Wildland Firefighter Day: Biden emphasises commitment to safety and support

by AmericasFeatured NewsWildland Fire

In an address to the nation on 2 July, US President Joe Biden expressed his profound gratitude and support for the nation’s wildland firefighters.

This statement echoed across the nation, stirring sentiments of unity and acknowledgement.

Joe Biden pays tribute to brave wildland firefighters

“Today, on National Wildland Firefighter Day, I join Americans across the country in expressing deep gratitude for our wildland firefighters and support personnel who heroically protect our communities and natural resources from wildfires,” stated President Biden.

He went on to commemorate the Week of Remembrance, from June 30 to July 6, recognising it as a time for the nation to reinforce its commitment to wildland firefighter safety.

Pledging continued support to allies and advancing wildland firefighter safety

President Biden also highlighted the ongoing efforts of US firefighters battling the challenging wildfire season in Canada.

“We have deployed almost 1,300 Federal and State firefighters, support personnel, and significant firefighting assets, such as airtankers and advanced technology support, to help our Canadian allies,” President Biden stated.

Additionally, the address paid tribute to the fallen firefighters, like the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who tragically lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona ten years ago.

Enhancing firefighting resources and resilience in communities in response to climate change

Biden acknowledged the growing demands on firefighters due to climate change, leading to larger, more intense wildfires.

“Since taking office, I’ve met with firefighters working night and day to keep their communities safe, as fires get larger, more intense, and more difficult to control because of climate change,” he commented.

He expressed his administration’s dedication to supporting this workforce, outlining measures including a $7 billion funding boost through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act for agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

President Biden’s administration aims to increase wages, improve benefits, and invest in health and wellness for wildland firefighters.

“I have directed my Administration to do everything possible to ensure wildland firefighters receive the wages, benefits, and other investments for health and wellness that are necessary to support and grow this critical workforce,” stated President Biden.

The President urged his Administration to invest in building more resilient communities to ensure safety and reduce the burden on firefighters.

IFSJ Comment

President Biden’s recognition of the challenges faced by our wildland firefighters and his commitment to their safety and well-being is a significant step. Investment in fire services and proactive measures in response to climate change are crucial in safeguarding our communities. This is an important message that reaffirms the valuable service provided by our firefighters.

IFSJ Exclusive: Wildland firefighting with Vallfirest

by Breaking NewsIFSJ ExclusivesWildland Fire

Vallfirest looks at the changing face of wildland firefighting and how its Tactical Unit a responds to new lessons learned

Just one month into the year 2023, fires are continuing to provide new lessons—lessons that we must continue learning. In this case in particular, we are referring to the simultaneous large forest fires in Chile where the emergency climax extended for more than a week and more than 300,000 hectares have been affected with entire neighborhoods burnt down and thousands wounded with some even dead.

Given the magnitude and complexity, it is an episode that led to the mobilisation of specialists and operational forces from beyond the country’s and even the continent’s borders.

A Global Problem

This is not a single episode or something that sporadically occurs. In 2017, Chile already witnessed the occurrence of multiple fires with extreme and sixth-generation behaviors such as the one at Las Máquinas. There has also been simultaneity in the northeast of Argentina (2022, 2023) as well as extreme events, such as in La Pampa (2018) and Patagonia (2021); and in Bolivia, no one can forget the Roboré fire with one of the fastest spreads seen thus far (2019).

This is not something that only happens in Latin America as it is recurrently seen on the west coast of the United States. These fires have also been seen in Australia (2020), in Siberia, in the Mediterranean Arc countries affected by the dust cloud advection from the Sahara Desert in 2021, and throughout Europe in general following heatwaves, prolonged periods of drought and dry lightning storms.

Fires of this magnitude are not typical of a specific ecosystem or climate, but rather viewed as a worldwide disturbance occurring more and more often and conquering more and more regions across the planet.

Global Knowledge

The worst episodes have revealed the need for more resources beyond those of the affected state, like in Chile, as already mentioned, or in France which activated the European civil protection mechanism (RescEU) last summer, receiving help from Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania and Austria.

However, the truth is that there are countries for which this current reality is relatively new and the knowledge of or possible experiences involving emergency management are also new. Hence, the importance of international cooperation, which allows everyone to grow by nourishing and learning from the diversity of situations and local knowledge.

At Vallfirest, we are aware of this importance and put it into practice by actively working with leaders from around the world and experts in different subject areas: analysts, operational forces and sector professionals who transmit their needs and experiences in the field.

We firmly believe that this is one thing that makes us stand out above other manufacturers. We closely follow fire news, analysing what is happening on the ground internally, and actively surveying and listening to the professionals who test our products before launching them on the market.

We implement the improvements they recommend and never consider anything finalised because this constant feedback encourages us to continue searching for innovative solutions to the ever-changing and increasingly challenging reality for everyone.

Innovating how we work on and think about fires

In recent years, we have observed a real jump in behavior: unprecedented dry periods, increased average temperatures, pyro phenomena or firestorms, wildland fires capable of modifying the environment while destroying ecosystems and the populations within them. The rules of the game have changed.

