October 2013

Photo by Jay K. Bradish/IFPA
Critics of fire department staffing are growing louder, but who do they expect to respond to fires and a wide variety of other emergencies?
Careers & Education

Eisner: What Do We Need Them For?

Oct. 24, 2014
Editor’s Note: The Firehouse staff wanted to share some of long-time Editor in Chief Harvey Eisner’s work. Harvey, a fixture on New York City firegrounds and at major events and...
Photos by Dennis Walus
Sept. 4: Detroit, MI – Companies in the 9th Battalion were dispatched to a commercial building on fire. On arrival, a working fire was reported in a vacant two-story, 100-by-60-foot building with heavy smoke showing. The fire was brought under control in approximately four hours.
Operations & Training

Fire Wire 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
AUG. 1: LOWER WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, PA – Multiple explosions accompanied a massive fire that destroyed the city’s public works building. Numerous departments responded. A day care...
Bill Bruns
SCBA & Accessories

Industry News 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
UNITED PLASTIC FABRICATING INC. (UPF) Vice President of Sales and Marketing Bill Bruns will retire effective Oct. 31.“It’s going to be different around UPF, it’s going to be different...
Early in the morning of Oct. 9, 1913, a fire started among luggage and casks of chemicals and other freight stored below decks on the ocean liner SS Volturno in the North Atlantic. The ship, carrying 561 passengers and a crew of 93, was traveling to New York through a heavy storm and high seas when the fire began. Several explosions spread the flames quickly. Calls for help were sent out and 11 ships soon converged on the blazing liner. The Volturno’s captain, Francis Inch, took command of the firefighting and rescue efforts. Several lifeboats were launched, but with tragic results. Approximately 130 people, mostly women and children, died when their lifeboats capsized or were smashed against the Volturno's hull in the heavy waves. The remaining people were all saved.
Safety & Health

Rekindles 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
BROOKLYN, NY: OCT. 2, 1913 – Flames broke out shortly before 1 P.M. in the Sunday school building nestled behind the Plymouth Church on Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights. The ...
MSA has introduced the Evolution 6000 thermal imaging camera
Thermal Imagers

New Products 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
Thermal Imaging CameraMSA has introduced the Evolution 6000 thermal imaging camera, designed to make thermal imager use easier, faster, lighter and more intuitive. New and enhanced...

More content from October 2013

Curtvarone 11122175
EMS

Fire Law: Cybervetting: Should You Or Shouldn't You?

Oct. 1, 2013
My wife has always accused me of making up words – but the term “cybervetting” is not one that I can take responsibility for. Cybervetting is the process of researching someone...
John Salka 11122191
Leadership

The Fire Scene: "Stay Safe!" What Does It Really Mean?

Oct. 1, 2013
Many firefighters use the term “Stay safe!” with fellow firefighters. It is a common phrase that many of us use casually, and sometimes I think we say it without actually knowing...
Photo by Scott LaPrade/SmokeShowingPhotography.com
Detroit, MI, June 22, 2013
Operations & Training

Hot Shots 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
DETROIT, MI, JUNE 22, 2013 – Heavy fire involves a vacant dwelling on the city’s east side.Photo by Scott LaPrade/SmokeShowingPhotography.comHOUSTON,TX, AUG. 14, 2013 – Houston...
Photo by Dennis C. Sharpe
THE PINE HILL, NJ, FIRE DEPARTMENT has taken delivery of an E-ONE E-Max rescue pumper
Apparatus

New Deliveries 10/13

Oct. 1, 2013
THE PINE HILL, NJ, FIRE DEPARTMENT has taken delivery of an E-ONE E-Max rescue pumper built on an E-ONE Typhoon X Long chassis powered by a 450-hp Cummins ISL engine with Jacobs...
Otj Ohio 10 13 X 346 11123195
Apparatus

On The Job Ohio: Five-Alarm Fire Destroys Oil Company In Pike Township

Oct. 1, 2013
On Thursday, April 19, 2012, a five-alarm fire destroyed the R.D. Holder Oil Co. in Pike Township, Clark County, Ohio. Before the fire was extinguished, more than 125 firefighters...
Glenn A. Gaines, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator
Leadership

