Posts in category: Firefighting Equipment

Emergency responders require the very best tools available to get their challenging jobs done. In critical life-and-death situations, every second matters. Countless fire, police, and other first response organisations around the world count on Holmatro to equip them with the most reliable and efficient tools available.

To satisfy these demands, Holmatro has relied on the ESPRIT computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system for more than two decades. From the products that Holmatro makes to the manufacturing processes required to complete them, efficiency is key—and ESPRIT fits the bill by allowing them to machine more features in a single operation.

Since 1999, the Maryland, US-based company has been using the CAM system to manufacture hydraulic rescue equipment (like cutters and spreaders), as well as cylinders, plungers, check valves, and more from aluminum, steel, and exotic alloys. Although the Holmatro name is most often associated with hydraulic rescue equipment, the brand makes complex parts for many demanding industries, including railways and energy.

Although the Holmatro team have been long-time ESPRIT users, they’re far from complacent. “We periodically check in with our team to ensure our CAM system is evolving with our needs,” says Chuck Cain, Manufacturing Engineer at Holmatro. “ESPRIT was very good at multi-function machining when we bought it in 1999. A few years ago, we reviewed many other CAM packages to evaluate if we were keeping up with the times. After many demos, we concluded that ESPRIT was still the best choice for us. We ended up adding multiple seats of ESPRIT to our facility in the Netherlands,” says Chuck.

Holmatro’s sprawling US headquarters is home to more than 30 CNC machines, ranging from 9-axis mill-turn to 5-axis simultaneous equipment, mostly made by Mori Seiki and Okuma. This highly specialised company uses incredibly demanding processes to get the job done. “The parts that we manufacture are complex due to the nature of manufacturing parts to such close tolerances. A typical product will have tolerances not to exceed 30 microns. We also have many products with 20-micron [.0007 inches] tolerances,” says Chuck. And because many of their products save lives, there’s no room for error.

Chuck and his team regularly use their CAM system to manufacture new fixtures and program parts on their 5-axis milling machines in record time. “We were able to save approximately 30 minutes per part by utilising a 3+2 machining mentality. ProfitMilling also helped with cycle time reduction,” he says.

In recent years, the team at Holmatro has also been interested in exploring how automation could improve their efficiency and, ultimately, their bottom line. “Right now, our main focus is on enhancing production with unattended machining. We always look for ways to avoid handling parts more than once or twice. We also strive to manufacture complete parts in one sequence of events,” says Chuck. “With ESPRIT, we are able to manufacture the fixture components in a short time.” The software’s  diverse cycle selection and ability to handle any machine is what makes “done-in-one” manufacturing possible.

The team at Holmatro shares a singular vision of improving their product offerings delivering them to the public faster and at a reasonable price point thanks to improved efficiency. “The future of our company is about manufacturing new products and providing our customers with the quality they expect in as few operations as possible,” says Chuck. And “efficiency” isn’t a concept limited to their manufacturing processes. “This philosophy is especially true for our first responders. We strive to provide solutions that allow the rescue team to use the least amount of equipment as possible while still being effective.”

One of the most interesting innovations on the horizon? “Cordless equipment,” says Chuck. “This means no hydraulic lines that connect a hydraulic pump and rescue tool.” Cordless equipment enhances the efficiency and mobility of first responders, helping them more effectively save lives.

“ESPRIT has not only grown since we started using it in 1999, but it’s also helped us grow as a company. With its new cycles, techniques, and software enhancements, we were always generating cost savings. This also increases capacity and throughput,” says Chuck. “We look forward to the end of each calendar year because we know that ESPRIT CAM will be releasing some new or improved version of the software.”

For more information about ESPRIT, contact: Esprit CAM UK Ltd, Floor 2, No 1 Waterside Drive Arlington Business Park, Reading, RG7 4SA, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 118 9756084, Email: esprit@hexagon.com, Website: https://www.espritcam.com/en-emea

ILUS International (Ilustrato Pictures International Inc) have launched the world’s first all-in-one handheld firefighting nozzle with integrated low-pressure water misting capability for electric vehicle fires, flammable gas fires and more

The company has already completed 3 acquisitions in 2021 and is in the process of completing a further 4 which it has agreed and signed terms with. Whilst the company is also conducting due diligence on several additional acquisition targets, it is simultaneously focused on the development and improvement of further disruptive technology within the stable of its existing acquisitions.

To this end, FireBug, which was acquired by ILUS in January 2021, which already sells its own patented water mist technology, has now announced its launch of its Maxi A-1, the world’s first and only all-in-one handheld firefighting nozzle with integrated water misting capability. This nozzle can operate on most standard firefighting vehicles globally and even from fire hydrants. It is the only nozzle of its type globally which can provide several selectable flow water jet streams of up to 160 GPM as well as a “single click” 13 GPM water mist mode which can extinguish most fire types including electric fires and fuel fires, and a fog pattern mode.