Fires can no longer be faced by increasing resources because more often than not, they simply exceed the extinguishing capabilities. Just to give an example, a direct attack with a water line is considered neither safe nor effective from the ground when the height of the flame exceeds three meters; and five meters when using aerial means.

This is why we must move from the obsolete traditional methods of extinction to others requiring strategical thinking, the application of advanced maneuvers and the use of new equipment and tools that help services as a whole avoid collapse with the ability to respond to extreme situations, thereby guaranteeing the safety of their forces.

Any talk of extreme behavior must also refer to sudden changes in propagation speeds, directions of advance and the intensity of fires. Being able to anticipate these changes makes the difference between having to face an active front a few dozen meters wide and one that’s several kilometers wide. It can also make the difference in situations of life or death.

Tools alone can really do very little. The key lies in human resources having up-to-date knowledge and a developed capacity to read and analyse fire behavior, knowing when and where there is a window for action, and knowing which maneuvers should be deployed when the opportunity arises. But the other side of the coin is that it’s impossible to rapidly and decisively respond as required by these new types of emergencies without the right tools. 

A toolbox for this global nature: The Tactical Unit

Analysing the situation on a unit level within extinguishing services, the need to provide teams with greater independence becomes clear. This involves training that allows them to quickly analyse situations and, above all, make decisions all while gaining muscle when it comes to extinction.

And that’s how the Tactical Unit came about. It’s a multifunctional module designed to handle any type of vegetation fire emergency in any possible scenario that may be changing either because the vegetation or terrain makes work difficult, because resources are limited or because the fire becomes more violent.

The Tactical Unit is a revolutionary, unprecedented tool. It’s a fire truck and a toolbox with great off-road capability. This means remote areas will no longer be a problem. But beyond that, this module enables the use of many different maneuvers to adapt to a whole range of scenarios that may occur during a wildland fire from transporting the emergency robot Dronster, a Heliskid helitransportable defense system, portable fire pumps, extinguishing tools, PPE, self-protection equipment in addition to other firefighting accessories. 

Many may be familiar with situations where aerial means cannot be operated or where the fire front considerably progresses in just a matter of hours due to local wind conditions in addition to scenarios where changes in wind direction or any change in fire behavior can compromise a maneuver.

These are situations where having an emergency vehicle capable of reaching remote areas and enabling the best combination of maneuvers without all those tools together creating any limitations is decisive. In other words, having the possibility of deploying a Heliskid to lay a water line, using a Dronster, having hand tools to mechanically draw defense lines, and added to all this, using drip torches to apply technical fire.

The Tactical Unit is the futuristic solution we are offering for today’s needs. Our goal is to improve the responsiveness of extinguishing services, give crews the opportunity to anticipate and work safely and effectively, and adapt to each scenario and the potential variability with a range of high-performance tools that can be used alone or simultaneously. It is a logistics platform for working which combines advanced maneuvers all while multiplying the potential of extinguishing systems.

We are talking about frequent episodes like the one in Chile, which extend over time and take wildland firefighters to the limit as far as the physical and mental effort required. So, beyond the tools mentioned, no one must forget one key aspect which is safety, in addition to the possibility of transporting self-protection equipment with fireproof Xtreme Shelters, Xtreme-K breathing equipment for entrapment situations, fireproof curtains and self-protection lances.

Faced with a situation where fires are evolving, Vallfirest is revolutionising with an all-new generation of equipment designed for tomorrow’s fires.

This article was originally published in the March edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

IFSJ Exclusive: Controlling the Burn with Drone Amplified

by Breaking NewsIFSJ ExclusivesWildland Fire

IFSJ takes an in-depth look at Drone Amplified, the controlled burning tool being used as a preventative measure against wildfire

In 2020, Drone Amplified, a company that pioneered wildfire fighting using drones, signed a contract with the US Forest Service to source and vet US-made drones to fight wildfires with Drone Amplified’s aerial ignition system. The $750,000 contract was designed to increase and scale the utilisation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for aerial ignitions in fire management and develop the next generation of aerial ignition capabilities.

The deal followed the successful development and deployment of Drone Amplified’s aerial ignition system called IGNIS – the only UAS-based aerial ignitions payload available to the US market that is approved for use on Federal prescribed fires and wildfires.

IGNIS’s patented technology carries a payload of standard ping-pong ball sized chemical spheres and can be integrated with infrared and other types of cameras. The spheres are pre-loaded with potassium permanganate and later injected with antifreeze prior to being released. The spheres then, ignite after hitting the ground, set off back burns to create defensive lines for firefighters in rugged and sometimes unreachable terrain.

Carrick Detweiler, co-Founder and CEO of Drone Amplified and Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) started Drone Amplified based on technology initially developed at the university works. IFSJ caught up with Detweiler to learn more about the innovative approach to controlled burning.

Prescribed burning

Drone Amplified is the pioneer in developing a drone-based aerial ignition system that is able to ignite backburns to contain wildfires and prescribed fires to help better manage our lands and reduce the risk of wildfires.

