The July issue of FireRescue magazine features technical editors’ picks for the best new products showcased at FDIC 2010. Here’s what we couldn’t fit in the magazine:

Council Tool’s Special Operations Survival (SOS) Tool
Review by Greg Jakubowski
OK, I’m a bit of a “tool geek.” I like companies that are always thinking about ways to help us do our job better. Carrying handfuls of tools to a fire building doesn’t work very well, so the goal is always to get fewer tools to do more tasks. Council Tool has obviously spent some time with firefighters in order to come up with a neat multi-purpose tool that, as a bonus, is made of alloy steel. One end of the SOS Tool is a pry bar with a sledgehammer, and the other end is a hook much like a New York Roof Hook—perfect for pulling roofs, ceilings, walls, etc.

The tool, which is made in the United States, costs $226 for the 36" version and $214.75 for the 24" version. It’s well-balanced for easy swinging and features a solid handle that appears unbreakable. Council Tool says the tool is solid enough to break through concrete block, as it is heat-treated for extra strength and durability. They add that it can be utilized as a battering ram. I really like it when folks challenge us to break their stuff—and provide a lifetime warranty to back it up! The folks at Council Tool have been making firefighting tools since the 1930s, so they must be doing something right. If you like tools like me, take some time to look at the SOS Tool.

Council Tool
345 Pecan Lane
Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450
866/646-3011
www.counciltool.com

Greg Jakubowski is a fire protection engineer and certified safety professional with 31 years of fire-service experience. He is a Pennsylvania State Fire Instructor, serves as chief of the Lingohocken Fire Company in Bucks County, Pa., and is a member of the IAFC. Greg is also a principal in Fire Planning Associates, a company dedicated to helping fire departments, municipalities and businesses with pre-emergency training.

Danko’s Draftmaster Elite
Review by Bob Vaccaro
Danko displayed its Draftmaster Elite, a towable NFPA pump tester and trainer. The unit has a 2,600-gallon UPF water tank and a pump-test capacity of 2,750 gpm. The trailer has storage for hard suction hose as well as an operator’s panel located under a roll-up compartment door. Although this unit might not be right for an individual fire department, it would be perfect for a township or county that could share it. It would even work well for a countywide training school or a major city department with a large number of apparatus to pump test or individuals to train. Performing an NFPA pump test should be done on an annual basis, at a minimum, to get full ISO credit for your department. Bottom line: This unit makes it a little easier for your department to accomplish that task.

Danko
302 East 4th St.
Snyder, NE 68664
866/568-2200
www.danko.net

OnePower’s Emergency Management Powered Equipment Cache
Review by Bob Vaccaro
OnePower had several neat products on display at FDIC. The one that caught my eye was the largest: the Emergency Management Powered Equipment Cache. Constructed from a steel shipping container, this platform on demand (POD) unit contains a 175-kW generator; a hydraulic tool cache and a pneumatic tool cache, both by Stanley; an 11-gpm water-purification unit; a 5-ton HVAC cooling unit; a 10-kW heating unit; emergency lighting with light towers and lighting by Wilburt and Airstar; a hot water high-pressure hose; shoring and rescue tools by Holmatro; MSA-fixed SCBA bottle-fill stations and fixed-monitoring stations; radiation detection by Texas Instruments; satellite communications; and welding and cutting tools by Miller Industries.

The list goes on and on with what this unit can hold. The design is also flexible based on your needs. This POD can be transported to a major emergency and operate for weeks at a time in a remote location if necessary. If you need this type of integrated system, not only for emergency response but for military and industrial use, it’s definitely worth a look; you won’t be disappointed. This unit would also be especially useful for a township or county to share.

OnePower
243 Queen St. North
Hamilton, ON L8R 3N6
877/551-7697
www.one-power.com

Bob Vaccaro has more than 30 years of fire service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (N.Y.) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, The New York Fire Patrol and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. Vaccaro is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

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