NCAHMR
Glenn Clapp | 10/18/2009

On Aug. 22nd, eight hazardous materials teams from across the State met in Raleigh for fun, fellowship, and competition in the Annual Hazmat Challenge. The Hazmat Challenge is an annual event sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Hazardous Materials Responders (NCAHMR) and is held at the North Carolina Firemen’s Association Conference/ South Atlantic Fire Expo. The 2009 Challenge drew a large number of spectators and featured unprecedented sponsor involvement and prizes for the top finishing teams.

Financial
Bart Valley | 10/18/2009

Last year’s stock market decline created significant stress for investors. Unfortunately, in times like last year, we often see investors panicking and moving out of risky assets such as stocks into safer holdings like savings accounts or Treasury bills. But the truth is these safer investments have never produced the kinds of real returns that most investors need. Safe investments like savings accounts or Treasury bills might eliminate investment risk, but they introduce another problem: purchasing power risk.

HAZMAT —NCAHMR
Mike Legeros | 01/11/2010

The Raleigh Fire Department produced a yearbook in 2007, commemorating their 95th year anniversary as a fully paid fire department. The hardcover volume numbered 160 pages and featured personnel portraits, station histories, incident and event photos and other features. This was the third yearbook produced by the Raleigh Fire Department, and the first full-color edition.

Fire
KEN NEWELL | 10/18/2009

Did your Department apply for this grant? Were you successful? If not, will there be another opportunity next year?

In the last article we looked in depth at the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 which provided the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with $210,000,000 to fund the construction and modifications of fire stations. The program is administered by the Assistance to Firefighters Program Office under FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate. The grants under this new program are being awarded directly to the fire departments on a competitive basis.

Equipment
DAVID PEASE | 01/11/2010

I would like to touch on a couple of good products that we used in Guatemala with our training there. One tool has been around for quite a while actually, and is one that does an excellent job at what it is designed to do. Produced by Wehr, the “GlasMaster” is one of the best tools for cutting out a windshield that has come along in quite some time. When windshields used to be set in rubber gaskets, they could be removed by popping off the trim mold, and placing a bailing hook behind the edge of the glass to pop out the window.

KEEPING YOU SAFE
MICHAEL P. DALLESSANDRO | 01/11/2010

In the fire service there are people who just drive fire apparatus, and there are drivers who skillfully drive and operate fire apparatus safely. I have been very fortunate over the years as a guest speaker, to be able to travel to many conferences and fire departments that held safe apparatus operator workshops. Through my travels I have met many skilled apparatus driver/operators and I have also met a number of people who just drive fire trucks. There is a difference. I have been driving fire apparatus myself for approximately 25 years, but have only really been an apparatus driver/operator for about 18 of those 24 years.

EMS
Brad Van Ert | 01/11/2010

The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System has recently added a link to the website specifically for EMS. Those making reports will be connected directly to the website by typing “EMSnearmiss.com.”into their browser. There are many reports in the system that apply to EMS incidents. The following excerpt from Near-Miss Report (#08-066) shows us how we can use the EMSnearmiss.com website to learn from the experiences of others.

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.

| 01/01/2010

Industry Leaders Revive Class A Training Program

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.