Following months of testing by FireBug engineers, the Maxi A-1 has proved successful in the consistent extinguishing of multiple classes of fires including flammable gas fires, electric fires, and cooking oil/animal fat fires which standard firefighting nozzles are not capable of efficiently extinguishing without the use of added chemicals. The Maxi A-1 will be going into full scale production at a UK manufacturing facility which ILUS is in the process of acquiring and will announce soon.

For the North and South American markets, nozzle components for all FireBug nozzles, once manufactured in the UK, will be assembled by Precision Powered Products in Houston, Texas, which ILUS is in the process of completing the agreed acquisition of. FireBug plans for the full-scale UK production of the Maxi A-1 to commence from the beginning of February 2022 and in the meantime, the company is already producing some units for further testing, demonstrations, and special orders at its Dubai, UAE facility.

Not only can the water mist technology offered by the Maxi A-1 nozzle extinguish electric vehicle (EV) fires and many other fire types which firefighters struggle to extinguish without the use of added chemicals, but it also uses 60-80% less water in doing so. The availability of water mist in a nozzle that can be used on every fire truck, on the most widely used firefighting pumps and even from fire hydrants, means that firefighters can save up to 80% of water when fighting conventional fires and not just some of the less prevalent fire types.

Consequently, fewer fire trucks are required at a scene and smaller firefighting vehicles with smaller water tanks can be used to achieve the same firefighting capability as larger, more expensive, and less efficient fire trucks. As an example, FireBug’s water mist nozzles have extinguished standard car fires with as little as 1.5 gallons of water in less than 30 seconds and in most tests, its water mist is capable of extinguishing car fires with less than 5 gallons of water in less than 90 seconds.

One significant challenge faced by the first responders is the increased prevalence of EV fires and related battery fires. Although electric vehicles currently only make up 1% of vehicles on the road, by 2035, this number is expected to increase to over 30% of vehicles in the US and over 50% of vehicles in Europe.

The use of lithium-ion battery technology and solutions is rapidly increasing, with firefighters being required to battle thousands of lithium-ion battery related fires daily. These types of fires are a major risk to life, assets and premises and present a major challenge to first responders given that they are incredibly difficult to extinguish with conventional technology. For example, the First Responder’s Guide from Tesla states that in the event of a Tesla battery fire, 3,000 to 8,000 gallons of water need to go directly onto the batteryto extinguish the fire.

The average fire truck has a water tank size of 500-1500 gallons, meaning that unless a fire hydrant is available, several fire trucks are required to extinguish a Tesla fire. ILUS’ water mist technology such as that delivered by the Maxi A-1 nozzle can extinguish such fires with less than 220 gallons of water.

While it may seem counter intuitive to use water against electrical fires, water mist systems remain highly recommended and an effective method of suppressing such fires from thermal runaway. Although some other water mist systems do exist for firefighting, these are only high-pressure systems which are less effective at fire extinguishing, thus often requiring foam or added chemicals to extinguish fires.

FireBug’s water mist is uniquely delivered at low pressure through the specialized atomization of water droplets. In addition to being considerably less effective than FireBug’s low-pressure water mist technology, high-pressure water mist systems cannot deliver a higher volume jet stream of water, or a fog pattern to provide the complete solution as delivered by the Maxi A-1 nozzle. As a result, there is currently no competitor nozzle on the market which can deliver the all-round performance of the Maxi A-1 nozzle.

The FireBug Maxi A-1 Nozzle is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compliant, and FireBug is in the process of applying for a patent for the new technology, which will add to the existing patents it already has for its Mongoose external firefighting lance and its water mist rotor/spinning regulator.

Managing Director for ILUS International, John-Paul Backwell, commented: “In short, I believe this nozzle will save more lives and within a couple of years every fire brigade will have it on hand to fight a wider range of fires more efficiently and safely. No longer are separate pumps and vehicles or added chemicals required to extinguish a flammable gas fire or electric vehicle fire efficiently. No longer are six fire trucks required to turn up at the scene of a Tesla fire.

Why should the fire services spend an entire week and divert all their resources to extinguish an Energy Storage System fire? This nozzle changes the game – period! Our strategy of acquiring multiple distributors is increasingly important; these distributors will already have the key decision-making relationships with fire brigades in place. We developed this “all-in-one” nozzle in response to requests by large potential customers, and we are excited to now go back to these well-known companies with the precise solution that they requested.

The Maxi A-1 nozzle will shift our disruptive water mist technology for firefighting from being niche to mainstream. As a result, we are confident that we will be able to exponentially increase our nozzle sales without sacrificing the high margins we already make on the products. The ILUS team remains hard at work on the technology front and whilst acquisitions and deals are often what gets talked about, there are many more amazing technology developments going on under the hood of the company which we look forward to announcing soon.”

Ziamatic Corp. (Zico), an international leader in ladder storage solutions, is making it safer and easier to deploy ladders in space-restricted areas with their new Slide-Out Ladder Gantry System, Model SLG-M.

