The Halligan Bar

 

The Halligan bar is a critical tool in the arsenal of a firefighter. It is a hand tool that is specifically designed for firefighters to gain access to buildings during emergencies. The Halligan bar, also known as the Halligan tool, is a versatile and durable piece of equipment that has been in use for over 70 years and is widely considered one of the most important firefighter tools.

The Halligan bar is a hybrid tool that combines a fork and a flat bar. It is made of heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel, making it ideal for use in high-pressure and high-heat environments. The fork end of the bar is used to pry open doors and windows, while the flat bar can be used to break down walls and create an opening in the structure. The Halligan bar is also equipped with a sharp point on the opposite end of the fork, which can be used to penetrate roofs and flooring.

The Halligan bar is an essential tool for firefighters, as it enables them to quickly and effectively gain entry to buildings during emergencies. Firefighters often use the Halligan bar in conjunction with a hydraulic rescue tool, such as a spreader or cutter, to create a larger opening in the structure. This combination of tools enables firefighters to rescue people and animals, put out fires, and ventilate smoke-filled buildings more effectively and efficiently.

In addition to its versatility and durability, the Halligan bar is also known for its ease of use. Firefighters can use the Halligan bar with one hand, freeing up the other hand to hold a flashlight, use a radio, or carry other equipment. This is particularly useful in dark, smoke-filled environments where visibility is limited.

Despite its numerous benefits, the Halligan bar is not without its limitations. One of the main limitations of the Halligan bar is its weight. The tool can be heavy and cumbersome, making it difficult for firefighters to carry and maneuver. Another limitation of the Halligan bar is its length, which can make it difficult to use in tight spaces.

Halligan bar is an essential firefighter hand tool that has been in use for over 70 years. Its versatility, durability, ease of use, and heat- and corrosion-resistant materials make it an indispensable tool for firefighters. While it has its limitations, the Halligan bar remains one of the most important firefighter tools and is widely used by firefighters across the world.

Where To Find & Buy Cleaning Supplies In Stock

A lot of people are looking for cleaning supplies right now and after searching for hours most people usually give up when trying to find disinfectants and santizers. Most people find that people who say in stock are shipping 30 - 45 days from now. It's frustrating and down right dishonest.

Items listed here ship within 24 hours after you place the order.

1. DISINFECTANT SPRAY - This is hard to find and hard to get. A fair price - this kills 99.99% (I know it should just say 100, but it doesn't) of all germs. It has a pleasant smell and has foaming action to help with the cleaning process. Great buy!
   
   
2. HAND SANITIZER - So many companies have been advertising hand sanitizer like it is gold. This 9 ounce container has a really good smell and is made by a US company. It is in stock at the time of this post and is selling quick.
   
   
3. FOAMING HAND SOAP - This one has been really tough to find in the market place. We haven't seen many stores have this in stock - even in the big box stores. Great foaming action and leaves your hands feeling clean and no residue.
   
   
4. CLOROX SPRAY - OK this one - we NEVER thought we would see available. CLOROX SPRAY! Are you kidding me? This is the real deal. Priced at a fair price (all things considered) and in stock ready to ship. This one will keep you germ free. 
   

How to Choose Firefighting Hose

So you just specd out that new fire truck with all of the bells and whistles that you love. You have the lighting package, you have the chrome package, the scene lights. You used your response area needs to determine what type of truck and it's features. You likely spend at least $250,000 to $750,000 on the equipment that gets your guys and gals to the scene as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.

This is the normal time line. We see it all the time. This is also where time and time again a mentality shifts for many departments. Your truck gets the attention it deserves and needs but when you go to buy fire hose, you now are trying to find the cheapest price possible on "fire hose".

We often see this mentality when it comes time to buy fire hose. Hours of thought have went into the truck spec, but your fire hose is more of an after thought.