Detweiler explains: “On wildfires, backburns are used to burn the fuel (dead wood, leaves, etc) in a controlled way in advance of the main wildfire front so that when the main wildfire arrives, it does not have fuel and is easier to put out.

“Traditional techniques for conducting these burns either require putting people on the ground near fire or using expensive helicopters for aerial ignition. Our system, called IGNIS, is less costly to operate, more readily available than helicopters, and keeps firefighters safer.”

IGNIS attaches to a modified Freefly Alta X drone, which is made in the USA, and is equipped with a thermal and visual camera for situational awareness. IGNIS is tightly integrated with the drone to make easy to use in the complex fire environment.

“The ability to quickly get an eye in the sky to identify and track the fire provides an increased level of situational awareness that keeps firefighters safer,” says Detweiler. “Combining these real-time observations with the ability to quickly and safely set backburns, while keeping a distance from the fire, is changing the way that fires are managed. Firefighters do not need to just react to the fire, they can observe and change its behaviour through strategic aerial ignition.”

How it works

IGNIS uses small “ping-pong” ball ignition spheres that are also used by full sized helicopter ignition systems. “The way this works is that the ignition spheres have one chemical in them and shortly before we drop them, we puncture the ball and inject a second chemical,” Detweiler explains. “The balls then ignite 30-60 seconds after we drop them. IGNIS can drop anywhere from 10-120 ignition spheres per minute to adapt to the needs of the firefighters.”

The spheres set off backburns to create defensive lines for firefighters in rugged and sometimes unreachable terrain. IGNIS is controlled and automated with a custom app and allows drone operators to release the spheres with a high degree of accuracy in terrain that is often difficult to navigate with helicopters or airplanes. The drone’s dynamic ability to fly in densely smoky, high-altitude areas makes it extremely useful.

IGNIS ALTA X

In 2022, Drone Amplified launched IGNIS for the Freefly Systems ALTA X, the newest development in unmanned aerial ignition. Drone Amplified modified the ALTA X and IGNIS to integrate thermal and visual cameras, a customised ground station based on the Herelink Blue, and ADS-B in for situational awareness of other nearby aircraft.

Combined with the app that was designed by firefighters, the IGNIS ALTA X package comes as a ready to go field kit for the most demanding firefighting missions. It is capable of laying down miles of fire line in only a few minutes of flight. Durability and ruggedness drove the design of IGNIS ALTA X and required aggressive testing to assure dependability in high temperature, dusty and ashy environments and extreme conditions of the wildland fire environment.

Detweiler says that feedback from UAS fire operators helped refine the system into the powerful tool that has quickly gained a reputation for high performance and dependability in the field.

The IGNIS app

With features for firefighters and other organisations that need knowledge of land elevations, altitude and mapping, the IGNIS App allows firefighting teams to easily plan and execute waypoint missions to let the drone fly itself and ignite precise burn lines or use full manual operation.

It has multiple layers of safety built in, including a geofence that disallows ignitions outside the specified area, enhances safety by monitoring other aircraft in the area with ADS-B In, and maintain situational awareness by importing burn plans and maps with geo[1]referenced PDFs, KML/KMZs, and other formats for offline use.

By providing a bird’s eye map view, live video and telemetry, gimbal control, and the ability to take photos and video, the app has a range of features making it possible to interface with a range of drones, including the Freefly ALTA X, Inspired Flight IF1200, DJI drones, and others.

Firefighting teams can download elevation maps for terrain-aware flight and missions to the app which uses the maps to calculate the drone’s altitude above ground level, enabling safer flight and easier compliance with airspace regulations. Teams can see a side view of the planned waypoint mission and adjust the altitude of individual waypoints to avoid obstacles and maintain a constant altitude above the ground.

It is also possible to import shapefiles from Google Earth or georeferenced PDF files from ArcGIS, as the IGNIS app will display them as overlays on the map whilst flying and allows editing of custom KML/KMZ files. Users can configure a variety of settings on the drone and remote controller, and also perform compass calibrations with via the app. The app automatically logs flights and ignition locations to a file on the connected mobile device that can be opened by common spreadsheet programs.

Future plans

Drone Amplified is currently on the 2nd major version of IGNIS. Detweiler says they are continuously improving and advancing IGNIS and the associated software to advance firefighting technologies based on the feedback they receive from firefighters.

He adds: “We aim to continue to support wildland firefighters in any way that we can. US Firefighters have already started to change how they combat wildland fires and how they perform prescribed fire by leveraging our IGNIS system. We expect to expand more broadly to the worldwide market to help mitigate some of the risk of wildfires that we are seeing worldwide as the climate changes.”

This article was originally published in the January edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Images from Drone Amplified

Europe’s fire brigades call for coordinated approach to wildfire

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Fire brigades in Europe are calling for an integral and coordinated approach to wildfires.

The Federation of EUropean fire officers (FEU), a network of European fire officer associations or state fire services united by a (common) has called for an improved approach to wildfire firefighting following Europe’s hottest summer on record.

European countries including France, Spain and Portugal faced devastating wildfires and health hazards associated with extreme heat, including parts of northern European countries such as Sweden and the United Kingdom which saw experienced hazardous temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius.