Traditional side-mounted ladder storage can be difficult to safely access when operating in a confined environment like a narrow, car-lined street. So the Ladder Gantry System stores ladders horizontally over the roof of the apparatus and when needed, smoothly lowers them from the rear of the truck for quick, easy, and comfortable retrieval.

“Two-section and roof, three-section and roof, we can accommodate most common ladder configurations,” said Keith Creely, Ziamatic Vice President. “And by storing these ladders on top of the truck you’ll find you’ve suddenly freed up all this extra square footage in your apparatus design. You no longer need that midsize compartment to hang your ladders over—you can go full size. You don’t have to slide ladders in the back and sacrifice compartment depth. All of that space can go toward storing more gear, because everybody always needs more room for equipment.”

The lightweight aluminum tray slides smoothly under load and a powerful spring lock secures the tray safely in both the stored and fully-deployed positions. A built-in dampener minimizes bounce and allows for easier operation on hills and other inclines.

Available now. For more information please call 1-800-711-FIRE or visit www.ziamatic.com

Natural disasters linked to climate change, such as wildland fires, earthquakes and floods all impact our communities and lead to both environmental and financial losses. These phenomena have increased in frequency and as a consequence, fire and rescue services are more frequently called to rescue missions that pose new and unfamiliar challenges. This has made their safety and comfort an increasing priority for fire and rescue brigades around the world.

Aurelie Favre, Senior Marketing Manager, First Responder and Government, EMEA at MSA Safety spotlights the GALLET F2XR, its integrated hearing protection accessories with communication system, and how it helps first responders feel safe on the job in this new environment.

Hearing protection with optional communication system

Equipment that’s optimised and adaptable for rescue challenges such as earthquakes or rescue at height is key to undertaking those missions safely. The GALLET F2XR, with its hearing protection and optional integrated communication system is ready to take on long-lasting rescue missions with optimal safety. Fully integrated electronic ear muffs enhance protection from hazardous noise without blocking out important background sounds or messages from the incident command. The hearing protection module also comes with an optional adjustable boom microphone, providing reliable team communications on any intervention scene.

Water rescue ear protection

As rising water levels are putting urban and rural areas all over the world at an increasingly high risk of flooding, fire and rescue services are the first to respond. To rescue victims during floods or other interventions on rivers, emergency responders require helmets that are suitable for water rescue and approved for wear on both non-motorised and small, fast motorboats. The GALLET F2XR, with its innovative accessories such as removable ear protection panels, has been tested and approved for water rescue missions like these according to EN1385:2012 standard and compliance with the British Standard PAS028 for use on small fast motorised boats.

Additionally, user experience has proven that the panels can provide extended ear coverage to protect against potential projection hazards during technical rescue missions as well.

The intuitive attachment points of the accessories allow for streamlined connecting and removal, to easily adapt to different missions whenever needed. This makes the GALLET F2XR a truly multifunctional and versatile helmet, eliminating the need for different helmets for every mission. In turn, this also offers fire and rescue services more efficient asset management with a lower cost of ownership.

Head protection for the future

Awareness and preparation are essential to rescue missions caused by climate-related dangers, and it’s now crucial for fire and rescue services to consider the type of equipment that will respond to their needs in the face of climate change and other new dangers on the horizon – concluded Favre.

To learn more about MSA’s F2XR rescue helmet, click here.

When TFT introduced the Extend-A-Gun telescoping waterway series, it revolutionized the way monitors could be utilized on fire apparatus. Extend-A-Guns allow deck mounted monitors to easily raise from a stowed position to operate above apparatus obstructions like cab roofs, lighting, hose reels, or generators. The manual and RC version of Extend-A-Gun can be found on fire trucks around the globe.

TFT is now adding to the series with the new Extend-A-Gun VP.  The VP’s deploy and stow operations are efficiently controlled by pneumatics and the unit includes an integrated manual valve.

The VP ‘s manually controlled valve eliminates the need for a separate inline valve upstream from the Extend-A-Gun. The valve incorporates TFT’s proven half ball design for longevity. The TFT valve offers unrivaled plumbing flexibility. It’s compatible with a variety of pumps, panels, and plumbing configurations so it’s easy to install as well as service in the field. In a single SKU, OEM’s can install plumbing connection to the bottom or side of unit. The valve also allows for flexibility in height. If the outlet port for monitor needs to be higher, simply use bottom inlet. If outlet port for monitor needs to be lower, a choice of two side port options are available.

Safety is increased by allowing the operator can stay on the ground to deploy and stow positions with an air operated and controlled up/down switch on the pump panel. Installers can utilize standard lines and fittings just like other pneumatic equipment on the apparatus.

A simple interlock prevents flowing while extending and retracting the VP. This prevents users from damaging the unit or becoming injured when deploying or stowing the system.

Fore more information, go to the New Products section on TFT.com