Chris Mc Loone recently sat down with Chris Watkins, technology sales manager for Whelen, to discuss the evolution and impact of intelligently controlled emergency vehicle lighting. The conversation offers a look at how modern technology is transforming the way emergency responders use lighting—not just for visibility, but also for safety and efficiency. Here are three key takeaways from their detailed discussion.

In this episode of the Apparatus Workshop, hosts Nick Wilbur and Win Slauch discuss setting the stage for the preengineering and the final inspection. This means requesting very specific information from your chosen manufacturer like turning radius reports as well as being very specific about angles of approach and departure. They also discuss how customization does not necessarily mean increased complexity. There are minor tweaks that can be made to a design that improve things like turning radius and angles of approach and departure.

Clear communication with manufacturers, an eye for detail, and keeping operational realities front and center can save departments from costly design oversights. From requesting precise turning radius measurements to understanding electrical and aerial load demands, the discussion underscores that the difference between a good rig and a great rig often lies in the questions asked early and the numbers tracked consistently.

Leadership and culture are discussed in many fire service circles today, and understandably so. Every fire department has its own challenges recruiting and retaining, but they often go beyond leadership and culture. If the desire to be a firefighter is not there, then leadership and culture don't matter. And while leadership and culture are critical, what often creates great culture is the pride we take in quickly and efficiently extinguishing fires. If we are not proficient with our equipment--fire apparatus, hoselines, PPE, SCBA--we cannot quickly and efficiently extinguish fires. That proficiency occurs when we continuously drill on our tactics. Leadership and culture are two keys critical to the success for any fire department, but at the end of the day, you have to put the fire out.