So how do you select the best firefighting hose?
It's a multi faceted approach. First you really have to start with your response area. What type of construction is in your district? If you have single row shot-gun style homes with lighter fire loads, you may be able to get by with a 125 gallon per minute (gpm) nozzle. But wait, we are talking hoses here... what's my nozzle have to do with the hose?

It's a marriage....
The right hose and nozzle combination is critical in determining your needed fire flows. Like I said above, the 125gpm may be fine for some. But what if you have 3500 sq ft homes? What if you have heavy industry? Large Commercial structures? 125 gpm will not be very effective in those situations. Obviously taking a 1 1/2 inch handline will not work. You'll need 2 1/2 inch or larger.

Hoses have flows!
Just like your nozzle, each fire hose has optimal flow rates. The Key to finding what you need for your application is matching the needed flows from your response area, with a hose that flows the right gallonage with a nozzle that's matched for that flow at a operating pressure that works for your department.

Under Pressure
Ahhh - pressure...... So many times you can ask a department what GPM they are flowing and the answer is wildly different from each member. Even command staff will give you different answers. When you go to flow test the line you often times find that the results are no where near what they all expected.

Let us help!
With Key Hose and Elkhart Brass We can find the right solution for your needed flow rates. Call one of our sales team today so we can visit your department.

How to Choose a Leather Fire Helmet

If you are looking for a leather fire helmet there are multiple pieces of information that you should consider in order to choose the right one.

First is the brand. There are only about 3 brands of leather firefighter helmets in the United States. 1 has been around for nearly 100 years. 1 is relatively new. The other however is Phenix Fire Helmets. Since 1972 Phenix has been manufacturing the lightest, most comfortable leather fire helmet in the world.

Firefighter helmets require quality and durability. When you are spending several hundred dollars on a fire helmet that will sometimes last an entire career, then you should purchase something that is going to last. At Phenix, quality comes first! Each helmet is carefully inspected before it leaves the factory for any and all quality issues.

Leather fire helmets have long been known to be heavy. Not much has changed in leather works since 1900. But at Phenix, a comfortable helmet is a helmet that doesn't give you that pain between your shoulders after a long shift. Weighing nearly half that of it's closest competitors (Cairns N6A) the Phenix TL2 Leather Fire Fighter Helmet weighs nearly 55 ounces. At the end of the shift, you won't feel like you have had a cinder block on your head.

 

Leather Helmets are about PRIDE! Phenix Fire Helmets is the ONLY helmet manufacturer that offers custom name stamping on the back of the helmet. They have been doing this for YEARS and no one else. Get your name, your nickname, your departments name or logo stamped or etched on the rear brim of the helmet.

The lead time is the best! For a custom helmet to leave the factory as quick as Phenix does, it's truly impressive. Less than 16 weeks to build YOUR helmet. YOUR WAY!

Go here or contact us at 1-800-646-1086 to order your Firefighter Leather Helmet today!

Phenix Leather Fire Helmets - A Little Info

Many of you have come to our store to find out what we have been saying for years - Phenix Fire Helmets are a remarkable product at an extremely competitive price point. That - you like. Our prices are the lowest price we are allowed to advertise. That's just the way we do business. We provide excellent products at the lowest possible price to you. Simple. Although our retail store location will be announced in the coming weeks (more to follow on that!) and a new quickship in stock program is coming for our helmets, we want to clear up some myths that seem to be surrounding the production of the leather helmet.

First, let's talk about what the Phenix Leather Helmet is comprised of. It's base startes with a Thermoplastic shell that is then encapsulated by high quality leather. The shell provides strength to the helmet so that if something falls on your head, your noggin is protected. Although leather can meet the specifications of protection on it's own, you must make the leather rigid. This adds weight, and restricts you from easily molding and bending the helmet once it is delvered. If you want the lid (slang for a fire helmet) to be lighter and flexible, the thermoplastic shell is necessary.