FEU said that the increasing temperature requires fire and rescue services, along with the rest of society, to prepare for the challenges to come – which it said does not just mean having sufficient resources, it also means investing in proper coordination both on a grassroots and macro-strategic level, up-to-date legislation with powerful enough jurisdictions and possibilities to participate in resilient urban planning.

The Federation said that fire and rescue services need to cooperate with research institutes, public authorities, private companies, individuals and local communities to ensure that the national decision-making, which has historically played a vital role in both the prevention and mitigation of a climate crisis will continue.

In addition to national efforts, FEU issued a crisis calls for international cooperation and EU funded prevention, mitigation and education programmes. If efforts are too dispersed, they will lose their impact.

FEU commended the success of EC upgraded the Civil Protection Mechanism and created rescEU, which proved to be an essential mechanism when Covid-19 broke out and when Ukraine needed immediate help. 

The statement concluded: “For the European fire and rescue services, it is important to be able to take responsibility and contribute to sustainable developments and measures that will limit emissions and their impact on the climate. This is therefore a clear and shared ambition across the FEU.

“But as part of public resilience and mitigation, fire and rescue services first need resources, coordination, jurisdiction and plans to fight the effects that we are inevitably going to face.

“Such resources include staff, gear, vehicles, fire stations ICT, management systems and training. In addition, nothing can substitute a holistic approach to resilience and preparedness throughout our societies. The core purpose of fire and rescue services is to protect people and we need adequate tools and resources to do so.”

ILUS to expands wildland firefighting growth strategy

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

ILUS International Inc, a Mergers and Acquisitions company focused on acquiring and growing public safety and technology-based companies across the globe, has announced plans for its wildland firefighting growth strategy.

With signed Letters of Intent to acquire two wildfire equipment manufacturers, and in line with upcoming subsidiary up list plans, the company is gearing up extensive manufacturing facilities for wildland firefighting equipment and specialist vehicles in Serbia.

ILUS’ emergency response subsidiary, Emergency Response Technologies (ERT), is rolling out acquisition and manufacturing plans which will soon make it the leading global wildland firefighting technology manufacturer and solution provider.

As part of several acquisitions which are underway for the subsidiary, the company is in the process of completing the acquisition of two companies which specialise in the manufacture of wildland firefighting equipment. Both companies are already prominent wildfire equipment manufacturers and together, they hold the most extensive global distribution network.

To further accelerate the growth of the acquisitions, ILUS has agreed plans to open new state-of-the-art wildland firefighting equipment manufacturing facilities in Serbia. The Serbian facility will primarily manufacture wildland firefighting tools, pumps, and specialist vehicles.

The Serbian manufacturing plant will incorporate large manufacturing facilities for E-Raptor commercial EV manufacturing, Replay Solutions urban mining, FireBug firefighting vehicle and equipment manufacturing, Wildfire equipment manufacturing, and specialist drone manufacturing. Each division receives its own substantial government incentives.

The additional wildland firefighting equipment manufacturing facilities will be complemented by two further specialist engineering and manufacturing acquisitions in New Jersey, USA and in the North of England, United Kingdom. Both of these acquisitions are also in their final stages, forming part of the achievement of ERT’s next significant milestone.

ILUS Managing Director, John-Paul Backwell said: “It’s absolutely imperative that we accelerate our expansion into the wildfire arena. With governments spending billions every year to combat wildfires, it’s certainly time for us to ramp up our dedicated wildfire equipment manufacturing capability to adequately supply what will soon be the world’s largest wildfire equipment distribution network.

“Our patented water saving technology will be complemented by patented wildland firefighting tools and equipment which is already proving instrumental in combatting wildfires. Given the plans we are rolling out, I am confident that ILUS will be the industry leader in wildland firefighting by the end of 2023. I am looking forward to signing off on the final plans for all the divisions in Serbia next week.”

Wildland firefighting: Wear the right gear for the right call 

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire
From wildland fires to medical emergencies to rescue missions, Todd Herring, VP Product Innovation and Strategy at Fire-Dex discusses alternative PPE for firefighters

It is important to consider that structural firefighting PPE is designed specifically to protect individuals from the thermal hazards of interior structural firefighting. Donning structural gear on non-structural fire emergencies can cause unnecessary stress on the body and may expose firefighters to contaminants still clinging to their bunker gear.

With many departments now experiencing a high volume of wildland and non-fire calls, wearing lightweight, alternative PPE can help protect crew members from physical overexertion and exposure to carcinogens. At the same time, the life of valuable turnout gear is extended when structural equipment is used only when necessary. That is why today more fire departments are choosing lighter, more breathable and comfortable PPE for wildland fire and non-fire calls where structural gear is not required. 

The latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) data shows that in the US, fire calls dropped by 53% between 1980 (nearly 3 million calls) and 2020 (1.3 million calls), while Emergency medical service calls spiked by 371% (from five million to over 23 million calls). In 2020 alone, fire departments received over seven million calls involving hazardous materials or conditions. This trend points to changing community needs and an evolving role for fire services in protecting people from all types of hazards. In turn, firefighters need the right gear to help ensure a safe and appropriate response.

