Hands-on Education, Lasting Community impact

Students help area volunteer fire department

Students helped solve a real-world problem this semester for the Onondaga Fire Department, gaining valuable experience and highlighting the power of community partnership.

Students in MFG 136: Blueprint Reading and Precision Measurement designed and built a custom fire hose drying rack, saving the department thousands of dollars while gaining hands-on experience. The students participated as part of their apprenticeship in an employer training by Corporate and Continuing Education. MFG 136 was enhanced with a lab project to ensure the required hours and employer outcomes
were met.

The Onondaga Fire Department, where Instructor Albert Rossner serves as a volunteer firefighter, has long needed a drying rack. This presented an ideal opportunity for students to take on a meaningful outreach project while demonstrating the competencies required for their apprenticeships.

FROM CLASSROOM CONCEPT TO COMMUNITY SOLUTION

The project began with a challenge: create a durable, functional hose dryer capable of supporting the weight of a fully soaked fire hose. Students researched the problem, generated multiple design concepts, and then tested real equipment.
Working collaboratively, students partnered with several industry supporters:

• Alro Steel provided the materials at a discounted rate.
• Caster Concepts donated heavy-duty casters
• Technique contributed professional-grade powder coating

Using SolidWorks, students developed a complete design, then moved into the welding lab where the College’s new fixture tables helped them fabricate precise, high-quality parts.

“It was incredible to see them work together as a team and exhibit the full range of their skills,” Rossner shared. “They took ownership of the problem and delivered a professional, functional solution that our fire department truly needed.”