Secondly and more imporantly - is the leather itself. Just in case some of you are not aware - or just never thought about it. Leather usually comes from animal skin. There are not many animals that we know of that are shaped in the form of a firefighting helmet (at least not those that would meet NFPA compliancy). Needless to say, the leather must be processed, tanned, shaped, cut, peiced together and finally sewn into the form of the helmet. There are many peices of leather that comprise of a fire helmet. So, leather helmets are a custom product.

Finally - the goodies! Once the leather helmet is finally manufactured we have to add all of the goodies to make it NFPA or OSHA compliant. Although full NFPA codes are not available for free, if you are interested in some of the testing requirements for helmets under NFPA 1971, read THIS and THIS. It gets better in the full requirement.

This means that we add tetrahedrons, eye protection, ear protection, suspension system and "energy absorbing systems" just to name a few.

Folks, I tell you all of that so I can tell you this. Leather helmets are a CUSTOM PRODUCT.

We try to stock everything we sell. It's just part of how we do business. We expand our warehouse to meet your demand, we upgrade phone systems to meet your call volume, we come to your firehouse and meet you when you are looking for new product - we do whatever it takes to satisfy you, our customer. Folks, without you we are nothing. When we say that - we mean it.

That being said - it is impossible for us (or we think anyone) to stock every combination possible of firefighter helmets. It would litteraly require hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep in stock every helmet in every combination possible. Im no statistician but that combination is astronomical.

We allow your product to be custom ordered as you place the order we place the order with Phenix Fire Helmets. Remember when I said they are an awesome product??? Well, many others have found the same thing. Orders at the factory are UP - WAY UP. Most leather helmet manufacturers are running about 3-7 MONTHS. At Phenix Fire Helmets, they can get a CUSTOM leather helmet out in 10 weeks. A far better time frame than most.

Again - we will be launching a quickship program soon - where we have certain combinations in stock. For now when you order a wonderfully comfortable and extremely lightweight Phenix Fire Helmet from us, please know that it can take 10 weeks to deliver to you. I don't like it either. When I order my toys - I want them now. BUT - this is a QUALITY product and an extremely affordable and competitive price that will last you your entire fire service career.

Ok I am off my soapbox!

Stay tuned for announcments from us but in the meantime friends, stay safe & stay LOW!

In Service,

Sean
ThePublicSafetyStore.com
1-800-646-1086
Lexington, KY

Is your lighting Certified?

SoundOff Signal is one of the largest manufacturers of emergency vehicle lighting in the United States. From full size LED light bars to interior warning equipment and sirens, when you purchase a product from us with the SoundOff Signal brand name, you get a quality product that has been tested to assure your safety.

If you search the web for emergency vehicle lighting, you WILL find other brands. Some are great, some only appear to be great. Many vendors have decided to import lighting from foreign manufacturers. While some of those products are also acceptable for certain applications, many are quite simply junk. We can't speak for others, but for SoundOff Signal, they have the products they manufacture tested by third party vendors. They will provide an unbiased certification of quality.

So we decided that you should know what they are and how they affect you. 

 CA TITLE 13

California has their own lighting standards. They have standards different from the rest of the world for everything else so why would lighting be any different. We joke, a little. 

Lighting standards must comply with the California Code of Regulations (CCR) which is specified in Title 13, Division 2, Chapter 2, Article 22. It will speak of the flash rate, construction color requirements, etc. It's very specific and legalese... (LINK HERE ) You can also find that link useful for locating the specifications for sirens which is found in Chapter 4, article 8. 

Basically - the CA TITLE 13 certification is something that is required if you wish to use a light in California. 

ECE 65

ECE 65 is a little different and is commonly used througout Europe to assure safety compliance with lighting used there. It involves more about the light output of the product than California's regulations do. Specifically the 360 degree output of the device. And it's VERY specific.

Regulation providing performance, marking, and conformity of production requirements for directional and 360 degree warning devices.  Directional lights are to be rated for Category X, 360 degree lights are to be rated for Category T.  Products with 2 levels of intensity must comply with Class 1 and Class 2 photometric requirements.  Products with 1 level of intensity only need comply with Class 1 photometric requirements. See test methods below.

