HAZMAT —NCAHMR
Glenn Clapp | 01/11/2010

Sometimes in the hazmat community (and in a larger scale throughout the emergency response community) we become wrapped up in the latest technology and new “toys” of the trade, and fail to revisit the formative building blocks of our discipline. This is not to say that new equipment and technologies should not be considered or utilized, but rather that we should maintain our grasp of the basics that will see us through in many hazmat situations.

Fire
Lenny Yox | 01/11/2010

If I were to ask you what the main differences are once you are promoted to a position of leadership in your department, what would you say? Some would glibly answer about the color of their helmet, a new radio, a response light in their POV, new keys getting added to their key ring. Far too often the most important answer is overlooked; more responsibility gets piled on.

Fire
| 01/11/2010

To the untrained eye the oceanfront party held each May at Springmaid Resort is like so many in Myrtle Beach. Steak and chicken are charcoaled on the grill, a live band pumps out classic rock tunes, and adult libations are the beverage of choice.

But what has now become an annual tradition on the third Wednesday of May is far from normal. Hundreds of people come from New York, the Carolinas, Connecticut and even as far away as Los Angeles to bask in the Myrtle Beach sun, play some of the nation’s best golf courses, and celebrate a bond that only firefighters can appreciate.

Equipment
DAVID PEASE | 10/18/2009

Awhile back we looked at OTB water boots, one of the best water boots I have come across. They also make several styles of tactical land boots that have some of the same features as their water boots. I had a chance to wear the Bushmaster tactical boot while I was in Guatemala, and it was extremely comfortable and wore really well. The boot looks almost like the Abyss, one of their water boots, but obviously does not have the holes for water drainage. The Bushmaster boots come in black or tan and are a lower cut style boot. The boot has a mesh quarter panel that keeps your foot cooler, and a dual cushioned inner bed for better wicking and comfort. This lightweight boot is comfortable to wear, has great traction with the vibram sole, and a reinforced rubber toe and heel for climbing. This boot also features reinforced lace loops and an irregular lace so it will not come untied in the field. This is a great lightweight tactical and search boot.

Equipment
Ron Moore | 01/11/2010

Rescuers across this country are becoming increasingly aware that automakers are integrating new, tougher and stronger steel into their newest model vehicles so they can meet new government crash standards. The industry term ‘Boron’ is becoming more and more familiar to vehicle rescue personnel as well as our rescue tool vendors. Boron is just one of the various types of a new alloy steel family that are called ‘advanced steels.’ Boron, Martensite, Dual Phase, and TRIP steel are all examples of this new generation of steel that is challenging rescue personnel. It is 25 percent lighter in weight and eight times stronger than the steel we are currently used to in vehicles.

Education and Training
Carter Jones | 10/18/2009

For a number of years the national fire service has experienced some 100 plus firefighter line-of-duty fatalities annually. Additionally, injuries sustained by our firefighters linger around 80,000 each year. Providing solutions to the fatality and injury issues seem easy in light of the tremendous data base of information relating to the causes. However, the solutions become clouded when we begin to apply those lessons learned to the cultural environment in which we, as a service, have been reared.

From the Editor
Sherry Brooks | 01/11/2010

How can it be 2010? Weren’t we just worrying about our computers crashing and stockpiling food when we entered the year 2000?

Rescue
Lenny Yox | 10/18/2009

During the past year, more people than ever before have been buying larger than normal quantities of ammunition and reloading components. There are many reasons for those purchases -- and I will not try to cover them in this article.

I will, however, try to bring out some of the additional dangers posed to us, the responders on a fire or other emergency.

From the Editor
Sherry Brooks | 10/18/2009

In this edition, we feature expanded coverage in the area of Hazmat. It is such a vital area of the Fire Rescue EMS world, and we’re pleased to bring it to you.

We welcome Glen Clapp, president of the North Carolina Association of Hazardous Materials Responders (NCAHMR), and his expertise on all things hazmat. In this issue, Clapp covers the Annual Hazmat Competition, along with some amazing pictures from Michael Porowski. Read his feature article on the challenge of chlorine railcar enhanced fittings.

HazMat
David Hesselmeyer | 10/18/2009

In the last hazardous materials issue of this magazine, I discussed doing assessments of hazardous materials that are traveling through your district on railways and roadways. Part two to a good hazardous materials assessment of your district is taking inventory of the hazardous materials facilities, or those facilities that stock hazardous materials.