Volunteer Fire Depts cry they need funding but in one case they where given a great opportunity to not only raise funds but train at same time and passed on it

 Customer of mine back in 90s  had a Golf Driving Range  in Washington County Pa and had 30 Foot light towers which needed bulbs changed almost every year .

He contacted the local community VFD about changing the bulbs for a donation but they had no ladder truck so my customer called the company next door and they agreed it was great training to bring truck down to a nice big lot and train for couple hours setting the truck up for various scenarios. My customer would give them a nice check Hundred dollars plus  and a book of free passes to come hit golf balls 

They did this for several years but then the Fire company which was a combo paid and volunteer company had their IAFF Fire Fighters union tell them No more.

So now my customer who happened to be a representative for local 1085 Laborers union was upset over it 

and no longer supported them because he always bought tickets for fundraisers off them  so they lost twice.  So we tried another fire company nearby see if they wanted  to do it but they could not be bothered  so they also got no further support from my customer who always bought tickets for fundraisers from them and other dept around the area as well as other non profit groups. 

Couple of the radio stations I engineer for  also tried doing advertising  and promotional  things as well with local fire dept to help them with Fundraising and same problems no interest from fire depts when asked  . No one ever called back

Had same thing happen with a restaurant customer who always supported the local fire depts till one night he had a false alarm and the fire fighters responding where so nasty and damaged his property he no longer supports them. 

and I can go on and on why depts get no help from local businesses

There are so many opportunity out there to raise funds but till depts change their attitudes then they will continue to struggle. 

Like I always say fire Depts are their own worst enemy

Amazon in its attempts to stop package theft just causes more problems when they hire least common denominator they can find to install equipment

 Mail Order  Package theft its going on everywhere  and Amazon has hired the least Common Denominator they can find  Installers to go around the country to install  special relays which are attached to apartment building Intercom systems which allow Amazon delivery drivers to use their cell phones to leave packages inside the apartment buildings lobby's

 Almost every time they have installed these systems at my customers property the owners have had to hire me to correct it  because the Amazon installers have screwed up the install. 

and it has been costly hiring me out to correct it and then to go after Amazon to get reimbursed

These installers often show up in old cars with out proper tools and training  install the unit and leave  and despite numerous complaints to amazon they could care less. They would rather keep paying out claims instead of hiring qualified people. But that's what Amazon does  bid it out to cheapest person they can find.

 

You will find these strange looking key operated Pull stations in jails and Mental Wards and for a reason

 

 Hopefully you will never have the experience of being Incarcerated or locked up in a mental health ward .

But if you do these facility  require  specialized Fire Protection systems which can not be easily made to go into a False Alarm condition by a Inmate or Patient   which is why the pull station below can only be operated by a key carried by a  Corrections Officer or  Floor Nurse

 

 Once activated by the staff the systems then usually go into a pre alarm condition to notify staff to respond and verify the alarm if not verified in certain time then alarm panel goes into full alarm . 

This is just one of many specialised items and devices you will find in Commercail, Industrial and Institutional settings 

Safety Flaggers Commit a Safety Error when flagging a local road . Who are these safety Flaggers and what are their qualifications to do the job

 I was recently driving down the section of Freeport Road  old PA28 in Ohara Twp when I came across  Workman making repairs to Gas Lines and they had hired one of many Flagging companies that have popped up since late 90s.  that provide traffic safety at job sites. 

This particular section of road has one of its lanes permanently shut down due to the hazard of rocks falling from the hillside some times it has been so bad people have been killed .

Penn Dot  has signs posted every 100 feet along road warning motorists not to use the lane but what did this flagging company do? they moved the barriers and used the unsafe lane for traffic flow so they did not have to do alternating traffic. 

You can see the Penn Dot road signs on left side of lanes being ignored by flaggers 

Needless to say I called and alerted Penn dot to the danger and im sure they reamed the safety company a new ass hole. for ignoring the warning signs.

 So the question comes up where did these flagging company's come from and what training and authorizations do they have to do this kind of work. 

 It use to be utility company's always provided there own trained flaggers which where unionized  utility company employees .

But that started changing in late 90s when  Bell Telephone started using Non union  Security company guard supplied by Allied who really had no ideal what they where doing .