What to wear

There are many examples where structural firefighting PPE may not be needed, where single-layer alternative PPE garments can offer improved mobility, breathability and comfort while protecting the wearer from thermal, physical and unique hazards.

Alternative PPE is often the preferred choice for responding to emergencies including: brush or wildfires, search and rescue, motor vehicle accidents, extrication, confined spaces, high or low angle rescue, fire investigation, flooding, water leaks, overhaul (with proper respiratory protection), calls for civilian assist (lifting, moving, lockout, etc.) electrical emergencies and goodwill calls.

In wildland firefighting the added weight of turnout gear can become a hindrance when engaging in wildland firefighting. A lighter-weight, NFPA 1977 certified protective garment can meet the demands of this dangerous job. 

For EMS calls, choosing to forgo turnout gear when entering a patient’s home can protect civilians against the spread of contaminants while also reducing heat stress and improving mobility (and response times) for crew members.

In search and rescue situations where emergency responders must traverse large expanses of difficult terrain or jump into action at a moment’s notice, gear that moves more freely with the body’s natural movement makes it easier to perform your best when it is needed most.

NFPA-approved gear

Alternative PPE can weigh up to 80% less than structural firefighting gear while offering three to four times the breathability based on Total Heat Loss (THL) testing. Like structural gear, alternative PPE must meet NFPA standards for thermal, flame, radiant heat and flash fire protection; however, the requirements to protect personnel are lower by comparison enabling manufacturers to use lighter more breathable fabrics in the construction of alternative garments.

Alternative PPE garments can also be specialised for responding to different wildland and non-fire scenarios, allowing departments to dial in on the features that best suit their needs. Selection differs by manufacturer but can include options such as: Wildland gear certified to NFPA 1977 (wildland firefighting) for serious protection during outdoor fire emergencies, with options for secure tool/GPS placement that is critical in unpredictable environments. Fire-Dex uses 100% INDURA cotton in many of its wildland outer shells to give lightweight, economical protection and are guaranteed flame resistant for the life of the garment.

EMS gear certified to NFPA 1999 (emergency medical operations) is waterproof and bloodborne pathogen-resistant to protect from line-of-duty hazards. TECGEN51 fabric is a patented flame-resistant outer shell material available only from Fire-Dex that is built from a combination of high-density TECGEN fibres and para-aramids to offer superior thermal protective performance (TPP), radiant protective performance (RPP) and THL performance.

TECGEN51 fatigues can reduce physical stress by requiring less cardiovascular effort than structural firefighting gear and has the highest total breathability of any NFPA 1977 or 1951 certified materials available. This garment offers optimal strength, thermal protection, breathability and versatility for a variety of wildland and non-fire-related calls.

Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) apparel certified to NFPA 1951 (technical rescue) and NFPA 1999 is designed for the rugged challenges of technical rescue and emergency medicine. Fire-Dex builds USAR moisture barrier solutions from CROSSTECH S/R fabric that is light and comfortable and protects against blood, body fluids and common chemicals. Dual-certified NFPA 1951 and NFPA 1977 gear that offers protection for a range of responses.

More colour options

Alternative PPE also comes in many colours to suit different needs. Traditionally orange, wildfire gear created problems when aircraft pilots would mistake workers for smoldering hot spots, actually dousing crews with flame retardant in some cases. Today, bright yellow is the go-to choice for wildfire gear having been shown to stand out better against most backgrounds, particularly in heavily forested areas.

In other cases such as a widespread search-and-rescue mission confusion can be avoided when emergency responders and tactical crews wear differently coloured PPE that clearly identifies their on-site role and responsibility.

What to wear underneath

For most non-fire-related calls, approved station wear is still the appropriate choice. When fighting wildfires, however, Fire-Dex recommends wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, underwear and socks—all 100% cotton or a 100% flame-resistant blend—as synthetic materials (e.g., nylon, rayon and polyester often used in tight-fitting athletic apparel) can melt to the skin when exposed to extreme heat – think shrink-wrapping wherein the wearer’s every movement becomes restricted and can result in burns.

Path to purchase

Continuing advancements in fabric and materials technology allow manufacturers like Fire-Dex to develop innovative nonstructural PPE garments that meet the specific needs of emergency responders. From pants and jackets to coveralls for unpredictable environments, there is ongoing investment in lighter, more breathable and comfortable garments suited for the toughest wildland and non-fire calls.

To start, fire departments should explore purchase programs that bundle structural and nonstructural garments into one cost-effective package. Some manufacturers extend generous discounts to customers purchasing PPE for their entire department, so the savings can be quite significant when ordering new gear.

Departments may also find support from manufacturers who streamline the PPE buying process through ready-to-use procurement contracts. This can save time and administrative costs while ensuring the department’s meaningful participation. Departments can typically choose from multiple contract providers that work closely with the manufacturer to help ensure a smooth process. The US Fire Administration provides multiple options that can help secure funds for first responders to receive the equipment needed to protect and serve their communities.

