Rearmount Ladder
KME has introduced the 109-foot AerialCat rearmount ladder, the newest addition to the steel-ladder line that includes the 79-foot, 100-foot, 103-foot and 121-foot AerialCat apparatus. Mounted on a KME Predator tandem-rear-axle chassis with a 500-hp engine, the ladder is available with an unrestricted 750-pound tip load dry and a 500-pound tip load while flowing 1,500 gpm. The KME ladder is constructed of 100,000-psi steel and engineered with a 2:1 structural safety factor based on a 750-pound NFPA 1901-rated tip load. With the elevation range of –8 to +80 degrees and a “Store Front Blitz” monitor, firefighters can perform interior attacks with just the ladder and monitor. In addition, the new apparatus is easy to maneuver with a short wheelbase and 16-foot outrigger stance.
Reduced-Weight SCBA Cylinders
SCOTT SAFETY has introduced of 5,500-psi (5.5) cylinders for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The cylinders feature up to an 11% reduction in profile and up to 15% reduction in weight to reduce user fatigue. Another benefit is the ease of department integration without costly infrastructure changes. The cylinders are available in 30-minute, 45-minute, 60-minute and 75-minute durations. They are compatible with Air-Pak 75 and Air-Pak NxG7 SCBA and will be available for shipment in January 2012 with full NIOSH and NFPA approvals.
PPV Ventilators
EURAMCO SAFETY, maker of the RAMFAN positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) line, has released its new GX and EX Series ventilators. The series features RAMFAN’s new PowerShroud straighteners, which increase forward velocity, tighten the cone of air and allow greater setbacks from entrances. The smallest of the line, the GX200, makes 90% of the air of a six-hp unit while weighing 30 pounds less and producing 60% less carbon monoxide. The units are available in sizes from 16 inches to 24 inches in gas and electric.
Firefighting Nozzles
TASK FORCE TIPS now offers stainless-steel spinning teeth protective fog patterns on its MidMatic and Metro nozzles. Since the late 1980s, TFT has used stainless steel for the manufacture of its spinning teeth to prevent the pattern degradation caused by bent, broken or missing plastic teeth. The MidMatic, a mid-range automatic nozzle, may be ordered with stainless-steel spinning or fixed rubber teeth. The nozzle offers flow ranges of 70 to 200 gpm at 100 psi or 70 to 200 gpm at 75 psi, is fully NFPA compliant, features TFT’s patented slide valve and can be flushed without shutting down. The Metro series also is available with stainless-steel spinning fixed rubber teeth. The Metro, a fixed-gallonage nozzle, features more than 50 and is NFPA 1964 certified on most models.
Wireless Video Link
ZISTOS CORP. is rolling out a new, cost-effective system to instantly stream real-time video to a PC, iPhone, iPad or iTouch. The Universal WiFi Link (UWL) is a wireless network device that can be used in a stand-alone mode with a camera or in conjunction with any existing Zistos video-based victim-location tool. It lets critical video images be shared by others on scene, a command vehicle or to another remote site. The design objective of the UWL was to provide a tool to increase situational awareness among rescue personnel at a lower cost per system. Optional accessories exist that let the UWL attach to supplemental battery-powered remote area lighting systems. Up to four UWLs can monitor four different areas. Video recording can be facilitated using a PC running available software. The UWL is powered by swappable rechargeable batteries.
Rescue Bags
HURST JAWS OF LIFE has introduced Vetter S. Tec 145-psi high-pressure lifting bags, delivering 25% more power than 116-psi rescue bags and lifting up to 94 tons. The rescue bags are used for lifting and elevating thin-walled components, recovering rolled vehicles and rescuing trapped victims. Constructed of rubber with aramid reinforcement, the bags are available in 15 sizes from five by 5½ inches to 37 by 37 inches and all are less than one inch tall in storage. The bags feature reflective center and corner markings for nighttime use. Their interlocking surface is designed to prevent slipping and lets a rescuer stack two bags to enlarge the maximum lifting height. To simplify the change from traditional 116-psi rescue bags to new bags, Vetter offers a 116-to-145 psi adapter with every order, letting rescuers use 116-psi bag accessories until a final system change is completed.
