All posts by : Iain Hoey

Lawmakers have reintroduced legislation which helps protect firefighters from PFAS and other dangerous chemicals.

The Protect Firefighters from Adverse Substances Act was introduced in the Senate last week by Sen. Gary Peters, D- Bloomfield Township, and other lawmakers. The Act was also introduced in the last Congress and was passed by the Senate, but didn’t pass the House.

Under the new bill, federal agencies will have to develop training and best practices to limit exposure to PFAS in fire departments across the U.S.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are contaminants that can cause health concerns such as thyroid disease, kidney and testicular cancers as well as higher levels of cholesterol. According to the EPA, the substance can be found in stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick products, polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products and fire-fighting foams.

At the federal level, officials are focusing on ways to remove the contaminants from water supplies and other areas where they can cause harm to people.

“Protecting firefighters from harmful exposure to dangerous PFAS chemicals is the least we can do for these heroes who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” Peters said in a statement. “I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill that will help protect the health and safety of first responders by limiting their exposure to these harmful chemicals in the line of duty.”

The recently-relaunched PFAS Congressional Task Force, a bipartisan group of lawmakers focusing on PFAS-treatment legislation, also plans on pressuring environmental officials in the administration of President Joe Biden to enact a national clean drinking water standard.

For firefighters, exposure while responding to emergencies is something that occurred, particularly in previous years before the dangers were well known.

“I thank Senator Peters for his continued leadership on the PFAS Act,” said Chief Richard R. Carrizzo, the President and Chairman of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

“As we learn more about PFAS, it is important for fire departments to adopt policies to reduce firefighters’ and the general public’s exposure. This legislation will develop helpful guidance that local fire departments can use. I welcome the PFAS Act’s reintroduction and urge Congress to pass it as soon as possible.”

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International have announced the official kickoff of APCO’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW) contest “Who is YOUR public safety superhero?” NPSTW is a week where communities across the U.S. recognise those who help save lives in times of personal or national crisis, and this year NPSTW will be celebrated April 11-17, 2021.

Conceived in 1981 by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California, Telecommunicators Week was created to raise public awareness of the hard work and dedication of public safety telecommunicators. In October 1991, APCO International successfully lobbied to receive a formal proclamation by Congress, which was signed by President Bill Clinton, designating the second full week in April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

APCO’s NPSTW contest was initially created to get public safety telecommunicators to share how their agencies were celebrating the week. In recent years, APCO has asked those working in public safety telecommunications to send stories about the outstanding efforts of their co-workers and the things that made their teams successful. In recognition of the extra work and dedication required of public safety telecommunicators during the year 2020, this year’s theme is superheroes. Two agencies (one large and one small) will be awarded prizes; all entries must be received by 9 a.m. ET on April 19 to be considered.

Last year’s contest was suspended due to the pandemic as APCO shifted efforts to providing COVID-19 related resources to its members. For that reason, the 2020 winners are declared as they stood on March 25, 2020. APCO congratulates Lincoln County (N.C.) E9-1-1 who won in the category for small agency and Montgomery County (Md.) 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center who won in the category for large agency.

E-ONE®, a subsidiary of REV Group® and a leading manufacturer of fire apparatus have introduced a complete new line of build-ready Custom Pumpers, available in multiple configurations at competitive market prices and with faster delivery times.

This new line of Custom Pumpers will feature two (2) primary body construction styles AFT5000 and AFT1000 with several models available for each. Through rigorous voice of customer research, E-ONE received feedback to offer varied features and options from which fire departments can select those to best fit their needs.

Each model offers unique selections for body style, wheelbase, compartment storage, pump module, water tank, ladder storage and hard suction hose storage.  They are available in either stainless steel or extruded aluminum body designs.

Standard features include:

• 54” medium aluminum cab with a 10” raised roof
• Cummins L9 450 HP engine
• Allison EVS™ 3000 transmission
• Hale QMAX 1500 gpm pump
• 20,000 lb. Meritor® front axle, 27,000 lb. Meritor rear axle
• Weldon V-MUX® electrical system with Vista display
• 21″ front bumper extension with hose tray

Clean cab and other safety options are also available to meet the various and specific needs.

The AFT5000 line will have a welded stainless-steel body with FRP overlays.  This series will feature four (4) models including 1030 gallon or 780 gallon water tanks with side-mount or top-mount pump modules.

The AFT1000 line will have a welded extruded aluminum body and will contain seven (7) models. Variations include 1030 or 780 gallon water tanks; conventional pumper, rescue pumper and low hose bed pumper bodies; and side-mount or top mount pump modules.

In keeping with its reputation as “America’s Firetruck,” E-ONE continues to provide fire departments with an innovative choice in how custom fire apparatus can be configured to best meet the needs of the communities they serve, in the most timely manner possible. These build-ready configurations bring this vision to reality.

“Now more than ever it is important to build the right product for every department’s need, at a competitive price and timely delivery,” said Larry Daniels, E-ONE Director of Sales. “We worked with our dealer partners and end users to develop several configurations that can be customized for any fire department regardless of size or call volume.  With options ranging from traditional, low hosebed and rescue pumper designs; multiple pump control locations; and consideration for cold weather climates, there is a configuration with a wide range of options for every budget.  Every unit can be customized from thousands of configurable options to meet specific needs.”