An antiquated building and aging equipment are just two of the reasons the City of Marion Fire Department is asking City Council to consider placing a levy on November general election ballot.
Chief Chuck Deem presented the levy proposal to council’s finance committee on May 2 and the committee voted 3-0 to forward the measure to the full council for consideration at the meeting on Monday, May 9. If approved by city council, the 2.75 mill continuing levy will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election.
“This property tax levy is for taking care of capital needs of the fire department,” Deem told members of the Finance Committee. “The intent with this money is to replace Station 1 (186 S. Prospect St.), which celebrates its 110th anniversary this year. Also, this will allow us to put our rolling stock (fire trucks, EMS vehicles, etc.) on a regular replacement schedule, which means fire apparatus would be replaced every 15 years, which meets the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standard 1901. We replace medics (EMS vehicles) every nine years and there’s money in there for staff vehicles.
“There’s also money in there for updating and improving Stations 2 (1069 Bellefontaine Ave.) and 3 (599 Jefferson St.). During the timeframe in the paperwork that I’ve given you, both of those stations will reach their 50-year anniversaries.”
Deem said according to information provided by the Marion County Auditor’s Office, the levy will generate $1,076,982.97 annually. For the owner of a home valued at $100,000, the levy would cost them $96.25 per year.
It’s estimated that the proposed 20,000 square foot, single-level fire station will cost approximately $9 million to build, Deem said. The proposed new site for the station is land that the city owns adjacent to OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, where soccer fields are currently located.
MSA Safety rounded off 2021 in style posting record quarterly revenues at $410m, increasing 6% from a year ago. Core product revenue increased 9% from a year ago. The positivity was attributed to acquisitions and strong growth in industrial PPE. Looking ahead, and with a major presence at FDIC International in Indiana, Jason Traynor, General Manager, Global Fire Service and Integration Leader for MSA Bristol gives IFSJ a sneak-peek on what to expect this year.
Ahead of FDIC International 2022, what are MSA’s expectations from the show?
We’re excited to be back in Indianapolis with FDIC returning to a full-scale event, and we’re looking forward to being together with our customers and sharing the latest in connected firefighting technology. We expect an incredibly engaged crowd that is looking forward to seeing how personal protective equipment is the driving force behind enhancing safety on the job. You’ll see that in how MSA’s G1 SCBA is the focal point of our LUNAR Connected Firefighter Platform, which includes using FireGrid’s insights to enhance crew monitoring and incident management. As always, we’re working to find new ways to keep firefighters safe and will feature Fotokite remote ariel monitoring capabilities that help heighten situational awareness at a fire scene.
Give us an assessment of the American fire market’s performance over the last 12 months.
As a leader in the safety industry, MSA continued to manufacture products for our customers who must work in times of global crisis, like the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, the need for emergency responders never went away, so their needs of products and services that support them in their role continued. Across the company, we saw solid demand for our products, but three of our largest drivers were personal protective equipment, SCBA and turnout gear. Despite supply chain disruptions and labor constraints impacting our ability to ship some product, we did set a record in 2021 for the number of G1 SCBA units shipped.
On the back of MSA’s strongest quarter (Q4 2021), what can we expect from the firm for 2022.
Our focus will continue to be on developing and deploying products and technology that will help keep firefighters safe while on duty, and specifically through the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform. This will include new ways to monitor and track equipment and to get updates and upgrades for those items through subscription services. Through our MSA+ subscription program, we can reduce capital spending, enhance operational efficiencies for our customers, simplify upgrades to new technology and services, and ensure products are always under warranty. There will be more fire products included in the MSA+ service, and we look forward to seeing this grow through the year and beyond.
Tell us about your recent contract wins, and pipeline for the H1 2022.
This includes working with our new customers, like the Israeli Fire Service, who will be outfitted in MSA Bristol turnout gear. The ISF has signed on for 5,000 sets of gear across multiple contracts. To help better manage their equipment and help keep firefighters safe, we also expect more fire departments to see the value in connected technology and the usefulness of having gear, equipment, and technology together from one manufacturer. The Easton Fire Department in Easton, Pennsylvania, is one of those departments. They will be outfitting all their firefighters with our LUNAR Connected Firefighter devices.
Any more acquisitions or mergers on the cards?