Guest Commentary: Protecting "Our Own"

Oct. 1, 2013
Most American citizens will not make use of our services, although we depend on them to support us with their tax money or donations. Accordingly, what are we selling? How do ...
Photos by Troy Cooper
Going over the edge, 110 feet up. No 'made-for-TV' anchors, just the way we would do it in an actual incident.
Rescue

Pre-Planning a Confined-Space Rescue

Oct. 1, 2013
A well coordinated plan with private sector partners can make the emergency responder’s job much more efficient when called to a confined space incident. Ruel Douvillier provides...
Insider Images/Andrew Kelly for STIGA
Oscar-winning actress and co-owner of SPiN New York Susan Sarandon competed against FDNY Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano at the quarters of Engine 14 in Manhattan on August 21, 2013. SPiN New York and STIGA will donate 10 table tennis tables to FDNY firehouses and EMS stations throughout New York City.
Apparatus

Scuttlebutt 10-13

Oct. 1, 2013
Dr. Carter Named President of USA Branch of IFEFirehouse Magazine Contributing Editor Dr. Harry R. Carter was installed as President of the United States of America Branch of ...
Photo by Mike Meadows
Rim6 11131658
Operations & Training

For the Record 10-13

Oct. 1, 2013
College Campus Fire SafetyEach year college and university students, on- and off-campus, experience hundreds of fire-related emergencies nationwide. There are several specific...
Brad Harvey
Thermal Imagers

Thermal Imaging: Fundraising for Thermal Imaging: Still Necessary

Oct. 1, 2013
As the benefits of thermal imaging have become more well-known, many fire departments have prioritized funding for thermal imagers or sought grant assistance to obtain the devices...
Photo by Robert Burke
The Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Rail Yard, in the heart of North Platte, NE, is the largest rail classification yard in the world.
Hazardous Materials

Hazmat Studies: Protecting the World's Biggest Railroad Yard

Oct. 1, 2013
Robert Burke explains the hazmat response to the Bailey Rail Yard in North Platte, Neb.
Captain Barry Cron of the City of Dayton, OH, Fire Department was struck by a pickup truck while operating at a traffic accident scene in wintry weather.
Operations & Training

Close Calls: Fire Captain Struck Minutes After Arrival: Part 1

Oct. 1, 2013
Billy Goldfeder interviews Capt. Barry Cron, who was struck on an Ohio highway.
Photos by Keith Addie
Woodbridge Firefighter Ryan Horvath hands his self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) out a bedroom rear window to a second firefighter before diving head-first out the window and falling to the ground. He was first to escape the fire after two firefighters become disoriented and issued a 'Mayday.'
Operations & Training

Cover Story: Firefighters Bail Out to Safety At New Jersey House Fire

Oct. 1, 2013
WOODBRIDGE, NJ, AUG. 14, 2013 – Two Woodbridge firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling a basement fire that heavily damaged a home, displacing an elderly couple.Woodbridge...
Figure 1. During treadmill walking, participants wore full personal protective equipment (PPE). During recovery periods, participants doffed some or all PPE while rehydrating and being cooled by a fan. This participant is completing the clothing sensations questionnaire.
PPE

Tools & Technologies: Base Layer Clothing: Part Of the Protective Ensemble

Oct. 1, 2013
Turnout gear is essential for the safe performance of firefighting duties. Firefighters rely on the protective properties of their turnout gear and should be familiar with the...
Gary Ludwig 11150187
EMS

EMS: Don't Leave Money On the Table

Oct. 1, 2013
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is here. Passed by Congress, signed into law by President Obama and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is the law of...
Photos by Ron Moore
A good underride training scenario requires the front of an acquired vehicle to be placed under the rear of a larger, heavier vehicle. The simulation would be that occupants are trapped in the front seats of the smaller vehicle.
Vehicle Extrication

University of Extrication: Vehicle Underride

Oct. 1, 2013
University of Extrication: Vehicle Underride