MCFRS And MCP Partner On New Command Unit

By: Steve Lamphier
      Manager, Fleet Section

The County received an Urban Area Security Initiative grant for a “command post” that will be jointly operated by the MCFRS and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCP).  A team of MCFRS and MCP worked with the vendor, Frontline Communications, to design and manufacture a vehicle that incorporates current technologies related to ground radio, satellite, and cellular communications and allows for incident command of the both mundane and unique emergencies faced by today’s first responders.

The team completed a ”mid-point” inspection this week.  It allowed the team to check progress, ensure the vehicle was being built to the County’s requirements, and check the quality of the manufactured vehicle.  The inspection also allowed the team to visualize the unit for purposes of creating a training plan.

The vehicle will be completed in early April and receive a final inspection.  The team will receive operational training at that time also.  It will be delivered to the County shortly thereafter.

Check out below to see the progress!

New Command Post

Why Does The FD Tear Apart So Much "Stuff" at a Building Fire?

By: Battalion Chief Mark Davis

One of the biggest concerns of an Incident Commander at the scene of a building fire is the spread of fire throughout the building via void (or concealed) spaces. While infrared camera technology certainly helps firefighters detect such fire spread, the definitive action is to "open up the area." 

Fires in kitchens and bathrooms are particularly notorious for fire spread because of the numerous void spaces such as pipe chases and exhaust fans. This is why firefighters need to poke holes in walls or pull cabinets off of walls or remove entire ceilings.

The easy way to prevent this type of damage? Residential sprinklers!

The attached photo shows the pipe chase for a bathroom. The photo is taken from below the bathroom - so you can see that a fire on the floor below can easily spread to the upper floor. Many thanks to Captain Barber (15-A) for sharing the photo.