A better alternative

As communities continue to evolve, many fire departments are experiencing a high volume of non-structural fire calls. To meet this demand, manufacturers have begun offering alternative PPE garments to mitigate the risks of developing heat stress and the spread of carcinogens.

Wearing this lighter gear as an alternative to turnouts on calls that do not require the same amount of thermal protection like motor vehicle accidents, emergency medical calls, and confined space rescue, can help the firefighter maintain their body’s core temperature and prevent them from becoming unnecessarily overheated. Alternative PPE also provides versatile protection during wildland and medical emergencies while making emergency personnel easily identifiable to the public.

Few professions are as unpredictable as firefighting―the right alternative garment can protect firefighters while helping them perform their best on every type of call.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Exclusive: Suppressing the spread of wildfire

by Breaking NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire
IFSJ sat down with Perimeter Solutions’ new President of Global Fire Safety, Jeff Emery, to discuss wildland fire suppression

Earlier this year Perimeter Solutions announced Jeff Emery as its President of Global Fire Safety, a newly created role which put him in charge of Fire Suppressant and Wildfire businesses at Perimeter Solutions. IFSJ sat down with Jeff to learn about his new role and talk about one of the biggest global issues in fire: wildland firefighting.

What drew you to the role of President of Global Fire Safety?

I have a long history in both aviation and the fire services, so when I looked at what Perimeter does and the focus on aerial and ground-based fire safety – it was a natural fit. We’re working in many cases with those airborne applications of retardants to help slow and stop the progress of wildfires and protect the firefighters on the ground.

The portfolio of Perimeter is terrific, but I really appreciated the service component. I think that’s a piece of Perimeter’s offering that oftentimes doesn’t get as noticed, but we have a large staff of dedicated employees that are working throughout wildfire season any time of the day any day of the week responding to the airbases with mixing and loading of our retardant onto the aircraft to keep them in operation and help our customers be as effective as they can be when fighting wildfire.

Tell me about the role Perimeter Solutions plays in Wildland firefighting?

Perimeter Solutions has nearly 60 years of history in wildland firefighting. We have a number of different solutions and each of them has a unique application, including aerial fire retardants, ground applied fire retardants, Class A foam and mobile foam and mixing equipment. They all play a part of the portfolio and the broader solutions that we provide for our customers on the wildfire protection side.

What are aerial fire retardants and their main applications?

The retardant products that we provide today are mostly ammonium phosphate-based. We have added components to that over the years and a lot of the innovation is to do with accurate deployment and product weight and viscosity.

Accuracy is important because the aircraft is going to want to hit the target whether it’s at 200 feet or 400 feet – you want as straight of a line and as accurate of a drop as possible. The idea is to get a solid and consistent perimeter around the fire with no line breaks that would allow a fire to escape through and you need to make sure it avoids and protects the firefighters on the ground.

When would ground applied fire retardants be used?

In certain cases when a fire is taking hold you will often have times where there are high winds and smoke and it is unsafe to fly the aircraft. In those cases, one of the best tools that are available to those on the ground are ground-based retardants. It’s essentially the same composition of product and works the same as the aerial retardants that would be dropped.

We have a service team that’s available to deploy to any situation. The McKinney Fire is the latest example where we’ve had teams on the ground since the beginning. You look over the first few days of that fire and there were some wet conditions and significant smoke and then some blowing occurred that made it impossible to fly in. Our teams on the ground played a part in that fight in those early days to slow the spread of the fire.

Another ground-based application would be the prevention and protection side of our business. For example, there are roadside applications where you have a history of vehicles overheating going through an uphill section of a highway causing ignitions at the side of the road. These areas we can treat through our ground[1]based technology to keep that area protected throughout the fire season. This same approach can be taken around railroads, utilities infrastructure, or even personal homes, to prevent ignitions or protect those areas from existing fires.

What are the differences between retardants and Class A foams?

The idea of Class A foam is that it is water dependent. It is mixed with foam and effectively makes that water more effective at penetrating, holding, and prohibiting evaporation to allow water to seep in, doing its job more effectively for a longer period of time. Foam is strictly a suppressant. It’s used to put on the fire to help seep into the fuel to help the water do its job better.

Retardants are mixed with water predominantly to help the distribution and application of the product, but even after that the water has evaporated out the product is still doing its job to be able to provide that retardant capability. Typically, about half of the retardant is put into the fire line to suppress it and half outside to keep the fire from spreading

You’re quite involved in the firefighting process beyond foam production, what else do you offer firefighters?

To support our Class A & B foam products, we do produce bladder tanks, equipment to produce, dilute and distribute that foam, making sure its diluted to the right ratios and applied in a way that’s going to be most effective to get that water to do its job.

In the US we supply about 45 full services bases where we supply perimeter employees, equipment and product for those aircrafts and their missions every day. We also supply equipment to a lot of customer staffed bases, which we maintain over time to keep those in good working order to make sure that they are getting the servicing and maintenance they need to remain effective.

Can you tell me about any recent developments in your wildland firefighting solutions?