MSA has a proven track record of successful acquisitions in the fire service, including Cairns, Gallet, Globe, Bristol and most recently with our investment in Perspective Robotics AG in the development of Fotokite. While we can’t comment on anything specific, as the world leader in head-to-toe firefighting safety products and technology, we are always interested in pursuing opportunities to grow and expand our business, particularly when it aligns with our mission of keeping men and women around the world safe on the job.
Tell us about inward investments within the business, and anything new we can look forward?
We will continue to invest in our business to support the growth we expect in key markets. Here in the United States, we’re investing in our talent pipeline and developed a new college tuition reimbursement program at MSA Globe. We want to attract and retain the next generation of employees who will develop and create the products needed to help keep firefighters and workers everywhere safe. In Europe, we’re investing in our European Shared Services center in Warsaw, Poland, to better serve our customers, and in the United Kingdom we’re renovating space at our Bristol facilities. We’re undertaking these types of projects and initiatives to support our mission of helping to keep people safe.
The FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference) International trade show is one of the largest events for the fire safety market in the world and is certainly holds the distinction of being a massive event held in the US state of Indianapolis.
The 2020 edition of the show was cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic clamping down all events, trade shows, and travel suspension. FDIC International 2022 is set to host several thousand professionals from the fire and rescue sector across the last week of April 2022 at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium.
FDIC International also holds the distinction of being one of the oldest trade shows for the fire and safety industry. Over the past 94 years, the trade show has established itself as the premiere training-focused fire industry conference and exhibition in the world.
This year will be no different with high quality and world-class instructors, classrooms, workshops, H.O.T evolutions and the most innovative products and services available to the industry displayed by over 800 exhibiting companies.
This year, the prestigious awards will be eagerly anticipated, with accolades such as the Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award, and the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award up for grabs.
The Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award has been given out during the General Session at FDIC since 1998. In 2009, the award was renamed for Tom Brennan, who was the editor of Fire Engineering for eight years and a technical editor until he passed away in 2006.
New for 2022 is JEMS Con, which is aimed towards firefighters and first responders for training and sourcing destination. The JEMS Con will be co-located alongside FDIC International and was born out of extensive outreach and critical conversations with EMS providers, exhibitors, medical directors, and professionals. We wish you a successful and productive FDIC 2022 with plenty of learning, knowledge-sharing, and experiences in the US Midwest.
Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc., a subsidiary of REV Group and a manufacturer of custom built, heavy-duty fire apparatus, announces the addition of R&R Fire Truck Repair to its nationwide dealer network.
R&R Fire Truck Repair, Inc. has added the Ferrara product line at its full-service centers in Northville, MI with service technicians located in LaSalle and Alpena. Established in 1992, the modern facility offers sales, service, parts, repairs and more. R&R has been serving the fire apparatus and emergency vehicle industry for 30 years.
“We are excited to bring the Ferrara product line to the Michigan fire service and support the apparatus with parts and service,” said Rick Roselle, Vice President of R&R Fire Truck Repair.
“R&R brings a wealth of knowledge with their many years of experience. We are delighted they are our partner in the great state of Michigan,” said Jason Louque, Director of Sales, Ferrara.
The company is also a Spartan Emergency Response and Smeal dealer for Michigan, both REV Group subsidiaries.
The global passive fire protection market is expected to grow from $3.99 billion in 2021 to $4.42 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%. The market is expected to reach $5.73 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 6.7%.
The main types of products in passive fire protection are cementitious materials, intumescent coating, fireproofing cladding, and others. Cementitious materials have properties of cement, and are used to protect steel elements within a building’s construction. The different applications include structural, compartmentation, opening protection, firestopping material and is used by various sectors such as oil and gas, construction, industrial, warehousing, and others.
North America was the largest region in the passive fire protection market in 2021. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.
Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the passive fire protection market. Major companies operating in the passive fire protection sector are focused on developing technological solutions for passive fire protection to strengthen their position. For instance, in November 2020, Honeywell, a US-based company that mainly operates in building technologies launched new suite of Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS), a cloud platform for fire safety systems. The platform is intended to help fire professionals avoid downtime, demonstrate compliance, and shorten the time it takes to design, install, commission, inspect, maintain, and report life safety equipment.
The growing construction sector is driving the growth of the passive fire protection market. Construction is a sector that deals with the building, maintenance, and repair of structures and buildings, as well as the construction of roadways and service facilities. Fireproof materials are used in the construction sector for fire safety in the building as they are non-combustible with low thermal conductivity and take a long time for the fire to affect the structures, and also protects the spread of fire.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider passive fire protection market, and compares it with other markets.
