or vehicle fire and manufactures of

gear have made many necessary

changes to reduce exposure to

the body. Research has deter-

mined that not only respiratory

absorption of carcinogens but also

through skin absorption can lead

to firefighting related cancers

which include particles left on gear

after the fire scene. Proudly wear-

ing black soot on your gear used

to be a sign of experience, some-

thing to be respected; now, its

standard protocol for most de-

partments to immediately clean

gear after each fire, not to be

worn twice. Some firehouses have

specialized washing machines and/

or a second set of gear to enforce

policy.

When dissecting the process of an

emergency call, a firefighter puts

on clean gear, loads into a clean

truck – the first time – fights the

fire and returns back to the sta-

tion where they clean their body

and gear; but what about transfer-

ring toxins to the soft surfaces in

the cab of the engine?

Cont’ on page 2.

According to the Center for Dis-

ease Control, the leading cause

of death for Americans is heart

disease but that is not the case

for firefighters anymore. Running

towards a burning building is the

risk that comes to mind when

thinking about the daily activities

for firefighters but the true risk

of the job could appear years

later. The International Associa-

tion of Firefighters reports the

leading cause of death is cancer.

In fact, firefighters have higher

rates of cancer than the rest of

us, upwards of 68% higher than

the general population for some

types of the disease and accounts

for double the reported cases of

mesothelioma, a cancer which

targets the thin tissue that co-

vers internal organs. The report-

ed statistics vary based on the

study, source and type of cancer

which was concerning to Robert

D. Daniels, PhD. CHP. who lead

the largest study of U.S. Firefight-

ers in partnership with the Na-

tional Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health in 2010.

This study shows firefighters

have a 9% increased rate for

being diagnosed with cancer

and a 14% higher rate of dying

from cancer. However, when

looking at specific types of can-

cer, the rates for firefighters

rise steeply; specifically regard-

ing respiratory, digestive and

skin. Along with confirming the

statistics being double for mes-

othelioma, they are also double

for testicular cancer, 1.28

greater for prostate cancer and

1.21 greater for colon cancer.

The study showed the rate of

multiple myeloma was in-

creased 1.53 times greater risk

for firefighters, 1.39 times for

skin cancer and 1.51 greater

with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The fire industry recognizes the

long-term risk factor and has

made significant changes to aid

in the protection of carcinogens

from the men and woman that

protect us. A breathing appa-

ratus (BA) is always available

when responding to a building

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill introduced by Rep. Chris Collins (R)-NY that would create a national registry of firefighters who get cancer. "This is a huge win for firefighters across the United States, now that we are so close to getting this bill on President Trump's desk," said Collins, who sponsored the bill with Rep. Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat. H.R. 931 seeks to establish and improve collection activi-ties to collect a greater abundance of data and assist in developing new protocols and safeguards to pro-tect firefighters. H.R. 931 requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and main-tain a registry to collect data regarding the incidence of cancer in firefighters. This bill authorizes $10 mil-lion for fiscal years 2018-2022 to carry out those activities.

Building Fire Trucks to Protect Firefighters from Carcinogens; the Clean Cab Initiative

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Legacy Fire

Apparatus 2

Cont’ Clean Cab

Initiative 2

Robots to the

Rescue 3

Mass Casualty

Kits 3

Sutphen East 4

Homer Township

FD Builds New

Tanker

5

Ben’s Corner 6

Unruh 6

H.R. 931: FF Cancer Registry Act of 2018

V O L U M E 1 8 — 6

"When this bill be-

comes law, we will

have a succinct and

voluntary registry of

cancer incidence in

firefighters, so we

know what causes can-

cer in these individuals

and how we can better

prevent it."

P A G E 2

Cont’ Clean Cab Initiative

Legacy Fire Apparatus We founded Legacy Fire Apparatus with a sim-

ple goal: Provide emergency personnel with the

finest apparatus and service.

Certified Emergency Vehicle Technicians (EVTs)

are on call 24-7 to provide top-notch world

class service to our customers throughout the

state of Illinois, Indiana and Southern Wisconsin.