Soon Power and Gas company's started doing it as well and that's when contract flagging company's where started and undercut what Security company's where charging as it was expensive to have trained guards do it. 

soon there where over a dozen different company's in business doing flagging started by flaggers who left and started their own company's.

I looked into what requirements one must have to be a flagger and they are required to complete a  basic Federal DOT traffic Flaggers course but that's it. 

They must wear a certain amount of high viability clothing and use certain amount of traffic canes and safety devices and they are suppose to set up safety zone s and some do a good job and many do not 

The flagging company is to check in with Penn Dot and advise when they are closing roads etc so it can be tracked but other than that nobody seems to be watching 

This Summer in Penn Hills Pa   a flagging outfit was highly criticized for mishandling traffic flow and 

had a WTAE TV investigation  episode they showed up in.

So it looks like another case of nothing will be done till there are some deaths then over regulation and reaction will go into place 

PAMA made a lifetime CO Carbon Monoxide Detector but manufacturers in USA could not let that be.

 There was a Israel based manufacturer of Natural Gas and Carbon monoxide sensors named PAMA who at one time made CO and Gas sensor who had lifetime sensor in them they where great 

I still have several I service and test every year. Unfortunately also had a couple which started burning up but later traced it to bad power supplying it

But that was not making other sensor manufacturers happy where you had to buy a new one every 5 years  and they made so PAMA could no longer get UL listing with out spending Big Bucks so they folded up shop and left the USA 

The same for a company named Crow Electronics who made the best motion sensors but because UL listing was a fortune they left and went back to Israel as well. 

 

Of course now look how the democrats are turning there backs on Israel as well.

Its a dam shame all the unique products we will never see in this country because of politics , greed and over regulation   That could be saving lives . You think UL and NFPA are your friends think again

Like I say The Fire Service is its own worst Enemy

Failure of UL and NFPA to make Breaker Panel Manufacturers put Bigger or More Lugs on Neutral Bars results in Fires because they would rather sell add on kits

 As a Forensic Electrical Inspector I do  panel inspections after Power Surges water damage etc. for a company that provides this service to Insurers. 

One thing I see all too often especially when it a non professional installing breaker panels is the problem when you have more than one heavy wire feed going to the panel for a  Extra Sub Panel, Welder, Spa etc. 

While some  manufacturers provide extra larger size lugs on their panels to allow the bigger neutral wires 

Many do not.  They require you buy a neutral bar extension lug kit. which Sells for around $12.00

But if you do not know you need this you buy the panel take it home install it and when it comes time to hook in all the big neutrals guess what yes no room on the neutral bar for it .

So instead of buying the proper kit you see examples like below 

The first top picture shows someone took a lug and just attached wire to panel instead of to neutral bar 

and thou the panel is grounded its not a proper solid connection can vibrate loose and cause a fire 

and as you can also see some strands where not properly captured into the lug.

In the second picture you see someone tried to separate wires and run several strands into 2 separate bus bar openings but again missed strands and this still allows for wires to become loose and cause a fire.  

or worse yet the neutral slips out starts throwing 230 volts thru 12 outlets and starts sparking everywhere as power now trying to find ground. 

NFPA and UL knows this goes on and just ignores the issue instead of insisting more larger lugs are in panel when it is made. and would solve the whole problem. 

 

New Commercial Slide Gate Safety Rules ignored do to poor availability of sensor issues . Its a matter of putting cart before the horse

 The CPSC has established new safety rules for Slide Gate Operators . Typically seen at Industrial Facility's

But many times they end up getting ignored because of the poor quality of safety sensors preventing the gate from operating properly .

typical industrial gate

There has always been a requirement for a sensor eye which requires the gate to reverse operations when closing  if some one or vehicle is in the closing path of the gate.

However there is now a requirement that a beam protects the gate area where it moves back and forth before it crosses the entry way . 

This is because there have been reports of vehicles and individuals being hit by the gate as it retracts to its storage space.

No one should be anywhere near these gates but obviously this rule has been put in place as out populations becomes more stupid and can not think for itself. 

The problem is the sensors used to cover this storage area have flaws when it comes to ground fog and mist 

and can trick the gate into thinking some one is in the way and gate will not open.

This results in the sensor being bypassed by gate installers due to the constant problems of these new beams false tripping. 

Its just a matter of time till a better unit makes the market but in the mean time you have gates all over being bypassed