James Tomes, President and CEO of Telgian Holdings, Inc., has been appointed to the Board of Directors of The Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum. The Fire Fighter Museum has protected the US for over seven decades during some of the most harrowing incidents in American history including 9/11 and the ‘Miracle Landing on the Hudson.’
Known as ‘America’s Fireboat’, the Fire Fighter Museum provided courageous service during World War II and is a national historic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve on the Fire Fighter Board of Directors,” says Tomes. “The Fire Fighter is the most award-decorated fireboat in the world and a true embodiment of the commitment and sacrifice of firefighters and fire protection professionals across the nation.”
Designed by renowned naval architect William Francis Gibbs in 1938, the floating museum was considered a modern engineering marvel, capable of pumping 20,000 gallons of water per minute to nine topside fire monitors and powered by one of the first diesel-electric powerplants ever fitted to a vessel of her size. The design advanced and with impressive performance, throughout its entire 72-year active career, The Fire Fighter remained in an essentially unchanged operational condition, outlasting all of contemporaries and even the majority of the FDNY fireboats half its age.
Decommissioned in 2010, today The Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum is a 501c3 non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the fireboat as a fully operational vessel, memorial, and teaching museum. As a longtime leader in the fire and life safety industry, Tomes is committed to the preservation of this heroic vessel which is a maritime icon within the fire service industry.
“I look forward to the opportunity to offer my experience and insight to contribute to the Fire Fighter by growing visibility for the historic ship and raising awareness of the need for the preservation of this truly unique piece of American maritime history,” says Tomes.
Tomes’s fire protection roots run deep. As President and CEO of Telgian Holdings, Inc., he has been responsible for the fire protection industry-leading company’s success since 1999. Tomes has also served on multiple National Fire Protection Association global code development committees. In addition to the Fire Fighter Board of Directors, Tomes is active in an advisory capacity for numerous organizations including the Arizona Sustainability Alliance Board of Directors, Greater Phoenix Chamber Board of Directors, Arizona Bank & Trust Advisory Board, the San Diego Military Advisory Council, the San Diego Naval Medical Center Surf Clinic, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board, among others.
“We are pleased to offer a warm welcome to James Tomes, as the newest member of the Board of Directors,” says Charles Ritchie, President and Founder of the Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum. “Our Board consists of an incredible group of talented individuals who are truly dedicated to the Fire Fighter mission. Jim’s enthusiasm and energy, coupled with considerable knowledge and expertise in the field of fire protection, will be instrumental as we continue our work together to preserve the Fire Fighter as a memorial and teaching museum.”
President Biden’s budget recommendations have included increases to fire service programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants.
$370 million each for the AFG and SAFER grant programs
$60.4 million for the U.S. Fire Administration, including more than $2 million for major construction upgrades to the National Fire Academy.
$711.2 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative.
$616.2 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program.
$80 million for a cyber grant program to help public and private entities protect themselves from cyberattacks.
$355 million for the Emergency Management Performance Grants.
President Biden’s budget also recommends increases to address the nation’s growing wildland fire problem. The budget includes nearly $4.9 billion for the U.S. Forest Service’s wildland fire management programmes, including more than $2.2 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildland Fire Operations Reserve Fund and more than $1 billion for USDA wildland fire suppression operations. The budget also proposes small cuts to the State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs, which are re-named National Fire Capacity and Rural Fire Capacity, respectively. The FY 2023 budget would expand the federal wildland firefighting workforce; and ensure that federal wages are no less than $15 per hour. The budget also recommends greater technological support for wildland fire detection and response, including FireGuard satellite imagery. Here are the specific proposals:
$2.7 billion for the USDA Wildland Fire Management.
$1.2 billion for the U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) Wildland Fire Management.
$19 million for Volunteer Fire Assistance/Rural Fire Capacity.
$73.4 million for State Fire Assistance/National Fire Capacity.
$2.2 billion for the USDA Wildland Fire Operations Reserve Fund.
$340 million for the DOI Wildland Fire Operations Reserve Fund.
The budget also would include increases to the Pipeline Safety ($187.8 million) and Hazardous Materials Safety ($74.2 million) programs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The President’s FY 2023 budget also recommends $9.9 billion to build capacity and public health infrastructure at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health departments. It also recommends $40 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for advanced development and manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for high priority threats.