On top of being a Sutphen Tier 1 Service Cen-

ter, our repair technicians have taken factory

training classes from Pierce manufacturing, Sut-

phen Fire Apparatus, E-One, Spartan, Hale

Pumps, Waterous Pumps, and many more.

We also offer truck service, including pump tests,

warranty repairs, ladder and truck PM services,

pump repairs, engine repair and maintenance,

transmission repairs, and many other services.

Our 10,000 square foot facility is fully

staffed and equipped to handle all your

repair, maintenance, and fabrication

needs.

We truly are a one stop shop!

It’s no secret, Legacy Fire Apparatus

prides itself on great customer service.

To make the customer experience as

simple and transparent as possible, Lega-

cy has purchased a preventative mainte-

nance software in which all customers

have access to! Log in from your phone,

tablet or computer and request service

needs, monitor progress, approve rec-

ommended service and pay invoices all

from one simple app.

Sutphen Cooperation released Clean Cab Initiative to help prevent cancer from firefighting at FDIC 2018. On display was the newest truck for West Palm Beach, FL. with a custom

cab; a clean cab. You won’t find any impermeable material inside this cab; in fact, it can be

completely cleaned with using a garden hose. Diamond plated floors, black textured interi-

or and a plastic cab roof rather than the usual cloth lays the groundwork. The seats are

lined with Dura Wear making them resistant to absorbing fluids and the seat covers are

removable having the capability to be washed.

A HEPA filter for the A/C and defrost allows cleaner breathable air and external storage for gear and SCBA reduces the toxins inside the cab. The firefighters union states the plastics

and synthetics used in building materials are a major source of

toxins related to the increased rate of cancer among first re-sponders. Eliminating these materials, implementing improved gear

and better utilization of gear and mandating clean cabs are clear and proven ways to protect those who protect us.

But that is not so easy. It would cost money to change policy and

practices, provide a safer workplace and even to cover the cost of presumptive illness through health insurance plans which may be

the reason agencies that employ firefighters are reluctant to ex-pose the dangers of the job.

L E G A C Y N E W S F L A S H

Preventive

maintenance

software in

which all

Legacy

customers have

access to!

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 8 — 6

Drones may have been marketed as

toys, but they have quickly devel-

oped into important tools, especially

for emergency responders. They

have been successfully used by fire-fighters to save lives in emergency

situations. Drones can provide new

perspectives, travel where boots

cannot and some even have the abil-ity to see in harsh conditions. Over-

all, drones can reduce the risk of

human life, significantly.

The benefits of using drones start long before an emergency arises.

Traditionally, a fire department em-

ployee would survey a building with

a measuring wheel, take photos and record founded information and

data, which could take several man

hours to complete. By using tech-

nology, the time of surveying a

building can be reduced to minutes allowing departments to reallocate

resources. Janesville Fire Depart-

ment in Wisconsin has identified 50

buildings that have a large footprint or high capita in which a fire could

potentially result in a large loss.

Should the Department respond

to an emergency at these identi-

fied buildings, the data will provide crucial information to the boots

on the ground. With some tech-

nology, the imagery of the data

can be uploaded to monitors in-side the fire engines including the

building footprint, locations of

power and gas shut-off’s as well as

where the hydrants are located.

Having a drone on-hand upon ar-

riving at a situation that is life-

threatening can be extremely ben-

eficial. Drones provide the best look at the situation allowing a

strategy to be developed, to evalu-

ate and continue to monitor con-

ditions. Possibly the most useful

component of the drone is their thermal imaging abilities. They can

identify the hottest and coolest

areas of the building and can look

through low visibility elements such as smoke, dust and fog which

aids the firefighters to determine

the best approach. Additionally,

drones can be equipped with gear

such as floodlights to greatly im-prove visibility during nighttime

missions. It’s been reported that

this technology allows the drone

pilots to locate persons in total

darkness, seeing further than night vision goggles and cameras.

After the situation has seized,

drones can provide valuable post-event assessments. With drones

capturing high-quality imaging, they

can locate any survivors that may

not have been visible from the

ground, analyze the damage and use the recordings for re-evaluation and

future training purposes.

