the climb with one of the fallen firefighters of 9/11. At  the equivalent of the 78^th floor of the World Trade Center towers (the highest level reached), each climber will ring a fire bell in honor of the firefighter represented on their badge.

“Once again, we are honored to partner with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department to support the NFFF and the families of the fallen firefighters,” said Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing. “Regardless if you are a firefighter or a community member—everyone has a reason to climb.”

Event details include:

• Event registration is $35 per climber until August 4, 2019, and $40 per person, thereafter.
• Pre-registrants will receive an event t-shirt and all climbers will receive an honor badge.
• Climbers can pre-register and check in the evening before the climb from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. near Lot 5 at Lambeau Field.
• An opening ceremony will take place at 9:00 a.m. featuring the Presentation of the Colors, National Anthem, and a prayer. Climbing safety guidelines and instructions will be announced prior to the bagpiper procession into the stadium.
• Start times will be organized into 10-minute waves of 343 climbers and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Entertainment will be provided on the stage near the Kwik Trip Gate for event supporters and participants waiting to climb.
• Climbers will be given a badge with the name and photograph of one of the fallen firefighters, to symbolically complete the climb with one of the fallen.
• All funds raised benefit the NFFF.
• Pre-registration, event details and FAQs are available on the Facebook event page or at piercemfg.com/climb.

Pre-registration and event details are available at piercemfg.com/climb.

UL-FSRI Releases Heat Transfer Online Training Course

The UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (UL-FSRI) has released a new online training course, “Introduction to Heat Transfer and Fire Measurement”based on the “Full-Scale Experiments to Study the Impact of Ventilation on Fire Patterns” project that was funded by the National Institute of Justice.

The course is divided into three sections—Heat & Temperature, Heat Transfer, and Fire Measurements. After taking this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the difference between heat and temperature
• Understand the basic principles of heat transfer
• Describe the instrumentation used to collect data in fire conditions and how that data is applied to the understanding of heat transfer 

NFPA 1033, the Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator, requires that fire investigators shall have and maintain up-to-date knowledge of these topics. 

This course is available online at ulfirefightersafety.org.

 Cooper Tires, Sinise Foundation Donate Tires to Fire Departments

Inspired by Public Service Recognition Week, Cooper Tires and the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF) teamed up to honor first responders and give back to them with donations of new tires for their emergency vehicles.

Cooper® and GSF have selected three fire stations in need and are donating tires for one or two emergency vehicles per station, approximately 30 tires total. The stations receiving the tires are:

DeWitt, NE, Volunteer Fire Department

Russellville/Lohman, MO, Fire Department

Smith Mills Fire Department in Henderson, KY

 “We are excited to have this opportunity to work with the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization committed to serving America’s heroes and their loved ones,” said Jessica Egerton, Director of Brand Development, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. “Given its long history of honoring our first responders, the Foundation helped us identify fire stations across the country where essential equipment, like our tires, could have the greatest impact. First responders rely on their vehicles, and the tires that connect them to the road, so we’re honored to provide new tires that these firefighters can rely on to help them serve their communities and stay safe while doing so.”

Elizabeth Fields, chief operating officer of the Gary Sinise Foundation, added, “Cooper Tires and the Gary Sinise Foundation share a belief in the importance of supporting and showing gratitude to the brave heroes that we rely on each day to serve and protect our communities. We are thrilled to be teaming up with them to honor first responders as we celebrate National Public Service Recognition Week. The donation from Cooper of new tires wonderfully complements the work we do to provide essential equipment for first responders in need.”

New Study Looks at the Dangers of Flame Retardants

UL Chemical Safety, the not-for-profit, science-directed research group of UL, and Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, have released new research on different techniques for reducing fire hazards of residential furniture while reducing human exposure to flame retardants.

“Human Health in the Built Environment: A Study of Chemical Exposure Risk and Flammability of Upholstered Furniture and Consumer Electronics” is one of the first studies to scientifically demonstrate pathways for human exposure to flame retardants in furniture, and to demonstrate how a barrier material used in place of flame retardants in furniture can reduce fire hazards.

A specialized environmental chamber methodology was developed to provide a realistic assessment of flame-retardant exposure to flame retardants if used in furniture. Key findings include:             

• The primary way adults can be exposed to flame retardants in upholstered furniture is dermal transfer by skin contact
• The primary way in which children, who are more vulnerable than other population groups, are exposed is by ingestion resulting from frequent hand-to-mouth contact with settled dust
• The impact of different fire prevention technologies on the flammability of chairs
• The potential of flame-retardant exposure for first responders

The study comes at a time when many public health professionals and scientists have grown increasingly concerned with the human exposure and potential health hazards of chemical flame retardants. 

The full research report can be found at ulchemicalsafety.org.