ECR65 Test Point Summary

Category T (360 Degree Coverage)

Blue / Red - Minimum Values from 4 Degrees Up to 4 Degrees Down

Amber - Minimum Values from 8 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down All Colors

• Maximum Values Inside 2 Degrees Up to 2 Degrees Down
• Maximum Values Inside 2 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down
• Maximum Values Outside test Area

Category X (Directional Coverage) - Narrow Angle Effect All Colors

• Minimum Values from 8 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down
• Minimum Values from 30 Degrees Left to 30 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Inside 4 Degrees Up to 4 Degrees Down and 10 Degrees Left to 10 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Inside 8 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down and 20 Degrees Left to 20 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Outside test Area

Category X (Directional Coverage) - Wide Angle Effect All Colors

• Minimum Values from 8 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down
• Minimum Values from 90 Degrees Left to 90 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Inside 4 Degrees Up to 4 Degrees Down and 10 Degrees Left to 10 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Inside 8 Degrees Up to 8 Degrees Down and 20 Degrees Left to 20 Degrees Right
• Maximum Values Outside test Area

ECE 65 REGULATION 10

Regulation providing requirements for electromagnetic stability.  Compliance with the regulation helps ensure the device will not cause interference issues with vehicle communication systems.

SAE 595

These are some of the big ones. SAE is the authoritative figure in the US. The 595 standard is used frequently when Traffic Arrows and directional bars come into play. Here is the break down:

Recommended practice providing design guidelines, test procedures, and performance requirements for directional optical warning devices intended for authorized emergency, maintenance and service vehicles. Lighting tested from 10 degrees upward to 10 degrees downward and 20 degrees from side-to-side.

Photometric Class Rankings
Class 1: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as a primary lighting device on authorized emergency vehicles responding to emergency situations.
Class 2: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as a primary optical warning devices for use on authorized maintenance or service vehicles to warn of traffic hazards such as a lane blockage or slow moving vehicle.
Class 3: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as primary optical warning devices for identification only.

Let's put it to you this way - if you are an emergency vehicle operator and you choose to place non SAE compliant devices on your vehicle, if an accident occurs, a creative lawyer will sink you. 

SAE J845

The 845 standard is used for lighting that is not a directional arrow but not 360 degree output.

Recommended practice providing design guidelines, test procedures, and performance requirements for 360 degree optical warning devices and selective coverage defined as any light that provides greater coverage then 40 degrees left-to-right but less than 360 degrees. Intended for authorized emergency, maintenance and service vehicles. Lighting tested from 5 degrees upward to 5 degrees downward.

Photometric Class Rankings
Class 1: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as a primary lighting device on authorized emergency vehicles responding to emergency situations.
Class 2: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as a primary optical warning devices for use on authorized maintenance or service vehicles to warn of traffic hazards such as a lane blockage or slow moving vehicle.
Class 3: Indicates product complies with requirements for use as primary optical warning devices for identification only.

SAE J1849

This one is for sirens.

 Recommended practice providing design guidelines, test procedures, and performance requirements for electronic siren systems with a single loudspeaker and electromechanical sirens for use on authorized emergency vehicles calling for the right of way. Measurement of frequency and sound pressure level requirements for wail and yelp tones.

 

Now that you know the standards, think twice about saving a couple of bucks and buying a low quality item that does not meet them. You only put yourself and the people you are trying to protect at risk.

Come See Us - 83rd Annual Kentucky State Fire School

If you are in or around central Kentucky this weekend, stop by and see us. This weekend at the Lexington, KY Convention Center for the 83rd Annual Kentucky State Fire School & Homeland Security Conference.

We have a booth there to show the latest in fire, ems & police protective equipment and supplies. We enjoy meeting our customer's face to face, so please stop by and see us.

We will be announcing new product lines from Veridian Turnout ear, Glove Crafters Fire Gloves & more.

Come & see us!

Sean
1-800-646-1086