While purchasing technology seems like a no-brainer for fire depart-

ments, many are facing strained

budgets and dwindling resources. In

2014, the National Fire Protection

Association reported there was an estimated total of 29,980 fire de-

partments in the United States of

which about two-thirds were

staffed with volunteers only. Smaller agencies may have understood the

benefits of drones but the price tag

of purchasing the unit, its software

and training a pilot was simply not

in the budget. However, like most technology, as new models are de-

veloped, former models will give

some budget-stricken entities a big-

ger bang for their buck as the price entry point for consumer drones

has decreased. Many departments

have obtained grants to purchase

new technology and even been able

to partner with nearby agencies to cut cost. Goldman Sachs has esti-

mated the drone-related firefighter

industry is upwards of $881 million.

Robots to the Rescue

As the active shooter crisis continues to span across the United States, Omaha Firefighter Dustin Talacko is raising

money to make emergency response vehicles more prepared. Talacko wants to raise $25,000 to make mass casualty

kits for first responders. His Bleeding and Shock Kits would include combat application tourniquets, Israeli pressure

dressings, occlusive dressings, decompression needles, gauze rolls, trauma sheers and Coban rolls. If interested, you

can donate by texting “OFDKITS” to 91999.

Mass Casualty Kits—Donations Needed

Sutphen East Facility

Sutphen is in its 128th year of operation; making it the oldest continuously family owned and operated fire apparatus manufacturers in the country. Never reorganized, owned or operated by anyone other than a

Sutphen— family atmosphere is apparent. Evolution of the Factory Today, Sutphen is comprised of five factories. The main office of Sutphen Corporation is located in Dublin, OH. The SP 95, SP 100, SP 110, and SPH 100 Aerial Platforms are manufactured at this plant, as well as Custom Extruded Aluminum Pumpers. Located six miles south of the main plant, is the home of Sutphen Hilliard. This plant manufactures the SP 70 Aerial Platform, SA 75, SL 75, and SL 100 Aerial Ladders. The bodies of these units are constructed of stainless steel. Customers who specify stainless steel pumpers will also have their apparatus built at Sutphen Hilliard. 45 miles west of the main office, is Sutphen Springfield. This is the start of the Sutphen line. Sutphen Custom Chassis are assembled here using name brand components. Everything from the frame rails to the drivable chassis is handled here. This plant also produces the Commercial line and our Guardian pumpers. The newest location is the Sutphen Service and Refurbishment Center located adjacent to the Chassis plant. Minor repairs to major restoration, and everything in between is done here, including refurbishments and aerial remounts. This facility manufacturers both aluminum and stainless steel pumpers as well as commercial pumpers and tankers. Sutphen East handles repairs and service for the local market.

Formerly located in Monticello, NY, the East Facility moved to Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania in 2017; the newest of the five Sutphen facilities. The new location is close to major highways, City of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport; which allows better travel opportunity and amenities for customers. The area also provides a larger number of services available to Sutphen, including vendors. Most importantly, the new location is a much larger plot of land providing Sutphen with space to grow. This facility currently has 55 employees to manufacturer both aluminum and stainless-steel pumpers as well as com-mercial pumpers and tankers. Sutphen East handles repairs and service for the local market also. “[Moving] we were able to increase our output by changing to a cell manufacturing instead of in-line manufacturing at the NY location.” said Production Engineer Tony Sambuca. The new facility has a new two-million BTU heated down draft paint booth providing the best paint finish and has increased productivity. “By moving our Service Department to this location, it provided a one stop shop for the customer.” says Sambuca. “This also allows engineering and production to work with service providing valuable customer feedback for improvements in quality control and future production.”

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 8 — 6

Homer Township Fire District (IL) is excited to be building a new tanker —a Sutphen tanker—working

with Legacy Fire Apparatus as their dealer. A recent

visit to the Sutphen East facility, now in Lake Ariel, PA.,

provided Homer Township's build committee members with a view of their hard work of planning and design

beginning to come to fruition. This new pumper/tanker

will replace a 1995 GMC Top Kick/ S&S Tanker that

was unexpectedly removed from service due to a cata-

strophic tank failure. Chief Chris Locacius stated “40% of the fire district is unhydranted so having a tanker is

extremely important,”

The new Sutphen commercial tanker will have 2000 gallons of water, a 1500 GPM Hale pump, standard

pumper ground ladders, and a Foam Pro 2001 Foam

system. The foam tank is a special feature that was im-

portant to Homer Township Fire District. Chief

Locacius “We use AR-AFFF for hazardous materials and since a portion of I-355 expressway is in our district,

having foam for potential accidents with semi-trucks and

fuel tankers, we knew the foam tank would be extreme-

ly beneficial to our community.”