Congress must now begin deliberations on a budget resolution for FY 2023 and start work on the individual appropriations bills. The IAFC will be working to ensure adequate funding for these fire service programs.
Several public bodies have increased focus and focused on wildfires as Arizona beckons warmer months. Many public agencies, led by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, are stressing fire prevention in the wildlands with the launch of Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week.
The campaign, which began earlier this week, will witness the forestry department oversees fire management of 22 million acres of state trust land and private property in unincorporated areas. Last year, 71% of the fires in the state were caused by people. More than 1,700 wildfires seared 524,428 acres.
Before wildfire season begins in earnest, wildfire managers recommend residents in wilderness areas clear their property of debris and keep rooftops free of anything that could act as fuel to flames.
“We’re already seeing activity in southern Arizona,” agency spokeswoman Tiffany Davila told KTAR News 92.3 FM, referring to the 4,000-acre Presumido Peak Fire near the border with Mexico.
“We don’t want people to think we’re out of the woods after last years monsoon. Don’t wait to create defensible space now.”
The department also advises signing up for emergency alerts at the Arizona Emergency Information Network and having a go bag stocked with essentials, including prescription medications, snacks, water, money and credit cards.
The forestry agency will meet with Gov. Doug Ducey at the state Capitol on Thursday to present a wildland fire outlook.
The Bureau of Land management, the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Arizona Department of Transportation are also part of the team effort.
In 2014 Chris Ferrara, president, and CEO of US Fire Pump, saw a glaring need for the petrochemical industry to have high quality equipment adapted specifically for its needs. In addition, Ferrara saw that supplemental emergency response teams to aid in larger than usual fires, something that many customers requested.
With this in mind, and using his more than four decades of knowledge in manufacturing, Ferrara embarked on a journey eight years ago. He was also backed with the expertise of having been the owner of one of the largest fire apparatus manufactures, and his decades of fire service experience. Marrying these rich experiences he founded US Fire Pump, a manufacturer of fire equipment and the world’s largest Emergency Response Organization. Ferrara’s vision to provide innovative equipment and firefighting methods has taken the world by storm.
Ferrera quotes one of the USA’s founding fathers Benjamin Franklin. He said: “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
Already having satellite offices in Texas and manufacturing in Louisiana, Ferrara continued his vision for growth via expansion, and progress by constructing a new world class manufacturing facility in Holden, Louisiana in 2020.The facilities are not only home to state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment but large testing and training facilities and the largest fleet of emergency response and fire rental equipment on the globe. Since is construction, many pieces of custom designed and built fire equipment have been delivered from the facility to customers spanning several continents.
Facilities and expansion
Being growth minded Ferrara knew that creating a presence strong regional and global presence to better serve the industry would need to be a top priority. Ferrara says: “Our locations in Holden and Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Vidor, Texas and additional firefighting foam storage in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Rancho Cucamonga, California, and Spain ensure that we are able to serve our customers strategically. As you can see, from locations across the Gulf South, we have a heavy presence in the region due to the sheer amount of the industrial facilities concentrated in the area.
“To enhance our already robust coverage across the region, I’m excited to announce that we are opening a brand-new facility on I-10 in Mt. Belvieu, TX. The new facility in Texas will be a hub in the region for warranty, repair, service and dispatch of rental and emergency response equipment.”
On the opening of the new facility Ferrara adds: “These new openings are paramount in achieving the success of US Fire Pump and allows for continued growth and success in the industry.”
The new Texas facility is located at 11331 I-10 East Mont Belvieu, TX 77523. Of course, having additional space for service is going to ease the demand on each location, but as we opened this location in Texas because of the demand that the “Everything is bigger in Texas created”. Although the rest of the United States and in particular the Gulf South have many petrochemical plants, Texas is an anomaly due to the sheer volume of product required in the Greater Houston Region and the Golden Triangle. Having this facility in Mont Belvieu allows for us to have dedicated resources to this region. From a petrochemical industry standpoint, it’s mindboggling as to how many companies are concentrated in Texas. For us being in the region and providing exclusive dedicated resources to the area makes the most sense for speed of service to the customer.
Five biggest changes in the industry
Ferrara says: “From my humble beginnings as a welder / pipefitter, volunteer fireman to building a company that manufactures fire apparatus’, I have seen a massive evolution of the fire services, emergency responders, and safety industry.”