Europe has seen an unprecedented wildfire season this year and you have a lot of countries that historically did not have the aircraft assets or the history of using retardants in their operations. We are investing in countries across the region in helping to fight that fight. France has been at the forefront with more progressive applications and coordination of wildfire mitigation over the years.

We’ve seen that model now replicated across the region with many countries now conducting trials and putting their aircraft to use with retardants. We also see a lot of work happening in some of these emerging areas like Greece, Portugal, and Croatia. We’re working hand in hand with governments in those countries to enhance their capabilities.

The second piece we’re focusing on is our prevention and protection business which is why we acquired a company called LaderaTech. Prevention is an under-tapped portion of the portfolio and can truly help communities in preventing a small ignition from becoming a large mega fire.

Finally, can you tell me about Perimeter Solutions’ recent contact with San Diego County Board of Supervisors for Roadside Vegetation Management?

 We worked with them on some trials last year on an area stretch from Wildcat Canyon just outside the city of San Diego. The stretch of road is a strong uphill drive that’s seen a history of vehicles overheating, or brake pads coming off and igniting roadside vegetation. When you look at options to prevent that, one method is clearing the vegetation and giving a defensible space and spraying it down with herbicide to keep that regrowth in check. Our application is more efficient and sustainable, where a truck travels up the road and sprays our product to provide lasting protection.

We’ve worked on the area for a couple of years and after the trial year saw multiple ignitions, which were all put out within a matter of square feet. This year we’re extending that mileage, working hand in hand with San Diego country and their Cal Fire units and water tenders to be able to apply our retardant across a broader swath of that highway to protect those communities.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Exclusive: The Rural Firefighting Challenge

by Breaking NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire
Joel Wright, President and Co-Owner at FOL-DA-TANK, speaks exclusively with IFSJ about the company’s portable water tanks and the challenge to supply water for firefighting in rural areas.

Manufacturer of portable water tanks and tank accessories for firefighters and environmental first responders, FOL-DA-TANK, was founded in 1954. Its founder Giles Eldred worked in the business loan department of a small bank in Rock Island, Illinois, in the early 1950s, when he met a customer who was applying for a loan to start a company that repaired fire trucks.

In the conversations that Eldred had with this customer regarding the firefighting industry, the issue of providing water was a common topic. In some rural areas where fire hydrants were not available, firefighters were staging water in temporary water reservoirs fashioned out of extension ladders tied together in a square with a canvas tarp draped over them.

The problem faced by these emergency responders stuck in Eldred’s mind, and he began to wonder if there was a more efficient way to create a temporary water storage container. One day, when he was folding his daughter’s playpen, he got the idea for a folding tank that could easily be stored on a ladder rack in a fire truck. He started the company under the name FOL-DA-TANK.

After 68 years in business, the company makes several styles of portable water tanks and specialty water moving strainers and fittings needed to move large volumes of water at rural structural and remote wildland fire scenes. IFSJ caught up with Joel Wright, FOL-DA-TANK’s President and Co-Owner to discuss the rural firefighting challenge that is water supply.

Prior to acquiring FOL-DA-TANK in 2020, Wright was the CEO of MoboTrex, Inc. which manufactures and distributes equipment for traffic signal intersections throughout North America. “My engineering background and early career experiences as a project manager and process engineer formed my foundation for the leadership and business skills I have built throughout my career,” Wright tells.

Wildland firefighting

Mobile water supply systems assist rural, structural and remote wildland firefighters by containing water at the fire scene. Rural structure fires are often miles from the nearest hydrant and tankers cannot carry enough water to extinguish a large fire. Instead, portable drop tanks need to supplement the water supply which can be refilled by shuttle tankers. A growing issue is that remote wildland fires are fast moving and far away from municipal water sources.

“A recent use case involves protecting high voltage transmission lines in a remote and mountainous area of Utah with nearby wildfires,” tells Wright. “The power company purchased several 1360-litre helicopter tanks which will be flown full of water directly to a staging area near each tower. Crews will use the water to create a fire line around the tower thus protecting it from damage. As the fire moves, the tanks can be re-filled and staged at towers where the fire may potentially burn.”

As rural fire departments are staffed by volunteers who have regular fulltime jobs, he points out that finding time to train volunteers on the best practices for complicated fire trucks and the related mobile water supply equipment is a huge challenge for the industry: “Manufacturers are always on the lookout for ways to add value by making the equipment easier and safer to use. “One thing FOL-DA-TANK has invested in recently is creating ‘how-to’ videos for the products we manufacture,” he says.

Rural concerns

Rural settings often have narrow roads and other limiting space constraints which is why FOL-DATANK offers a single lane tank kit for use in these locations. “The standard single lane tank is rectangular in shape compared to the original square folding frame tanks,” describes Wright. “A 9500-liter tank is typically 4m by 4m square whereas our diamond shaped second generation single lane tank is 6.7m long by 2.4m wide.

“The 1.6m width savings clears valuable roadway allowing emergency vehicles to pass in and out of the fire scene. Single lane tank users couple the tank with an aluminium 90 degree elbow attached to the suction inlet on the fire truck and to a hard suction hose which runs to the single lane tank.