Homer Township Fire District Builds New Tanker

Chief Locacius plans to staff

the tanker with at least two firefighters and potentially

three at times.

Another priority was to work with a vendor that was able to

design the tanker to combat

rust and corrosion which is a growing issue in the Mid-

west. “We have had previous issues with other ven-

dors, rust being a huge problem. We knew whoever manufactures the tanker, we needed to know first how

they can protect against corrosion. It was very im-

portant to learn the process of combating corrosion

and ultimately the reason we went with a Sutphen and Legacy as our dealer.” Sutphen offers stainless steel

manufacturing which helps prevent these issues.

Homer Township Fire District was successful in ob-

taining a FEMA grant to purchase the tanker. Expect to see this new addition to their fleet in service in early

August.

L E G A C Y N E W S F L A S H

Upon visiting Sutphen East, company pride is apparent both with employees and throughout the facility itself. There are four main production bays and each bay has a mascot. The General Manager Darryl Sutphen created the idea while the crews chose their own names - the Raptors, Rhino’s, Beavers and Ducks. Each team has a competitive edge but it’s clear they all work as one big team when needed. “We tend to attract employees with a background in the fire, ems and mili-tary services, so the pride and passion of their personal lives carry over to their professional lives.” said Sambuca

Cont’ Sutphen East Facility

Homer Township’s Tanker is

currently being assembled in

the Rhino Bay at Sutphen East.

Active Duty Firefighter Staff We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. Nobody knows your needs better than fellow fire-

fighters. That’s why we employ active duty firemen to help oversee every vehicle we build.

Enough said.

Unsurpassed Quality Start To Finish We provide the most dependable fire and rescue trucks in the industry. Our vehicles are built by

skilled craftsmen committed to highest standards of quality.

Industry Leading Warranty Unruh Fire provides you with one of the most comprehensive warranties in the industry. You’ll

have the peace of mind knowing that Unruh Fire will be there for you in the future.

First Rate Manufacturing Our facility in Sedgwick, KS was designed specifically for building custom fire trucks and rescue

vehicles. We have the experience, equipment, and craftsmanship to make trucks that exceed the

most demanding needs.

Unruh Fire is the premiere manufacturer of custom fire trucks

and rescue vehicles. We provide trucks for fire departments and

EMS crews across the United States. Every vehicle is individually

configured to meet your exact needs and specifications.

L E G A C Y N E W S F L A S H

Rainy Day Training Idea’s that are Fun and Don’t Break the Bank

While community safety is

always a priority for residents,

elected officials and first re-sponders, the allocated funding

doesn’t always meet the needs

for adequate training. Developing continued edu-

cation and training at minimal cost and equipment is imperative, especially for departments com-

prised of volunteers. It’s a growing issue for de-

partments, whether large or small, how to train

firefighters without incurring cost which could be

associated with travel expenses when sending staff to train or conferences.

While there is an abundance of trainings and prac-

tice drills from legitimate sources to utilize, there are fun and beneficial drills passed down from sea-

soned firefighters to rookies that are not found in

any book. These drills measure common sense,

staying calm during the chaos of a situation, team-

work, communication, control, patience and coop-eration.

Equipment & Tool Proficiency

A thermal imaging camera can be a vital life saving tool

but how often is it used by each of the firefighters. In efforts to better understand how to use the device,

heat a large wrench in the oven and carefully hide it

somewhere in the firehouse. Crews can seek out the

‘victim wrench’ by using the camera, allowing every-one to practice and better understand how the useful

tool works.

Additionally, this drill creates an opportunity to dis-

cuss search and rescue tactics, grid formations and challenges, both individual and collectively associated

with specific locations.

