Mark-A-Hydrant has patented this reflective hydrant marker that provides outstanding visibility in the day or night.
This is my favorite type of invention; it’s a simple design that utilizes available technology to solve a common problem.
They come in four colors and are quite reasonably priced, for details you can visit the company’s website at http://www.mark-a-hydrant.com.
FDNY Fireboat 343 went in service at 0900 on September 11th 2010. Fireboat 343 is a state of the art and the most advanced, and largest, fire boat in the world. It is 140-foot long, weighs 500-tons, and cost $27 million dollars.
The Three Forty Three, and her sister ship Firefighter II (currently undergoing sea trials in Panama City, Florida), were paid for in large part by $54 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security. The Three Forty Three’s original design is from naval architectural firm Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C. The Three Forty Three was constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Florida. For a video on FDNY Fireboat Three Forty Three Being Commissioned, click here.
Super Hangers
No more struggling with wimpy hangers. These hangers are built super sturdy, with high quality non-corrosive materials. They offer a number of different models that can be used for your fire, scuba, or other heavy gear. Check out the complete line at www.uwkinetics.com.
Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 Airport Rescue Firetruck
I think this is the coolest looking firetruck I’ve seen to date. Not only does it look tough, it has a great futuristic design. This one is stationed at the Ostrava Airport in the Czech Republic. You can view more photos and all the vehicle stats by clicking here.
Now, I love the job… but I’m not sure this is a gadget for me. However, if you find yourself saying “I’ve got to have that” then your in luck. This casket, called “The Firefighter” is just one of many available in the Special Interest casket line from ArtCasket.com. Rest in Peace : )
View the complete line of special interest caskets here
FYI - I found another company that produces a firefighter casket. I guess it’s true, we’ll buy anything with a firetruck on it.
Robokiyu definitely qualifies as a unique firefighting gadget. Owned by the Tokyo Fire Department and controlled by remote control Robokiyu uses two movable arms to drag a person’s body up the slide located in the front of the machine.
Concerned that this robot will be scooping up people who aren’t quite dead yet… Don’t worry, it pumps oxygen throughout just in case. Although I can’t see using this robot at a residential house fires, it may be a perfect tool for Hazardous Material emergencies or similar incidents.
FYI - Robokiyu is one of 12 firefighting robots used by the Tokyo Fire Department
I have been a firefighter for over 23 years and have always enjoyed learning about, & trying, the new tools developed for the fire service. I doesn’t matter if that gadget is for use on the fire-ground or meant to be used at the station. It doesn’t matter whether it was developed specifically for firefighters or something that was re-purposed for use on our job; I want to try it, or at the very least I wanted to know about it.
In 2001 I started one of the most popular firefighter websites on the internet, StrikeTheBox.com. If you haven’t visited it, the site is dedicated to the art of firefighter tattoos. It has over 4,500 photos of firefighting related tattoos, all inked on firefighters from more than 20 countries. The site gets over 8,000 visitors each month with over 125,000 page views.
While browsing the web for undiscovered firefighter tattoos & cutting edge tattoo artists, I often learn about new gadgets and tools that firefighters are using on the job. That’s when I got the idea for this site; I’d like it to be a place to showcase all the latest gadgets being designed for the fire service. A place where you can learn about firefighter gadgets without having to visit dozens of websites, and where firefighters can comment on the gadgets they’re using on the job and what works and what’s just useless.
Some of the firefighting gadgets you see here will be technology advanced. Others are ones that just make our job easier or a little more fun; and others may be totally useless but none the less cool firefighting gadgets!
So I hope you enjoy FirefightingGadgets.com, I welcome your comments and suggestions & feel free to email me with any new gadgets you’d like to see reviewed on this site.
In Brotherhood,
Roger