Technology would be number one; the speed that advancements in technology within the fire service industry has been rapid. “I’ve always prided myself and our company on being innovative and developing new technologies to introduce to the fire service market. It’s what always has set us apart from the competition.
Secondly, firefighting foam and the regulations with PFAS and PFOA’s have seen several changes. This goes hand-in-hand with technology but the speed of the regulations has caused the technology of using fluorinated foams to the use of non-fluorinated firefighting foam. Third, is the clean cab technology in the fire service. A shift to move firefighters from, for instance wearing bunker gear in the apparatus cab due to the constant exposure to carcinogens is something someone would not have even entertained 30 years ago, for that that even as recent as 10 years ago.
This goes back to technology but the robust filtrations systems to reduce these exposures to the hazardous substances is something that is one of the biggest changes I have seen to date. Number four: The use of passenger and commercial electric cars on our roads, and the demand on firefighters to extinguish electric car fires. This is all new to the fire servicepeople and it’s here to stay. There is major difference in the way traditional fossil fuel powered cars are extinguished.
Lastly, it’s not something that has changed but an element that has remained constant. It’s the people. The emergency responders who serve the public everyday are the same today as they were 40 years ago and will continue to be heroes for generations. Their passion and dedication drive people like myself and our company, to continue to innovate products to serve them.
We have a long list of clients who use our products and services, and I would like to thank them all. From building high velocity pumps for FDNY’s ‘Super Pumper’ to our Emergency Response Teams extinguishing major fires for numerous corporations and government agencies, we have nothing but gratitude for the trust shown in our services, people, and products.
The pandemic and giving back
The nature and impact of Covid was devastating. The pandemic, and resulting illness that it cause, affected many companies with employee welfare severely affected in some cases leading to fatalities. However, for US Fire Pump employees saw no major impacts to their health. Such was our strength that we never ceased operating for a single day throughout the last two years. This was down to the high demand of Emergency Response calls during the pandemic and the subsequent waves that hit different states in the US, at different times. During the pandemic, we also witnessed an uptick in request for our rental equipment and other services that we offer different market segments. The one negative implication of the pandemic has been the severely restrained global logistics sector. Components that are typically considered ‘everyday’ items are considerably harder to source. Even when in stock procuring them in a timely manner is still a major issue.
Speaking about employee welfare, US Fire Pump are major believers in giving back to the community through our various corporate social responsibility efforts. Ferrara says: “I’ve always been a firm believer in giving back to the fire service industry. For many years, even with my previous company that manufactured fire apparatus’ and now through US Fire Pump, giving back to first responders has been a key pillar of our DNA. We give back in many ways, the obvious ones are through donations that support fire and security conferences.
“But I feel the best way to do give back and leave a lasting impression is through education. Here at US Fire Pump, we hold free training sessions for first responders. These modules would otherwise cost each individual member a few thousand dollars. The reason we have kept our trainings free is because knowledge and expertise are worth their weight in gold, not only in terms of career progress but also to save lives. Afterall, serving the public and protecting lives is our main aim and mission and education is key to its success.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors appointed a new member to the NFPA Standards Council. Chief Randy J. Krause of Port of Seattle Fire Department was appointed by the Board in November 2021. He began serving a three-year term on January 1, 2022.
In addition, three current council members were reappointed to serve additional terms. Jeffrey Foisel was reappointed for a second three-year term, while Kenneth Bush and James Quiter were each reappointed for one-year extensions. All terms began January 1, 2022.
Krause has been a member of the fire service for 36 years. He began his career in 1985 as a firefighter in the United States Air Force (1985-1989) and continued in the private industry at Boeing Company (1990-2010).
Krause left Boeing as a deputy fire chief and is currently the fire chief of Port of Seattle Fire Department where he has been for nearly 12 years providing service to the Sea-Tac International Airport and the surrounding communities.
He has been involved with NFPA Technical Committees since the mid-1990’s, currently serving as chair of NFPA Emergency Responders Occupational Health (ERH-AAA) and Fire Service Occupational Safety (FIX-AAA). Krause is also a member of Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies Advisory Board. Krause earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Washington – Bothell in 1998, and his Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in 2006.
The NFPA Standards Council, appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors, is comprised of 13 members. The responsibilities of the council include overseeing NFPA standards development activities, ensuring compliance with the NFPA Regulations and Rules, and serving as the appeals body over matters related to standards development.