“The hard suction hose is connected to a low-level drafting system permanently mounted to the tank. The flange mount plate is designed to stabilise the inner/outer flange set. The plate mounts to the tank frame and the flange set goes through the tank wall. Inside the tank and fastened to the inner flange is a low flow strainer which can maintain maximum pumping capacity down to 40mm-50mm water depth.”

Increasing fire activity

Global demand for mobile water supply systems is on the rise because of an increase in wildfires and the desire to protect land and property. The length of the annual fire weather season has increased on average globally as has the frequency of days with extreme fire. While hotter, dryer weather can facilitate increased fire activity, human fire management policy of past decades is also a root cause.

Wright says that land use, fire mitigation and prevention policies have increased the fuel available for wildfires causing them to burn hotter and over larger areas. “As we learned at Interschutz, truck builders outside of North America are just beginning to offer auxiliary water tanks on new truck builds,” he says. “Firefighters in Europe who visited our stand were eager to understand how this system could deliver more water to rural structure fire scenes. We expect international growth as the word spreads.”

Driving innovation

When FOL-DA-TANK was purchased from the founding family in late 2020, Wright says the new owners and management team brought some fresh perspective. “As we were meeting customers, conversations naturally led to stories about how our products were used and what worked well and what didn’t. We made a series of improvements to our original folding frame tank design including: the Rapid Release mechanism; Hi-Vis drain sleeves, the Jumbo Drain; and the flange mount plate.”

The Rapid Release mechanism is a slim profile device built into the tank frame. It firmly holds the drain sleeve in place and releases easily with one swift motion. “It was important to firefighters that this mechanism could be operated with gloves on,” he explains. “Hi-Vis drain sleeves are made from the same heavy duty PVC vinyl as the tank liner, but with a contrasting color. The problem solved is much better visibility at night.”

FOL-DA-TANK’s jumbo drains are bigger versions of its standard drain sleeves and drain leftover water from the tank six times faster than the standard size sleeve. “This can be vital in grass fires when a wind shift demands a fast relocation of equipment,” says Wright. “The flange mount plate is a permanent through wall flange set on a folding frame tank. The device connects two tanks or a low flow strainer which eliminates running a hard suction hose over the tank frame.”

Looking ahead

Since the ownership transition and changes in management took place in November 2020, Wright says that FOL-DA-TANK has focused on three areas in our core firefighting market: providing reliable supply; winning at the point of sale; and driving demand for innovation.

“One of our favourite success stories is reducing lead time from 45 days to less than 10 days and then sustaining it for 10 consecutive months so far,” he tells. “Another is the introduction of our Rapid Release mechanism for the drain sleeves on frame tanks. The device has been very well received by experienced firefighters who have used our products for decades.”

On future plans, he reveals this includes growth through acquisition into the first responder market: “We have an excellent operating team and manufacturing infrastructure with capacity to do more. Our ideal target is to purchase a company that manufactures lose equipment sold through our existing distributor network.”

Finally, Wright talks about the importance of durability and functionality, something he says the company’s founder understood well when he first designed the folding frame tanks. “A nearby customer recently replaced their department’s two 30-year-old tanks which were still functioning but in need of patches and other repairs,” he tells.

“While the local government was thankful the tanks had outlasted the original fire trucks on which they were originally supplied, the fire chief was even more appreciative of the design enhancements made over the 30 years.

“He liked the new Rapid Release mechanism for the drain sleeves, hinge guards at the pinch points on the frame, lift handles in the liner to move residual water to the drains, and our hi-vis drain sleeves made from contrasting colours of vinyl. FOL-DATANK has a solid design concept and culture of innovation. We welcome the voice of the customer and are thrilled when our team makes improvements to an already outstanding product.”

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Nevada Division of Forestry invests in air support for wildland firefighting

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsProductsVehicles

The Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) has announced a partnership with Rutledge Airborne Applications to provide critical air support for wildland firefighting throughout Nevada. The three-year partnership contract increases fire response capabilities by utilising state-of-the-art single engine air tankers (SEATs).  

SEATs are compact, versatile aircraft that can launch from smaller regional and local airports, such as those in Minden and Elko. They are capable of flying multiple missions within an hour, depending on proximity to a refill base. The aircrafts can also cover a greater range and fly at higher speeds than NDF’s current helicopter fleet.

Because of their smaller size, SEATs can safely manoeuvre in areas that are difficult to access. “We can go virtually anywhere, and we’ll work out from whatever base is closest to the fire to keep us efficient.” – said Cade Boeger, a pilot for Rutledge.

With fire seasons growing longer and more extreme each year, with the new partnership Nevada is reimagining their approach to fire preparedness to meet today’s challenges, including climate change impacts.

“This new partnership with Rutledge gives us more flexibility and efficiency in our response to wildfires. Our priority is to protect firefighters and first responders, Nevada families, communities, and natural ecosystems,” said Nevada’s State Forester Firewarden Kacey KC.

The first two SEATs arrived in Reno on Sunday night and are ready to assist firefighters on the ground anywhere in the state.