Power tools are often used in rescue missions. The more comfortable you are with using it before the

emergency, the better you will perform under pres-

sure. Start by cutting a piece of rebar with a grinding

wheel while laying upside down. Doing so will improve

tool control and dexterity. Continue to expand this drill by creating more incumbering situations such as

being tied off to a ladder, then only using one hand.

Cont’ Training Idea’s that are Fun and Don’t Break the Bank Practicing with a hydraulic spreader is important

but can also be a fun training activity, potentially

sparking some friendly competition among the

crew. Begin with practicing using small blocks of wood, picking them up and arranging them or even

staking them. The goal is to have minimal damage

or dings to the blocks. A fun twist is to use the

large size Jenga, build the tower with the spreader and then enjoy playing the game! When the crew

really starts to get the hang of it, take it up a notch

and use eggs. There are many ways eggs are used in

trainings like such, pick-

ing them up and setting them down on orange

cones is one. The twist

to this drill is making the

eggs the next shift meal, rather omelets for

breakfast or an egg salad

sandwich for lunch.

Knowing the crews next

meal is on the line will create a fun competitive

atmosphere.

Communication & Knowledge

Have half the crew write their name on a piece of

paper and toss them in a bowl. The other half will

pick out a name and that is your partner for the next drill. Having a blind pull for partners forces

staff to work with others they may not normally

choose but will have to work alongside during an

emergency. One firefighter will have a rope and the

other will place their hands behind their back. The person with their hands behind their back must

verbally inform the other to tie a knot with the

rope. The firefighter tying the rope must obey the

instructor’s every command. This drill amplifies real communication skills both instructing and lis-

tening. Adding difficulty to this otherwise simple

drill is blindfolding the instructor or even the stu-

dent.

Surprise, it’s a blind cabinet drill! Understanding the

inventory on the apparatus and its location is vitally

important. This drill can be done as individuals or

teams.

Have each team with a pad of paper write down eve-

rything in the cabinet without opening the door.

Work your way around the apparatus. Upon comple-

tion, open each door as a group and compare lists. Which ever team has the most correct equipment

listed gets lunch made for them and the team with

the shortest list must make lunch of the winner’s

choice.

It’s cost effective to hold trainings regionally and

partnering with neighboring departments but let’s

not forgot about the other first responders within

the municipal territory. Paramedic’s can provide medical information that firefighters could face at

anytime and need to know how take proper precau-

tions. Have a paramedic drop off a report on a rare

medical condition or disease providing the definition,

symptoms or other descriptive verbiage. There are many ways to create a drill to learn about medical

challenges. The paramedic could provide the descrip-

tion of the illness but not the name requiring the

crew research and discuss what it could be. Another option is to have a group prepare a brief tutorial on

the illness and teach the whole group.

Knowing your territory including changes in develop-

ment or temporary construction is important. Write the names of all the streets in your first-due area on

a separate piece of paper and place all the slips of

paper in a bowl. One by one, take turns randomly

picking out a street and telling the group where the street is, the cross-streets and how to get there from

the fire station. Continue to add layers to this drill by

asking which direction the street runs, side of the

street the odd/even numbers are, and the target haz-

ards on that street.

Hopefully these out-of-the-box training idea’s will

spark an interest with your department to create fun

and inexpensive rainy day training drills.

Phone: 630-388-9686 E-mail: BEN@LegacyFireApparatus.com www.LegacyFireApparatus.com

Industry Knowledge — Career Firefighters

We don’t just sell and service fire apparatus - We ride in them! We understand your needs as many of our employees

have been or are currently firefighters. Between our sales team and our mechanics, we have over 100 years of fire indus-

try experience ready to provide you with the finest apparatus sales and service in the Midwest.

Inspections: Keep your fleet up to speed with our over 200 point computerized inspection report. Pump and Aerial

testing as well.

We Come to You: Three fully stocked mobile service trucks. Scheduled pick-up/drop-off.

Or Come Visit Us: Fully staffed service and refurbish center. Preventive Maintenance programs for every budget.

Warranty Work Plus: We service all makes and models, Custom fabrication needs, Large parts inventory on hand.

Legacy Fire Apparatus

600 Earl Road

Shorewood, IL 60404

ABC Fire Department

123 Main Street

Shorewood, IL 60404